Personalisation is becoming a sought-after advantage in the workplace. Employees no longer accept a generic experience that doesn’t support them on an individual level.
From an organisation’s onboarding strategy to wellbeing perks, leaders must embrace personalisation in every stage of the employee experience.
For too long, personas and segments have been the holy grail of personalisation in the workplace. But if the past couple of years has taught the working world anything, it’s that not every employee need fits within these blueprints.
In fact, according to one study, 66% of employees would choose to receive two tickets to an event of their choice rather than three times the value of those tickets paid into their paycheck over a year.
It’s clear that personalisation in the form of recognition, rewards, and the wider employee experience is key. In Monster’s 2021 Future of Work survey, 75% said virtual hiring made it difficult to assess a company’s values and culture and how they align with their own.
By personalising the candidate’s journey, organisations can minimise this issue. From tailored messaging to direct communication with candidates, recruiters must establish genuine relationships remotely.
Personalised employee benefits
In the UK, businesses are dealing with the prospect of a recession as inflation hits 9.4%. The cost of living crisis has created an epidemic of its own, and both employers and employees are burdened by soaring prices.
In times of instability, employers are pressured to increase wages. It’s never this easy, especially for some SMEs. That said, the personalisation of employee benefits can be the affordable solution they’re looking for.
The cost-of-living crisis is guaranteed to impact millions of Brits. Many will be forced to spend less and cut back on the smaller luxuries of life.
Of course, this can be detrimental to our health and wellbeing which in turn affects our performance at work, and this is why personalised benefits can be so powerful.
By understanding the circumstances employees face, leaders can rethink their benefits package that supports employee lifestyle choices.
Take gym memberships for example, at the staggering price of £200 – £600 per year, freeing up the cost can help just as much as a pay rise.
Personalised onboarding
The onboarding phase is especially important, and one that must be personalised. A staggering 30% of employees quit their jobs in the first 90 days, according to one report.
It’s a lack of communication that drives this issue, with most employees feeling they were led to believe the role was something different.
Like any introduction, first impressions matter. A generic onboarding strategy will see employees deflated by an organisation’s lack of interest in them.
Leaders can vastly improve their onboarding phase through personalisation. This means understanding the best way to communicate with new hires; it’s working with them, rather than against them.
Communicate effectively, and do so in a way that suits your employee best. In addition to this, new employees should be invited to social gatherings and opportunities to meet team members prior to their first day.
It’s tactics like this that drive higher engagement, help individuals settle, and create a sense of belonging.
Personalised career progression and development
Career progression is essential to our working lives. It’s a lack of opportunity that often drives employees to leave. What’s worse, is organisations that invest in learning and development in the wrong areas.
We all have a rough idea of where we want to go in our career, and without the right support, progress can feel a bit flat or futile. Companies must show their support for the individual interests of their employees. This requires 1-2-1 to discuss future goals, career ambitions, and more.
Since the rise of eLearning, personalised learning has boomed. The sheer volume available to employees online means that their individual interests can be met, and at an affordable price to the employer.
Offering a personalised L&D means skill gaps can be addressed, employee engagement can be improved and organisations can see better retention rates.
When it comes to career progression, it goes hand-in-hand with learning and development. Through personalised learning comes the opportunity to grow our roles in the workplace.
Leaders should acknowledge this link and work with employees to provide clear goals and objectives for the future. It’s about finding areas within the business that suits their career progression needs.
Final note
Personalisation is here to stay. If leaders want to build a thriving business, a people-centric approach must be taken. In fact, personalisation must be addressed in all facets of business, and leadership teams should constantly be asking themselves how they can improve the employee experience.
This should be a wake-up call for leaders to embrace personalisation and the powerful benefits it has for both employees and the organisation itself.
