5 Best Employee Experience Platforms

What is Employee Experience?

Employee Experience is the sum of all interactions, emotions, and impressions that an employee experiences during their life cycle in a given company.

These arise from various factors, including:

• The atmosphere and physical condition of the work environment and the ergonomics of the workplace itself.
• The tools and resources provided and used during the performance of duties.
• The company’s organizational culture, including feedback and support.
• The quality of relationships with colleagues and management, including the experience of inspiring leadership.
• The quality of the company’s communication.
• The developmental opportunities provided by the company.
• The sense of meaningfulness and agency in work.
• The broadly understood balance between professional and private life.

Employee experiences can be positive or negative, and their quality and intensity will directly reflect on employee satisfaction and productivity. Understanding and improving various aspects of the workplace will ensure better retention and, therefore, financial results for the company, making caring for Employee Experience a priority for every company.

💡 One more note before we move on. The concept of Employee Experience should not be confused with the concept of professional experience, which strictly refers to skill development and the process of acquiring knowledge.

What is the Employee Experience Cycle?

Let’s return to the previously mentioned employee lifecycle.

The employee lifecycle in a company is the duration of the ‘acquaintance’ between the employee and the employer, often also referred to as the “employee journey”. It can be divided into 7 stages:

Attraction:

The stage when the employee first comes into contact with the company. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a job advertisement; it can be a company blog or other content created by the company (e.g., promotional videos as part of Employee Advocacy in social media). At this stage, the employee decides whether the company’s offer is interesting enough to move to the next stage. They will assess the company’s branding activities and become familiar with company values and communication style.

Recruitment:

The stage of the first human interactions between the employee and the company, where communication is established and information exchanged. After going through the phases of the employment process, at this stage, the employee ultimately decides whether they want to cooperate. If so, the parties complete the formalities.

Onboarding:

For the employee, this is a stage of intense learning, gaining experience, making acquaintances with colleagues, and becoming familiar with the company culture and duties.

Development:

A stage of intensive development within the company structure. This is a time for gaining professional experience, developing skills, achieving goals, but also for providing feedback and assessing performance.

Retention:

This stage involves the employer intensifying efforts, through recognition and rewards, to build employee engagement. The goal is not only to enhance performance, but primarily to retain employees within the company. Additionally, this is a time when performance metrics are closely monitored to inform decisions regarding the employee’s future.

Offboarding / Exit:

The stage of parting with the employee due to their retirement, termination of the contract by the employer, or resignation by the employee. This is a time of increased administrative activities and determining the conditions for future relations between the parties.

Advocacy / Happy Leavers:

This interesting stage occurs when an employee who has left the company becomes its advocate, i.e., speaks well of the company, encourages others to contact it, promotes content about the company, etc. For the company, this is a stage of maintenance activities after employment, i.e., proactively reaching out to former employees, providing them with regular updates about the company and its progress, etc. The goal of such activities may be to expand the employer branding program or to rehire boomerang employees.

At each of these stages, an employee undergoes certain sensations and emotions, and engages in various interpersonal interactions, thereby shaping their Employee Experience.

What is the Difference Between Employee Experience and Employee Engagement?

Let’s clarify one more thing. Employee experience and employee engagement are not the same concept.

👉 Employee experience refers to the entire lifecycle and environmental and organizational aspects. Positive employee experiences can enhance employee engagement, and improving them is often considered a strategy to increase employee engagement.

👉 Employee engagement is a concept with a narrower scope. It describes the emotional and psychological connection an employee has with their workplace and the quality of their relationship with the employer. When we mention engaged employees, we think of individuals who support the reputation and interests of their organization. If a company adequately focuses on strengthening employee engagement, it can effectively motivate them to act beyond their standard duties, leading to higher productivity, improved customer service, and better business results.

What is Employee Experience Software?

Employee Experience Software encompasses a wide range of digital tools, integrations, and platforms utilized by HR professionals in their daily tasks. These tools aim to enhance the overall employee experience within an organization, spanning activities from recruitment and onboarding to daily tasks, professional development, and offboarding. They facilitate the measurement of engagement, offer insights into employee engagement levels, and track key performance indicators. Additionally, these tools provide actionable insights and enable in-depth analysis of factors contributing to the employee experience, ultimately aiming to create a more positive, productive, and engaged team.

As previously mentioned, Employee Experience software is not a monolithic entity but includes many alternatives. We can categorize them based on their functions and areas of application. Here are some of the most popular types:

Employee Engagement Software:

Focuses on measuring and enhancing employee engagement levels, often including surveys, feedback mechanisms, and recognition tools to build employee morale and increase employee satisfaction.

Performance Management Software:

Aids in setting goals, conducting performance evaluations, and providing continuous feedback, typically featuring performance tracking, performance reviews and development planning.

Onboarding Software:

Streamlines the integration of new employees into an organization, assisting with administrative tasks, training, and task organization.

Educational and Development Platforms:

Provides resources and tools for accessing training materials and tracking professional development, potentially including e-learning modules and skill assessment features.

Recognition and Reward Software:

Concentrates on recognizing and rewarding employee achievements, possibly including peer-to-peer recognition, employee awards, and gamification elements.

Employee Communication Platforms:

Facilitates internal communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing, possibly featuring chat, forums, and intranet functions.

Employee Journey Mapping Software:

Helps in mapping and visualizing the entire employee journey, from recruitment to offboarding, for a more profound understanding of touchpoints and improvement areas.

Additionally, there are various types of employee surveys and real-time feedback tools, such as engagement surveys, questionnaires, and pulse surveys, along with apps supporting employees’ well-being, promoting a balance between work and personal life. It’s also worth noting the use of HRIS software. While not exclusively focused on employee experiences, it often includes features for managing employee data, administering benefits, and providing employee self-service portals, all contributing to a positive employee experience.

What Features Should Employee Experience Tools Have?

Employee Experience tools should be equipped with a range of features that cater to various aspects of an employee’s journey within an organization. The ideal features of such tools include:

• Streamlined and user-friendly onboarding processes.
• Tools for setting, tracking, and evaluating goals and performance, including feedback mechanisms and performance reviews.
• Access to training and development programs, e-learning modules, and career progression tools.
• Feedback and survey mechanisms for employees to provide feedback and for employers to conduct surveys.
• Systems to acknowledge and reward employee achievements.
• Platforms or tools* that support effective communication and collaboration within teams and across the organization. // * Perhaps the best known example is Microsoft Teams.
• Features that promote employee health and employees’ well-being.
• Easy access to HR-related information, often through self-service portals, with strong data security and privacy measures to protect sensitive employee information.
• Tools to map and analyze the employee journey from hiring to offboarding, identifying key touchpoints and areas for improvement.
• Advanced analytics and reporting capabilities to provide valuable insights into various aspects of the employee experience.
• Ability to customize and personalize experiences based on employee roles, preferences, and needs.

And as with any best and innovative software:

• Intuitive and engaging user interfaces that are easy to navigate and use, with a mobile-friendly design for easy access to tools and resources on-the-go.
• Seamless integration with other Human Resources and business tools for a unified approach to employee management.
• Support for AI and Machine Learning, which accelerates analytics and the prediction of certain behaviors and outcomes.

These features collectively contribute to a positive employee experience, enhancing engagement, productivity, and satisfaction. They also bring benefits to both the employees and the organization.

Who Uses Employee Experience Software?

Employee Experience Software comprises tools that assist companies in caring for their employees, and suits businesses of all sizes, from small firms to global corporations. This software is versatile and beneficial across various sectors, including hospitality, logistics, industrial, retail, and finance. The primary users within organizations include:

HR Professionals and HR Teams:

These individuals use the software to manage the employee lifecycle, streamline HR processes, analyze employee data, and implement strategies aimed at improving employee satisfaction and engagement.

Managers and Team Leaders:

They utilize the software to set and track goals, monitor employee progress and enhance the performance of each team member, provide feedback, and reward employees for their achievements.

Executives and Senior Management:

This group uses the software to gain insights into overall employee satisfaction and understand employee engagement levels across the organization, enabling them to make informed, strategic decisions based on data and analysis.

Training and Development Professionals:

They create and manage professional development opportunities and training programs that cater to the specific needs of employees.

Data Analysts and HR Analysts:

These professionals collect, analyze, and interpret employee experience data, providing valuable insights for decision-making.

Other professionals:

In some cases, external consultants and advisors also use the software to offer recommendations for improving organizational practices related to employee experience. IT teams are involved as well, primarily focusing on the proper implementation, maintenance, and integration of these tools within the company’s ecosystem.

Employees:

Employees are the largest group of users of Employee Experience software. They regularly interact with these tools through self-service portals for HR information, participate in surveys, engage in training and development programs on Learning Management Systems (LMS), and are involved in recognition and reward systems. Some companies offer mobile in-house apps to enhance accessibility and engagement through gamification.

Benefits of Using Employee Experience Software

Now we will move on to a more detailed discussion of the benefits that implementing tools supporting Employee Experience brings. These will include:

Increased Employee Engagement and Improved Communication:

Implementing Employee Experience software, especially those that allow mobile access, streamlines and accelerates communication between employees and employers. Openness in providing feedback and the ability to express opinions through employee surveys builds morale and increases employee engagement. Everyone wants to work in a company where the employee’s voice is heard.

Ability to Focus on Priorities:

Automation and self-service options provided by Employee Experience software reduce the burden of administrative tasks in HR teams, allowing them to focus on more strategic initiatives.

Increased Employee Retention & Employee Satisfaction:

A comprehensive employee experience platform in a company helps reduce employee turnover rates. Properly recognizing needs and addressing problems in the team increases employee satisfaction and allows the company to retain top talent.

Gaining High-Quality Employee Feedback:

An Employee engagement platform is a safe space for employees. They can use self-service functions but, most importantly, share their opinions and provide feedback on processes and current issues. The possibility of anonymizing surveys ensures that the feedback is honest and more complete. Employee engagement platforms also help to nurture an environment where continuous improvement is the norm.

Centralized Data Management:

An Employee Experience Management platform collects all scattered data in one secure place. This eliminates information duplication and other inconsistencies and allows the team to work on the same data set. The risk of violating regulations or human errors in data handling is also reduced.

Customized Development Opportunities and Skill Enhancement:

Employee Experience Management platforms simplify and improve the employee learning and development process, ensuring that the learning path is tailored to the employee’s needs and the business goals of the company.

Deeper Analytics and Better Decision-Making:

With Employee Experience solutions, a company can track various indicators, such as employee engagement, productivity, progress in learning and development, and many others. Each interaction, feedback submission, training completion, or other activity turns into records that can be measured and stored. Analyzing this data helps HR professionals identify patterns and trends, areas of low productivity, and skill gaps in employees. These data-driven insights influence the decision-making process.

Building a Positive Workplace Culture and Supporting Employee Well-being:

Employee Experience Management platforms offer features that help build and support a positive workplace culture by encouraging recognition, strengthening collaboration and relationships, and caring for employee well-being.

In short, a company’s business success largely depends on the quality of employee experiences. The better the experience management, the higher the team engagement and the better the business outcomes.

How to Choose the Right Employee Experience Platform?

Here are the steps to take when choosing the right Employee Experience Platform:

✔️ Define the needs and goals of your company.

✔️ Identify the challenges you face.

✔️ Conduct research on solutions, focusing on:

• Ease of use,
• Mobile accessibility,
• Integration capabilities,
• Security features,
• Scalability options,
• Quality of post-sales technical support,
• The number of useful features that will help you meet your company’s needs.

✔️ Utilize demo presentations, product tours, and trial periods offered by providers.

✔️ Verify product reviews and the reputation of the provider.

✔️ Gather feedback from your team on the tested solutions.

✔️ Evaluate the cost and ROI, and include them in your company’s budget.

Once you’ve selected the solution, proceed with the purchase and enjoy the results of your choice, which will be the increasing positive experiences of your employees.

5 Best Employee Experience Platforms of 2024

Now, let’s check out a few standout software options that can help you build positive employee experiences and improve your workplace culture:

Movo

Movo is a cutting-edge Human Capital Management (HCM) platform, specially crafted for the frontline workforces. It integrates superior mobile user experiences with advanced AI-driven functionalities, making it an ideal solution for enhancing workforce management and HR processes, particularly in large, hybrid, remote, or geographically diverse organizations.

Key Features:

👉 Workforce Automation: Movo includes a mobile supervisor portal, intelligent employee scheduling, flexible attendance rules, independent employer functions, AI-based labor forecasting, mobile timekeeping, and sophisticated measures to prevent time fraud.

👉 HR Automation: The platform offers an internal talent marketplace, automated credential verification, algorithmic skill matching, and a streamlined mobile recruitment and onboarding experience.

👉 Employee Engagement: Movo features a daily-use mobile app, secure chat and communication tools, social networking capabilities, gamification, an automated training management system, and early wage access technology. Unlike traditional HCM platforms, which are often outdated and underutilized, Movo offers a modern technology that actively engages employees in real time (up to 50 times per day!).

👉 Integration Capabilities: It seamlessly integrates with various technical partners, broadening its functionalities and outreach.

Benefits:

✔️ Increased Productivity: Optimizes workforce scheduling and efficiently tracks employee attendance.

✔️ Improved Employee Experience: Provides a mobile app for effortless schedule management and communication.

✔️ Cost Savings: Maintains continuous visibility of labor costs.

✔️ Compliance Support: Assists in adhering to labor laws and policies.

✔️ Data-Driven Decisions: Utilizes AI for advanced forecasting and analysis.

Pricing and Free Trial Accessibility:

💰 Pricing: The pricing details for Movo are available upon request.

📌 Free Trial: Prospective users can experience Movo’s platform through a live demonstration.

Distinctive Qualities:

Movo aims to revolutionize work environments and career paths for millions of frontline workers, benefiting both employees and employers. Key features to boost team performance include instant access to essential tools, an intuitive HR app that enhances employee retention and integration, self-service options like shift swapping and dynamic scheduling. A built-in social network for strengthening frontline culture, and secure corporate communication channels.

Culture Amp

Culture Amp is an employee experience solution that tracks employee engagement, performance management, and employee development. It features science-backed survey templates and integrations with various tools.

Key Features:

✔️ Skills Coach for daily micro-learning.

✔️ Engagement and pulse surveys with templates, eNPS, and retention insights.

✔️ Focus areas and action planning with industry-leading benchmarks.

✔️ Candidate, onboarding, & exit surveys.

✔️ Manager and executive dashboards with text analytics.

✔️ 1-on-1 conversations and shout-outs for employee recognition and rewards.

Pricing and Free Trial Accessibility:

💰 Pricing: On request.

📌 Free Trial: On request.

Blink

Blink is an employee experience software platform designed for frontline teams. It provides a mobile-first solution for internal communication, engagement, and HR functions.

Key Features:

✔️ News feed and secure chat for internal communication.

✔️ Employee surveys and employee recognition features.

✔️ Content hub for essential information with digital forms.

✔️ Mobile-friendly interface, content translation and integrations.

Pricing and Free Trial Accessibility:

💰 Pricing: Starts at $6.18 per user/month. Contact sales for more information.

📌 Free Trial: On request.

Workvivo

Workvivo is a leading employee experience platform designed to simplify communication, amplify culture, drive employee engagement, and improve employee collaboration. It integrates with various productivity tools and promotes employee connections.

Key Features:

✔️ Integration with various productivity tools to enhance employee performance management.

✔️ Employee Spaces for connecting employees with shared interests.

✔️ Social Intranet for internal communication and updates.

✔️ Workplace Insights for measuring employee experience and engagement.

✔️ Document storage, knowledge base and governance analytics.

Pricing and Free Trial Accessibility:

💰 Pricing: On request.

📌 Free Trial: On request.

WorkTango

WorkTango is an employee engagement platform focused on employee recognition, peer feedback, and relationship building. The platform recently merged with Kazoo to enhance its feedback and recognition offerings. The anonymous response functionality allows managers to ask follow-up questions to employees without identifying them. WorkTango offers a platform for gathering employee feedback and improving employee engagement and performance.

Key Features:

✔️ Recognition & Rewards Catalog with Incentives.

✔️ Service Awards & Milestones, Nominations & Awards.

✔️ Employee Lifecycle Surveys and Measure Employee Engagement.

✔️ Dashboards, Employee Insights with Action Planning.

✔️ Anonymous Conversations, 1:1 Meetings & Check-Ins.

✔️ Feedback, Goal setting & OKRs and Talent Review.

Pricing and Free Trial Accessibility:

💰 Pricing: Full Employee Experience Platform – minimum annual contract agreement of $10,000 USD. Visit the website for more pricing information.

📌 Free Trial: 20-minute demo to look inside their employee experience platform.

Wrapping Up: Why is Employee Experience Software Important?

Implementing Employee Experience management software in a company facilitates the creation of an engaging work environment and a healthy retention level. Employee morale and engagement increase, as does productivity. This is a straightforward path to achieving strategic goals and the success of the company.