“It is easier to get where you’re going when you have a map.”
Sogolytics’ VP of Success Melissa Krut began a recent webinar discussing employee journey mapping with that simple statement. Knowing where we’re going helps us focus and supports a more positive experience. When it comes to the all-important employee experience, positive experiences are definitely what we’re after. That’s why employee journey maps can play such a transformative role in your organization.
New to the idea of employee journey mapping? Ready to fine-tune your current map? You’ve come to the right place! Start with the webinar, or read on and circle back later. 😉
What is employee journey mapping?
Employee journey mapping is the process of visualizing the employee’s experience with your organization. You can easily search for “employee journey map template” online and you’ll see a variety of results. Some maps start at “applying for the job” whereas others choose “onboarding” as the first step. You might see maps that start at Day One, then 30, 60, or 90 days, six months, and their anniversary. Then, what comes next between that first year and when (if?) they leave your organization?
Ultimately, in mapping the employee journey you’re trying to establish the key stages in the development of that person in their role (or, on a more bird’s eye view map, their career).
Employee journey maps provide organizational benefits such as:
- Highlighting areas of improvement in your employee experience
- Informing more accurate job descriptions
- Identifying opportunities for professional development
- Helping you see your management pipeline
- Providing structure for consistent, equitable employee experiences
- Enabling development of processes to prioritize employees
- Putting yourself in the employee’s perspective
Making the effort to map employee journeys can also benefit the employee. For instance, an organization is more likely to understand the trajectory for someone filling an open position. This helps them to better communicate responsibilities and the possible future opportunities. Plus, it can help in aligning applicants with the right position for their talents and skills.
With an employee journey map in hand, an organization can be much more intentional about forming a lasting relationship with each employee.
Customizing each employee journey
The employee map can help HR teams to track employee experience throughout their term at a company, helping to standardize expectations and support equity. Yet, at the same time, each map needs the flexibility to adapt to employee distinctions.
Consistency of experience is important, but not all employees will have the same journey. Employees in different roles will follow different maps dictated by their experience, background, seniority, and responsibilities. Hourly or salary employees could need distinct maps as might employees who work in an office all day compared to those who are on the floor or in a job site.
“Differentiating maps is definitely a little bit tricky,” Krut acknowledged, “But when you start to think about the kinds of maps that you need, it’s because you have a lot of different kinds of employees who need support every step of the way.”
For your organization, it can help to think of each stop on the map from several perspectives:
- What will matter to the employee and could boost engagement, loyalty, or performance.
- What factors in your organizational context (e.g., culture, values, process) will directly impact that stage in the journey.
- Personalize the map to each employee’s life experience. For example, a young single father and a mid-career woman serving as her mother’s caretaker will have different circumstances shaping their journey.
Employee journey map touchpoints
Whatever the maps may look like, it’s important to identify touchpoints. Employee journey mapping is not done to send that individual off on a solo adventure. By asking yourself not only what the employee accomplishes at each stage in their journey, but also what challenges they may face and what emotions they might experience, you can better identify opportunities to support them along the way.
For example, a lot of attention gets paid to the first few days or maybe the first month an employee is on the job. But we sometimes do that at the expense of gathering information about what happens next. Once someone makes it past their first year anniversary, all the company check-ins fall away.
To identify relevant map markers when touchpoints could be needed at any stage in the journey, you might consider what success looks like. Does success mean that they:
- Get a promotion?
- Stick around for three years?
- Develop their skill set so deeply that they are looked upon as the source of knowledge for their team?
- Grow able to support other people?
There are many pivotal moments in the employee journey. Having a map and identifying the touchpoints at which check-ins could be most effective can play an important role in ensuring that the employer-employee relationship remains productive and positive.
Metrics that matter with employee journey mapping
Employee engagement needs revitalization. Many of us are looking for ways to decrease the number of people who are actively disengaged and increase employee retention. Employee journey maps can help, especially when you clearly identify touchpoints along the way. But, it’s also important to identify metrics that you can use to measure the employee experience in alignment with these maps. We’ll talk more about that in the next article.
Ready to explore more? Connect with the Sogolytics team to start mapping your employee journey today!
