HR and CX Share an Office

Talent Optimization is a discipline that aligns business strategy to talent strategy to achieve desired business results.

For companies with both Human Resources and Customer Experience departments, rarely (if ever) do the groups interact. This is one of the biggest missed opportunities in the era of Talent Optimization, impacting Employee Engagement, Retention, and Customer Satisfaction. What is Talent Optimization?

For the world’s most successful companies (both large and small) a key component in business strategy is a measurement and expectation around outstanding Customer Service. In fact, many would argue companies should go so far as including CX metrics on the company P&L, showing CX as a true profit driver. But what about the old saying, “a happy employee will equal happy customers.” I propose a revised phrase:

An Engaged and Optimized employee will equal happy customers.

Here are the top four things to consider when it comes to employee engagement and the impact it has on CX:

1. Align the employee with the Job: If your employees lack the natural behaviors needed to do the job, they are unlikely to deliver on business results or drive Customer Satisfaction. For example, if your delivery driver or bank teller doesn’t naturally enjoy repetitive activities, they’ll likely burn out and attrite as an employee.
2. Align the employee with the Boss: The days of the “one size fits all” approach to management and coaching, at this point, should be in the rearview. Unfortunately, few managers ever tailor their approaches to the intrinsic needs of their employees. A manager who enjoys talking through issues will frustrate an introverted employee who has a natural tendency to want to think things through. This disconnect will impact far more than the Manager/Employee relationship.
3. Align the employee with the Team: If a team lacks balance and understanding, positive team dynamics such as cohesion and collaboration won’t take flight. Instead, teams will be met with tension, low morale, and lack the drive towards the execution of a common goal.
4. Align the employee with the Culture: I love a good conga line as much as the next person. But did your fiesta just scare your newest employee right back to the help wanted site? A keen understanding of the behaviors that align (or misalign) to your day-to-day culture is critical in predicting the success of an applicant or employee.

At ath Power, we’re taking Talent Optimization a step further by layering in Customer Experience data. Interested in learning more about this innovative approach offered exclusively by ath Power? Visit athpower.com/contact to book a complimentary appointment!