What is employee experience?
Employee experience (EX) refers to the totality of all experiences, impressions, and interactions that an employee accumulates during their entire time at the company—from initial contact to onboarding, daily work, and departure.
This includes:
- Workplace design
- Communication & leadership
- Corporate culture
- HR processes & tools
- Emotional attachment and psychological sense of security
EX is comparable to customer experience, only from the perspective of employees.
Why is employee experience important? / What advantages does it bring to the company?
A good employee experience ensures:
- Higher engagement: Motivated employees perform better and stay longer.
- Lower turnover: Companies save on high recruitment and training costs.
- Better employer brand: Positive EX spreads by word of mouth and attracts talent.
- Increased productivity and innovation: Satisfied teams work more efficiently and creatively.
- Stronger team spirit and collaboration
In short: EX is a key factor for corporate success and competitiveness.
How do you measure employee experience? / What measurement methods are available?
Employee experience is measured using qualitative and quantitative methods, e.g.:
- Employee surveys (regular, topic-specific, or life-stage-oriented—e.g., onboarding, exit)
- Pulse surveys (short, regular mood surveys)
- EX scores (similar to the Net Promoter Score – e.g., “How likely are you to recommend us as an employer?”)
- 360° feedback
- HR analytics (e.g., sickness rates, intentions to change jobs, internal mobility)
- Interviews or focus groups
The use of specialized tools such as easyfeedback is helpful.
How can you improve employee experience? / What measures help?
Here are some effective levers for improving EX:
- Establish a feedback culture: Open communication and regular listening.
- Modern tools & processes: Digital, intuitive HR systems & self-service offerings
- Clearly structured onboarding processes
- Flexible working models: Home office, work-life balance, trust-based working hours
- Develop managers: Empathetic, participatory leadership greatly improves EX
- Make career and development opportunities visible
- Anchor recognition and appreciation in everyday life
The most important principle: EX must be thought of holistically and designed individually—one-size-fits-all does not work here.
What questions should be included in an employee experience survey?
Typical EX survey questions are based on the employee journey:
Questions about onboarding
- Did you feel welcome and supported during your first few weeks?
- Was your onboarding well organized?
Questions about the work environment
- Do you have the necessary tools and resources?
- How would you rate teamwork?
Questions about leadership
- Does your manager give you regular constructive feedback?
- Are you involved in decisions?
Questions about culture and engagement
- Would you recommend our company as an employer?
- Do you feel connected to the company values?
Questions about development
- Do you have clear prospects for your development?
- Is your performance recognized?
What questions can employees use in interviews or feedback sessions?
When employees are asked to reflect on their own employee experience or give feedback, these questions can help:
- What do you particularly like about your job at the moment?
- What do you need to be even more productive?
- How can you tell that your work is valued?
- Which tasks motivate you – and which ones less so?
- How do you feel about working in a team and collaborating with others?
- What opportunities for further development would you like to see?
- What would you change if you were the boss for a day?
More on the topic of Employee Experience
- Employee Experience (EX): Everything you need to know!
- Employee Experience Management: What it is and why it is important
- 10 strategies for optimizing the employee experience
- 5 practical examples for improving the employee experience
- 5 Methods for measuring the employee experience
- Employee Experience measures: How to create a positive employee experience
