If “The Great Resignation of 2021” has taught businesses anything, it is that employees have choices.
Over the past decade, most successful businesses have acknowledged the value of delivering exceptional Customer Experiences (CX). They’ve built dedicated CX teams, incorporated human-centered design methodologies throughout their organization, and refined CX to an art form.
But how many businesses have put the same level of care into designing exceptional Employee Experiences (EX)? After all, happy employees naturally deliver better front-stage experiences. So, focusing on improving back-stage experiences seems like a no-brainer to positively impact CX as well.
Some business leaders have taken notice and are leaning in. Our research and design team at Stratos Innovation Group recently completed several Service Design (SD) projects aimed at improving employee experiences. We'll share tips that help you design for transformation in your relationship with your employees. But first- a little context.
Remote working and hybrid workforces
Hybrid working arrangements are no longer a temporary reaction to the pandemic. With two years under their belts to figure it out, many people have adjusted to working from home (WFH) and some are actually thriving. Yet, some employees (and businesses) are still struggling to make hybrid work frictionless. Using service design methodologies you can reframe physical and virtual workspaces and empower employees with flexible tools, spaces, and best practices that allow them to be the most productive version of themselves. Whether it’s in the office or at home.
Case Story: Optimizing the Return-to-Work Meeting Room Experience
A major healthcare provider with over 40,000 employees hired thousands of new workers between 2019-2021. Many had never worked in one of their dozens of office buildings nor used one of their hundreds of newly remodeled “smart” technology meeting rooms. Their innovation team was faced with a “return-to-the office” deadline and wanted to avoid months of potential frustration while new employees figured out how to navigate unfamiliar office buildings, schedule meeting rooms, and onboard to recently installed innovative technologies. Their innovation team brought us in to improve team collaboration in the meeting room experience (i.e. scheduling, way-finding, and virtual meeting experiences).
Our service designers took the client on “Service Safaris” with their employees to learn current-state virtual meeting pain-points. We also facilitated co-creation workshops with employees using Lego® Serious Play® (LSP). Using a series of service design frameworks we helped to frame their latent and subconscious desires and envision an ideal virtual meeting experience. We built experience concepts to test ideas that make returning back to the office as seamless as possible.
Case Story: Justice Center Redesign
One of the fastest-growing cities in Ohio was outgrowing its courthouse. Increasingly greater numbers of people were needing to be processed through their courtrooms and it was beginning to expose public security and safety risks. Additionally, the added stresses created frustration and fatigue for city employees. The city proposed a renovation effort and we partnered with an architectural consulting firm to help guide workspace design planning.
Our service design team worked with judges, clerks, bailiffs, prosecutors, attorneys, and police department personnel to understand challenges working in the current space including workflows, and cultural/emotional wellness in the building. By facilitating co-creation workshops with employees our designers helped identify emotions and experiences that employees ideally wanted in the renovated space. Employees created new space layout concepts to improve efficiency, safety, increase employee morale, and advocate for victims' rights. The concepts helped them feel more secure from potential threats in public areas, more relaxed in private areas, and more collaborative in common areas.
“...give employees flexible tools, spaces, and best practices that allow them to be the most productive version of themselves.”
Tips for hacking your environments for better employee experience
- Conduct structured research to better understand your internal staff's needs, pain points, and opportunities. We've found that it's better to do your research with managers separately from their direct reports so that the direct reports feel free to share openly.
- Facilitate internal co-creation workshops to create future state employee experiences. Design a structured workshop plan that gives employees room to dream- whether their ideas seem feasible or not at first glance. Even if their ideas or concepts don't get selected it will reveal what's most important to them. (Learn more about co-design and why it’s a powerful approach.)
- Invest in flexible technologies, hybrid work solutions, and facilities upgrades that reduce stress, and promote mental wellness. Be careful not to invest in solutions just because they are "shiny objects." Be disciplined in solving your employee's actual needs so you can empower them to be the most productive versions of themselves.
Great employee experiences are the foundation of great customer experience. Consider using a Service Design (SD) approach to help your employees thrive in their spaces and the employee experience you create will stand out among other opportunities employees have in the “Great Resignation.”
About The Author
Sean Svendsen is a Sr. Design Research and Strategy Lead at Stratos Innovation Group. He leads service design research and strategy projects and his forte is helping clients create compelling service experiences. Sean is named on 70 U.S. patents and has won 16 international design awards. He is passionate about human-centered design and has a wide range of experience developing services, products, packaging, displays, environments, and events for clients such as Lowe’s, Nike, Roche, Stanley Black & Decker, and Cardinal Health. 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/seansvendsen/
