How far along are we in measuring the impact of employee experience on customers?

IDC recently surveyed technical and line-of-business leaders for Ricoh.

When asked about the top 3 critical success factors driving business over the next 18 months, the results were clear:

• 40% pointed to improved employee experience,

• 39% pointed to improved CX, and

• 37% pointed to AI training.

While interesting in their own right, these data points illuminate a growing ability to use AI to monitor, measure, and positively improve the relationship between EX and CX.

AI can automate and own time-consuming tasks that hamper employees from having the bandwidth to focus on a broad set of client requirements. It can also automate responses to lower-level client requests, enabling rapid access to information or employee support.

The challenge? AI advancements are happening so quickly that it’s hard for employees to keep pace with the skills they need to realize their promised productivity.

The good news is that most surveyed IT leaders understand the importance of the connection between EX and CX. Fifty percent of surveyed leaders report that they have implemented analytics and KPIs to measure the relationship between EX and CX. Another 25% report measurable proof of a causal relationship between EX and CX for their organizations.

Let’s tackle employee experience first.

As organizations have transformed the employee experience by creating collaborative spaces in which they can digitally work side by side, they are also improving what it means to work effectively in person. When IDC asked about the benefits of flexible work respondents:

• 56% said they saw improved team productivity

• 51% saw improved employee productivity

• 42% saw stronger team relationships

• 41% saw improved employee retention

Unsurprisingly, these core elements extend toward supporting an improved CX. Higher productivity for teams and individuals results in improved turnaround times and quality of service for customers. Improved team relationships and retention translate to a stronger internal culture, which supports brand recognition, loyalty, and innovation.

The same digital tools that enable employees to work flexibly also provide the means by which organizations can go from guessing about the impact of improved employee experience on CX to having demonstrable results. By carefully monitoring blockers to employee productivity, such as open IT tickets, security blockers, or lack of access to key data or application resources, organizations can measure the impact of addressing these concerns. Fixing the key factors blocking flexible work also means addressing technical concerns that support the business as a whole. Investing in employee experience means investing in a digital infrastructure that supports CX and business growth.

In terms of EX, the data shows a similarly important focus on areas such as:

• Responsive IT support

• User training and development platforms

• Updated policies to support flexible work models

• Investment in employee productivity AI tools

• Investment in cloud-based resources

While the headlines in the press focus on the integration of AI into existing applications or work processes, organizations understand that successful employee experiences depend on complementary support to fully realize the impact on CX. CX benefits from employees’ use of AI-enabled research, data analysis, content writing, and use of knowledge management apps. Importantly, organizations are also infusing AI into building management and automation and operational decision-making. As organizations go from investing in physical environments to supporting employee in-person work, they are also investing in enabling employees to work across physical and digital environments to ensure strong employee and customer results.