Design thinking has certainly come to the fore with EX. Mauricio Estrella, who is Senior Design Lead at IDEO, shared some personal insights with me. Estrella suggests that business is a system of value creation. Design thinking can help understand what are the elements in said system, and how each piece could deliver the most value to people.
‘Imagine a shoe company whose employees gravitate between con- sidering their products on two extremes: one as an expression of art and performance and the other as a functional solution to people’s performance. In this gradient, you can imagine how the shoes may be described by manufacturing staff, by designers, by brand managers, by marketers, and so on. Whether the product is art or function, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is how this perception in employ- ees is different, and how they build a relationship with the organiza- tion from very different perspectives,’ said Estrella.
Based on this example, design thinking identifies what are the mindset shifts needed for the organization to move from a product- centric company into a lifestyle company. Understanding people is paramount to design the right levers for internal transformation. ‘I don’t mean to say it’s the only way to transform an organization. In fact, some organizations may start with operational efficiency opti- mization, but in such cases, they may miss the chance to create better experiences for both their employees and their consumers.’
It is this emphasis on design thinking and humans that alters and affects the decision-making process. When you make decisions based on what people really want instead of relying only on historical data or instinct, you use empathy, collaboration and experimentation to arrive at innovative solutions. These three traits are incredibly impor- tant, Estrella concluded, and are clearly of huge significance in how we can design a positive EX.
Naturally, human-centred design thinking is about co-creating im- pact in the right places. While some elements hold true across all roles, like understanding the business context, values and purpose, personalization at a deeper level demonstrates a commitment beyond the generic and helps companies deliver stand-out moments in differ- ent ways to different employee audiences. At all stages, employee in- volvement should be high. It is necessary to form design groups for projects within a wider transformation programme usually made up of functional leaders who all combine to drive EX work forward.
Through observation though, we have found a common mistake is to exclude employees from this design stage, which is always problem- atic. If we’re serious about employee-centricity and adopting EX principles, then employees are co-designers of their own experience, which we discussed in earlier chapters.
Too many assumptions can hinder the development of employee journeys. Having great data is one thing, but making our processes and practice design more experiential is helpful in solving organiza- tional challenges with high employee involvement. In this way, the work to create a better employee journey becomes an engaging expe- rience and a way of aligning people and teams to the cause. This also has the added impact of supporting people through any organiza- tional change or transformation, which we’ll pick up and discuss fur- ther in the next chapter.
Setting out the design thinking process, Stanford’s d.school helps us hone in on specific challenges, experiment, and create better employee (user) experiences (Stanford, 2019). This can apply across product, service and experience development (Figure 5.3).
Figure 5.3 Stanford’s d.school design thinking process
Emphasize Define Ideate Prototype Test
Learn about the employees and their experiences
Key priorities, challenges, opportunities and pain points
Brainstorm ideas and prioritize
Build and architect new experiences and experiment
Evidence of impact, take feedback.
Iterate fast, and improve
The design thinking process complements the overarching EX approach I have set out in Chapters 4–6 of this book based on the key considerations we need to think about when defining, designing and delivering EX. It is widely popular in HR right now, and along- side agile, has helped HR adapt and progress as a function. It is im- portant to recognize there are many high-value strategies, techniques and methodologies to uplift EX. As our focus moves to employees and experiences, it is natural that our selection of methods and strat- egies has shifted to those more strongly aligned to human-centricity.
This being the case, empathy is naturally in the ascendency to help shape and develop experiences. Leading with empathy at the design stage is just good business practice. Companies have been learning to put themselves in their customers’ shoes as part of core business be- cause if they want to be successful in the marketplace, they have little choice but to do so. It’s now the same for EX. If we want to design experiences that deliver a positive experience for staff, there is a need to deeply empathize with them. This is not nice-to-have. It is essen- tial, especially given the evolving role of employees as co-producers of both CX and EX. Moving through the design stages allows us to focus our efforts in the areas where we can deliver most impact.
Whether this is about designing new experiences or revamping old ones, the process is a way for HR and other leaders to work more effectively with employees. Looking for the evidence of impact, mov- ing forward with quick iterations and improvements, and not being afraid to innovate, employers can find and create big wins across the organization, and in an experiential way. Getting employees involved and at the centre of the design work is not only rewarding in the mo- ment, but also presents a much more engaging way to co-create with staff and across functional boundaries.
Breaking the employee population down into segments, which is borrowed from CX, marketing and branding, employers can create employee personas. These represent the profiles of certain groups of employees or individuals, and support the design process through personalization. A persona could be representative of a first-line leader, a front-line employee, a specialist role, or a middle manager, or an executive-level employee, as examples. Each journey is devel- oped based on a mixture of elements that can apply universally and
in a consistent way. Equally, there may be very specific elements that apply to one persona group and their journey. Employee personas generate some excellent insights and data, but the key is to ensure the other elements of the HEX are lined up in support. Otherwise, you can go through some engaging mapping work only to find that the organization is not set up nor mandated to personalize or act on the information coming into the centre of the EX work.
I’ve noted a strong willingness of colleagues working on EX to be flexible and open to using a wide range of methods and tools to elevate EX. In fact, colleagues are often demonstrating traits and behaviours more often associated with entrepreneurial endeavour than HR prac- tice in the way they create and utilize resources within their context. If there is something that would improve the EX, then it is considered.
CASE STUDY A high-impact EX journey – Starbucks
Sheena Doyle, in her role as Regional HR Manager for Starbucks, really felt the difference of a company that takes great care in designing an EX journey filled with moments that matter, and moments that support people to be successful throughout their time with an employer. All employees are referred to as partners at Starbucks. This perhaps sets the tone for the journey to follow, and from Doyle’s experience, it appears that this partnership, or relationship, continues even after the employment relationship has ended.
With 20,000 reviews from employees on Glassdoor, of which 77 per cent would recommend the company as a great place to work, Starbucks is getting a lot of things right across the EX and CX. It has been named one of the world’s most admired companies and has delivered eye-watering and rapid global expansion.
It is regularly recognized as one of the best places to work.
An example of a deep commitment to the CX through the EX is the ‘Starbucks Experience’, which describes the welcome experience for new employees. This part of the journey includes a well-received method of connecting people to the core business of coffee. ‘No matter what job you do, whether you work in marketing, finance, IT, HR, or other roles, every new colleague works for eight weeks in a store as a barista. Every new employee does what a Barista would do and experiences the daily tasks associated with that key role. A total and immersive experience. I was much more engaged in the core business and in my role of a HRBP because of this,’ said Doyle.
Unleashing action across the HEX
With a continuous listening and action-based approach, Starbucks has crafted innovative ways to foster genuine co-creative relationships that successfully differentiate the company. Through the ‘partner blend’– an employee forum at district, regional and national levels – both EX and CX issues are identified and acted on. For example, and to reinforce the view that the small things are really the biggest things in EX, a pattern of feedback emerged about aprons. Employees felt that an apron with a pocket would assist them in their role to better serve customers since they could store small items that were frequently required during interactions. Where some companies would say they listen to employees and then do nothing, Starbucks, in this example, quickly escalated the issue to national level and on the next iteration of the uniform, pockets were included in the design of aprons. A simple thing, but add up the productivity impact across all stores and we see the impact that a cultivated convergence of EX and CX can have. There should be no gap between customers and employees. If there is, it will be felt strongly when the two parties meet and interact. Instead, make customers part of the experience too.
Growing for success
Success is the place we would like to be most of the time and Starbucks sets this as a key reference point throughout the candidate experience. ‘You don’t have a job description at Starbucks. You have a success profile,’ says Doyle, who felt that this was a compelling way of bringing people through into the EX and their journey with the company. Each role and experience is cultivated to make success in role highly likely. The ‘third place’, after home and work, is Starbucks.
This is the intention behind a lot of the work around EX and CX. As a business that is hugely dependent on the quality of the experience for customers, Starbucks is very intentional about the EX and how it fuels the CX. The growth experience is based on potential and performance. If they see potential, they invest in people early. It is about setting people up for success. Students who start with very few real-world skills find themselves building up a range of skills, certificates and knowledge that helps people grow within and outside of Starbucks. This may be a common formula within successful brands, but it is the strength of connection between people, programmes and performance that really adds up well for the coffee chain.
Experience integration for personal, professional and business growth We don’t talk about isolated L&D activities in EX. What we are seeing evidence of is experience integration, which illuminates a path of growth and support for
people as they move through their own journey with a company. This becomes even more meaningful when looking back and reflecting on the experience. As people move through the EX journey, they increasingly can craft and create a personalized experience of work. With options and choices, the EX journey now is reflecting this much stronger and cohesive relationship between employers and employees. Both parties have roles to play in shaping an experience that helps build in wellness, wellbeing and growth.
Engaged employee to engaged customer
‘Even now, I will not go into Costa if there is a Starbucks nearby. If I do end up in a Costa Coffee store, I have this “I shouldn’t be in here” feeling. It’s like they’ve converted a really engaged partner into a really engaged customer who’s still an advocate for their brand.’
The strength of the advocacy here is indicative of the impact that a positive EX has. Doyle, as an advocate, continues to refer people to work at Starbucks.
The connection between her and the company has not dimmed, but has perhaps grown even stronger since she left the organization. This is the advantage of designing and connecting each element of the EX journey. From one to the other, each element influences perception, and often, behaviours that actively create the business reality.
Human in life, human in work
It is evident that the company amplifies purpose over profit, which is a key way of identifying people-centric companies. ‘At conferences, the talk was all about the culture and values. Profit was never the key theme in any corporate meeting.
It was about people. This re-emphasized to me that the company genuinely cared about people and their customers. Every partner had vouchers that can be used to enhance a customer experience. Partners have a lot of autonomy in daily work and are enabled to fix problems on the spot or make an experience even more memorable.’
Not everyone will fit in with this type of culture, and that’s not a bad thing. It makes the target audience much clearer. In this respect, Starbucks places a big emphasis on taking the time to get the right people that align with the values of the business. As Doyle suggests, there is method to this approach given the outcomes it delivers. ‘This is the only company I have worked for that I can just be me. Ultimately, you didn’t feel any pressure to be anything other than what you were because they’ve gone to the trouble of finding that out through the recruiting experience.’