Are employers doing enough to enhance employee experience? Qualtrics’ Lauren Huntington spills the beans on Humanscope
The modern workplace has transformed in ways that are here to stay. Employees now have a clearer vision of their career ambitions and preferences than ever before. Yet, many employers still miss the finer nuances—assuming that mere engagement automatically translates into long-term commitment.
Over the past few years, organisations have started recognising the critical connection between employee experience (EX) and business success. Despite this growing awareness, many still find themselves grappling with recurring feedback that exposes persistent gaps in the employee journey.
In an engaging conversation with People Matters CEO and Co-Founder Pushkar Bidwai, Lauren Huntington, Solution Strategy Leader at Qualtrics, offers valuable insights into the current landscape of employee experience and outlines practical steps for closing the gap between what employees expect and what organisations deliver.
Lauren highlights that the difference in resource allocation between enhancing employee experience versus customer experience is “significant.” Many companies channel more efforts and funds into bolstering customer experience (CX) while overlooking the essential need to develop a meaningful EX—a choice that not only undermines internal morale but also stems from a fundamental misinterpretation of what truly drives employee engagement.
“I think we misunderstand because we've been inculcated with this idea that if you're engaged you're committed and we're struggling with this (young) generation having this juxtaposition of being engaged but not necessarily having that intention to stay with organisations,” expresses Lauren.
Even as employee experience rises to become a cornerstone of organisational success, numerous companies continue to treat it as secondary to customer experience. In this exclusive podcast with People Matters, Lauren explores how employees are increasingly voicing their concerns and urging a reimagining of the overall workplace experience.
“People want careers by design not by default,” says Lauren Huntington, Solution Strategy Leader at Qualtrics.
Lauren calls on organisations to acknowledge the shift in employee expectations. Today’s workforce views their careers through a new lens, seeking environments that offer safe spaces to innovate, learn from failures, and explore new ideas. “They want the opportunity to be able to figure out how they can integrate their whole selves into that organisational system where it can really unleash their potential,” she adds.
She also critiques the ‘rigid’ structures that many organisations cling to—structures that stymie the dynamic, evolutionary changes demanded by a new generation of talent.
According to Lauren, employers need to adjust their strategies with a focus on data-driven insights that reveal the distinct needs and behaviors of emerging talent, such as Gen Z. This involves moving beyond traditional stereotypes and engaging in honest, open dialogue. By doing so, companies can create work environments where employees feel genuinely heard—and not just subjected to perfunctory feedback exercises.
The discussion delves into several key challenges: the contrast in investments between EX and CX, the generational shifts that influence workplace expectations, the vital importance of deep listening and the role of technology in capturing and responding to employee sentiments.
For further insights from this enlightening conversation, watch the full episode on the People Matters YouTube channel.
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