Companies are working to improve workforce performance by focusing on creating a better employee experience, according to O.C. Tanner, experts in employee recognition and reward solutions. Employee experience encompasses much more than benefits, happiness or engagement. It is a reference to employee interactions with a company at every step.
The approach to cultivating a better employee experience can be broken down into three areas: work environment, tech and tools and culture.
A positive work environment refers to the factors that contribute to how employees feel while they are at work. This includes work/life balance, trust relationships between employees and management, and company openness to new ideas. Employees need to come to work trusting that they won’t be pulled into a toxic environment of drama and stress.
The right tools and tech applications for each company vary. Creating a better employee experience with technology and tools means providing software, programs, apps and even physical tools that make work interactions more positive. The right technology and tools encourage employees to be efficient and innovative.
Cultivating an engaging culture, “the heart of an organization” according to O.C. Tanner, needs to be done well in order for employees to truly have a positive experience at work. Organizational culture should rally employees around a common purpose and enable meaningful work. The six essential elements in maintaining an “irresistible” workplace culture are purpose, opportunity, success, appreciation, well-being and leadership.
As an organization moves beyond measuring only employee engagement and begins improving overall employee experience in the areas above, it starts to build a workplace where employees want to engage. For fresh produce farms, Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) helps develop employee experience through workforce development with a commitment to continuous improvement and by establishing the highest standards for labor practices, food safety and pest management.
Research on EFI-certified farms shows that farmworkers are more trusting of management and feel that communication and collaboration processes are much improved after going through EFI Leadership Team training. Women and minority groups attest to experiencing a greater sense of respect and less discrimination.
Leadership Teams create pathways for feedback from employees at all levels, which can assist in identifying and acquiring useful tools. For example, even a simple idea for improvement, such as a new design for harvest carts on an EFI-certified Baja California farm, yielded big results.
Research has shown that EFI brings profound cultural shifts, promoting collaboration around a common purpose, an increased sense of motivation to be part of a team and an increased sense of commitment to the company. Education and skill building can also give new meaning to work, contributing to a better employee experience.
“How we explain the requirements we have is where the magic happens,” reports Jackie Vazquez, Director of Operations for Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce/GoodFarms Watsonville District. “We’ve learned that people need to understand the why behind the rule.”
EFI’s method of developing a better employee experience is specific to the needs of the fresh produce industry and can be customized for each operation.
Pete Donlon, Vice President of Misionero, a leading supplier of organic salads, credits EFI certification with giving his employees a voice, contributing to increased trust and accountability and creating space for employees to execute goals and grow into fuller roles within the company — all factors that contribute to a richer employee experience and deeper level of engagement.
The choice to bring loyalty and passion to a company can’t be forced, but as employers take a holistic approach to provide a quality employee experience, they encourage their employees to engage at a higher level.
To learn more about how EFI can help develop a better employee experience for your company visit equitablefood.org.
