There is increasing awareness amongst employers of the importance of employee experience (EX); seeing their organisation through the eyes of the employee. In this guide, we explore how inappropriate behaviours such as bullying and harassment affect employee experience.
For organisations and People & Culture teams, focusing on EX means taking a holistic, employee-centred approach to positively influencing what it’s like to work
in your organisation.
Designing for a great EX involves understanding moments. Moments are subjective, first-person experiences.
Moments that matter are times when we can predict an employee will likely have an experience that will be important to them. An employee’s first day, a performance review, how they are promoted, for example, are moments that matter that can be deliberately planned to ensure a great experience.
Moments of truth are times when an employee has an experience that is important to them. A Moment of Truth reveals to the employee their organisation’s true level of care. Policies and processes can help guide leaders in these moments, but what they actually say and do is what matters most. Moments of Truth disproportionately affect employee experience.
Bullying, harassment and employee experience
The ‘employee experience’ encompasses the combined thoughts, feelings, and interactions that employees have at work. When bullying or harassment at work occurs, it significantly affects the employee experience of all involved, including bystanders. Humankind has identified four different types of experience that need consideration to build an environment that prevents and responds to any instances of bullying or harassment in the workplace:
Purpose experiences
These are experiences related to a sense of meaning/purpose in work. They may be sparked by an employee’s connection to your organisation’s purpose, vision, or values, and therefore the actions of your leaders that reinforce or detract from those things really matters. If people do not live your values or behave ethically, it’s more likely that bullying and harassment may be present and tolerated in your organisation. The role of leaders is crucial when it comes to preventing and responding to bullying and harassment – they must have the capabilities and confidence required to role model desired behaviours and address issues sensitively and effectively.
Relationship experiences
These are experiences related to employees’ interactions with others, including their relationships with other individuals, other teams, and leaders. How people are encouraged to interact and work together, the level of respect shown, and alignment of goals and motivators all affect the likelihood that bullying and harassment may occur. Is there a culture where people feel comfortable to speak up and challenge negative behaviours in a constructive way before they escalate into bullying?
Enabling experiences
These are experiences employees have related to the resources and support they need to do their job. This also includes the physical and digital environments in which employees spend so much of their working day. These environments should be physically, emotionally and psychologically safe, so that it creates a sense of belonging and allows employees to bring their whole selves to work. How employees interact virtually is just as important as how they interact face-to-face.
Performance experiences
These are experiences employees have related to achievement in their role. The way that leaders and peers set expectations and provide feedback can contribute to whether or not people feel valued for their contribution. Many people find it hard to give and receive constructive feedback, and it is not uncommon for employees to raise claims of bullying when they are going through a performance improvement plan. We often find that the concerns relate more to how the process is managed, rather than a dispute about the performance issues themselves.
Above all else, what we say we do, has to be what we actually do. It is crucial to ensure that when expectations that are set, such as a zero tolerance to bullying and harassment, your organisation follows through in a clear and consistent manner.