Short answer

Designers and organizational leaders should prioritize understanding and co-creating the employee experience, recognizing it as a critical driver of both individual performance and overall business success.

Field: User-Centred Design
Source: Theseus (Ammattikorkeakoulujen) (2020)
Method: Qualitative research using design thinking principles and service design tools, including journey mapping, surveys, and interviews, within an iterative co-creation framework.
Evidence: Strong effect

By involving employees in the design process and understanding their journey, organizations can develop models that foster motivation, improve ways of working, and ultimately lead to better customer experiences. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2020 study published in Theseus (Ammattikorkeakoulujen). Using Qualitative research using design thinking principles and service design tools, including journey mapping, surveys, and interviews, within an iterative co-creation framework., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Designers and organizational leaders should prioritize understanding and co-creating the employee experience, recognizing it as a critical driver of both individual performance and overall business success.

Study

User-Centred DesignHigh ImpactStrong effect

Co-creating a Superior Employee Experience Model (SEEM) enhances individual performance and customer satisfaction.

Theseus (Ammattikorkeakoulujen) · 2020

Key Findings

01Employee experience has a direct correlation with customer experience and organizational success.
02A co-creation approach involving employees is crucial for developing effective employee experience models.
03Understanding the employee journey and identifying experience gaps is fundamental to designing improvements.
04Redefining ways of working and improving time management can positively impact individual employee goals.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

Conduct employee journey mapping workshops, gather feedback through surveys and interviews, and use co-creation methods to develop actionable 'GAP cards' for improving employee experience.

Project actions

01When researching employee experience, focus on empathy and active listening.
02Use visual tools like journey maps to understand the employee's perspective.
03Involve actual employees in the design process to ensure solutions are practical and desired.

Method & Evidence

AimWhat are the key components of a Superior Employee Experience Model (SEEM) that can be developed through co-creation with a team to enhance individual performance and customer experience?

MethodQualitative research using design thinking principles and service design tools, including journey mapping, surveys, and interviews, within an iterative co-creation framework.

ProcedureThe research involved mapping the current employee journey, conducting surveys and interviews to identify gaps, and using these insights to develop 'GAP cards' that detail the current and ideal employee experience, along with proposed actions for both employees and the organization. This was done iteratively with the team.

ContextOrganizational development and employee experience design within a corporate team (ABB Oy.).

Variables

IV["Employee involvement in the design process","Understanding of employee journey and pain points"]

DV["Quality of the Superior Employee Experience Model (SEEM)","Employee motivation","Individual performance","Customer experience"]

CV["Organizational context (ABB Oy.)","Specific team composition","Existing HR practices"]

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Employs a robust qualitative research methodology grounded in design thinking.
+Focuses on co-creation, ensuring user relevance and buy-in.
+Establishes a clear link between employee experience and business outcomes.

Limitations

The scope of employee experience can be vast; focus on specific aspects relevant to your design project to keep it manageable.

Reliability & validity

Reliability could be enhanced by using standardized interview protocols and multiple researchers to code qualitative data. Validity is strengthened by triangulating data from journey maps, surveys, and interviews, and by the co-creation process itself, which ensures the model reflects actual employee needs.

Think critically

How might the principles of employee experience design be applied to improve the experience of users in non-traditional work environments, such as remote or gig economy workers?

Design Principles

"Design employee experiences with the same rigor and user-centricity applied to customer experiences."

A positive employee experience is directly linked to organizational success, impacting both individual performance and customer satisfaction. Designing for employees requires a deep understanding of their needs and motivations, moving beyond traditional HR practices to integrate experience design into daily operations.

What This Means for Your Design

Making work better for employees by asking them what they need and designing solutions together can make them happier, more productive, and lead to happier customers.

How to use in your project

1.Use the concept of employee journey mapping to identify user needs in your design project.
2.Apply co-creation techniques to involve stakeholders in the design and testing phases.
3.Analyze how internal user experience impacts external product/service delivery.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research explored the development of a Superior Employee Experience Model (SEEM) through a co-creative, user-centered design approach. By mapping the employee journey and identifying key experience gaps, the study demonstrated that actively involving employees in the design process leads to enhanced motivation, improved work processes, and ultimately, a better customer experience, highlighting the critical link between internal and external organizational success.

Source

Theseus (Ammattikorkeakoulujen)

Developing Superior Employee Experience Model for a Team in an Organization

journal · 2020

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about co-creating a superior employee experience model (seem) enhances individual performance and customer satisfaction?: Designers and organizational leaders should prioritize understanding and co-creating the employee experience, recognizing it as a critical driver of both individual performance and overall business success. Evidence: Theseus (Ammattikorkeakoulujen) (2020).
Why does "Co-creating a Superior Employee Experience Model (SEEM) enhances individual performance and customer satisfaction." matter for design?: A positive employee experience is directly linked to organizational success, impacting both individual performance and customer satisfaction. Designing for employees requires a deep understanding of their needs and motivations, moving beyond traditional HR practices to integrate experience design into daily operations.
How can designers apply this research?: Designers and organizational leaders should prioritize understanding and co-creating the employee experience, recognizing it as a critical driver of both individual performance and overall business success.
What were the main findings?: Employee experience has a direct correlation with customer experience and organizational success.. A co-creation approach involving employees is crucial for developing effective employee experience models.. Understanding the employee journey and identifying experience gaps is fundamental to designing improvements.. Redefining ways of working and improving time management can positively impact individual employee goals.
What research method was used?: Qualitative research using design thinking principles and service design tools, including journey mapping, surveys, and interviews, within an iterative co-creation framework..
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2020 journal from Theseus (Ammattikorkeakoulujen).
What should I do differently in my next project?: Conduct employee journey mapping workshops, gather feedback through surveys and interviews, and use co-creation methods to develop actionable 'GAP cards' for improving employee experience.
What are the limitations?: The model was developed with a specific team in one organization, potentially limiting its generalizability to other contexts without adaptation.