Dive Brief:

• Giving employees a better experience is an effective way to build engagement and raise productivity, according to a research report by cloud solutions provider ServiceNow. The company found employers aren't supporting workers' basic day-to-day needs: 45% of global employees in the survey said they struggle to get answers to basic questions, such as asking for information about a company policy or for help with an equipment issue.
• The report also found workers across generations are losing confidence in employers' ability to enhance their experience, with less than half (45%) saying their perspectives and opinions matter to their employers. Thirty-seven percent of workers said they believe that employers automate processes to improve their experience, and 61% gave their employers a poor rating based on a negative experience taking personal leave.
• "Employees today — regardless of their role or generation — want to be heard and valued, and they want an employee experience that suits their needs throughout their career with an organization," Pat Wadors, ServiceNow's chief talent officer, said in a statement. "If an employee's experience is lacking at the onset of their new job, the impact for some employees can likely be felt until the employee's last day. By creating beautiful and meaningful experiences and an environment where work gets done efficiently, employers will benefit from a more engaged and productive workforce."

Dive Insight:

Vendors have increasingly focused their messaging on employee experience as a way to improve employee engagement, satisfaction and productivity. A recent report from coaching platform BetterUp found that employers that ranked highly on a scale that measured experience had 37% fewer turnover intentions as well as 59% higher job satisfaction rises as compared to peer employers.

Beyond the issues surfaced by ServiceNow respondents, there are other work-related, stress-inducing problems that may go unnoticed but that employers should address as part of a commitment to enhance workers' experience. For example, the "Sunday scaries" phenomenon experienced by more than one-third of workers in a recent Robert Half study can have negative consequences on their work performance, leading to "systemic disengagement," one expert previously told HR Dive.

Employers may need to improve trust and confidence between senior leaders and employees in order to jump-start engagement efforts. Workers who dislike their managers are about four times more likely to interview for another job, according to a survey by employee engagement software provider TINYpulse. HR can also alleviate workers' anxieties about their performance by creating real-time development programs that provide employees with frequent, positive feedback on how well they're doing. This may also be a subtle way to show that the organization is invested in workers' career growth.