Employee engagement (EE) is specifically the issue of whether an employee holds an intrinsic commitment and emotional attachment to their job, the organisation they work for and its goals. Take a look at our definition here.
Employee experience (EEX) is everything that happens from the employee's perspective - from their morning commute to the technology they use. The implementation of flexible working policies to how warm (or cold) the office is. It's the entire journey an employee takes with your organisation.
Engagement is just one outcome of a good employee experience
Employee engagement is the level of emotional affection and commitment an employee has to their work, the company's goals and purpose, and their peers.
But not everything done in the name of employee experience actually improves engagement.
Perks like free snacks, dry cleaning, a gym membership, or bonuses are great at attracting talent to an organisation. However research has shown that they often do very little to encourage long-term engagement.
Financial and other performance incentives can provide a short-term boost to engagement. But they can actually have a negative effect in the long-term when they drive staff to compete with each other.
In one study, employees with good attendance records were rewarded by having their names entered into a raffle for a $75 dollar gift card. While this created a short-term improvement, employees who previously had poor attendance soon returned to their old patterns.
The parts of experience that generally matter for long-term engagement and retention are the ones that enable employees to do their jobs more effectively while prioritising their wellbeing, personal development and work/life balance.
Things like:
- a manager who champions them
- getting regular feedback to make incremental improvements
- feeling heard when they raise a concern
- seeing feedback being put into action
- transparency around personal and company performance
- having clear goals and expectations set out
- getting recognised for their efforts
Head to our resource hub for a more in-depth insight into the difference between employee engagement and employee experience.