What is the employee journey map and how to use it to your advantage

How many times have you felt discouraged at work in your company? You're not alone, and the good news is that you can improve the working environment with the employee journey map.

In short, these are strategies that you can apply to improve the experience within a company. Let's hope that stress and the desire to win don't push aside the most important asset of any company, the human capital.

So, the idea is to create improvements and solutions so that the day-to-day is run in the best possible way, something that will definitely be reflected in the final results.

Would you like to have an organisation committed to the company's values? Pay close attention to the guide below:

What is the employee journey map?

It's amazing how more and more studies show that employees are not happy with their situation within a company. In fact, according to Gallup, 70% of employees don’t feel identified with their organisation, which shows the importance of creating an employee journey map.

This is a strategy managed in most cases by the HR department and it adapts what is done in the customer journey map to understand the employee experience through their cycle within the company.

The work cycle has different stages that you have to know about, in order to know in which phase each employee is.

In this sense, the idea is to propose solutions or create improvements so that the day-to-day life of all members is much more enjoyable and productive. Different tools are used for this, from interviews, surveys to feedback from all staff.

Read on and find out how you can apply it in your company:

Characteristics of a good employee journey map

What is the key to a successful company? Well, the truth is that nobody has the definitive answer, but many entrepreneurs agree that a commitment to the objectives is a common denominator.

Well, there's no doubt that everyone would like their team to be 100% committed to the results, but some studies show that only 25% of CEOs manage to create a strategy that influences their employees.

As an entrepreneur, it's essential that you know what your employees experience in your company day after day, no matter what the situation. Remember what Richard Branson once said: "Customers don't come first, employees do. If you take care of them, your employees will take care of your customers."

Let's now look at some characteristics that every employee roadmap should have:

1. Goals of each employee

It's essential that when you meet with the human resources team you decipher what each employee's goals are. This may be more difficult than it seems, as this is a very personal thing for every human being.

However, you have to find out. Nowadays there are many methods, from interviews to a simple informal conversation to get to know the person's situation.

Dare to find out more about each member of your team and you will have a great power in your hands.

2. Learning expectations

It’s important to know what the learning expectations are across the whole organisation. Some professionals have a higher bar than others and are willing to obtain information in multiple ways. 

So find out who is more willing to make a career leap and who is not. Then you will know what methods to use to keep them happy at all times. 

3. Willingness to move up the hierarchical ladder

You will be surprised to learn that there are people who are not looking to go far in their job, they just want to meet the goals that were set, and that's all. 

This is not to be criticised, as everyone has the right to set their own expectations. However, as a group manager you need to be aware of this in order to understand how to encourage each member in the best possible way. 

4. Salary expectations

Everyone has a different salary expectation, the important thing is to find out what the average standard is in the organisation.

Many studies show that one of the most common reasons for dissatisfaction in companies is the salary employees receive. The worst part is that managers don't realise this and that's where the problems begin.

In this sense, make sure your employees feel well rewarded. Do this and you will see results improve dramatically.

5. Their relationships with their colleagues

Keep a constant check on the relationship between colleagues. There's nothing worse than arriving at the office and finding a long simmering feud between colleagues. 

It's normal, but you can't let that happen if you want to get good numbers for your company. 

6. How they get along with their superiors

Find out how each member gets along with his or her superiors. It's true that not all bosses are to be admired, but it's important that there's respect between the two for the company to run smoothly. 

If you notice that there are employees who in spite of everything show respect and a willingness to learn from their superiors, they may be candidates for promotion. Take this into account. 

7. Are there conflicts?

Closely related to the previous points. It's normal for there to be conflicts within teams, because at the end of the day people have different expectations and this can lead to friction between members. 

The important thing is to detect them before it's too late. This way you will be able to reach a solution without escalating into major problems. 

Steps to creating an employee journey map

Managing the employee journey to ensure the best employee experience in your organisation is one of the biggest goals you can set for yourself. 

Let's look at the steps you need to take to put the employee at the centre of attention: 

Step 1: Plan how they will participate

By this we mean how they will give you the information you need to set the right strategy.

You need to choose the right research method to get all the data you need. Remember that currently you have interviews, anonymous surveys or group observations, so it's time to choose the one that suits you best. 

Step 2: Group all workers together

It's true that the best strategy for establishing an employee journey map is to personalise it for each employee, but the reality is that this is almost impossible.

Imagine developing a report in a company that has 1500 employees, it would be a never-ending job.

That's why it's a good idea to segment the information beyond the demographics of the organisation. This way, you will focus on points such as type of work behaviours, expectations and desires.

Step 3: Choose the touch points

When building the map, you can use touch points that will help you develop the right strategy. 

Such as? Induction phases, training, recruitment process, feedback from superiors, and evaluations done on each team member. 

There you will find key information that will help you shape the journey map. 

Step 4: Make a map showing time and trajectory

You may be surprised to learn that the map is developed along X and Y axes, just like the Cartesian plane.

So, the first axis is used to place how long the employee has been with the company, while the other axis reflects how the employee's situation has improved or worsened over the months and years.

This way you will know the level of satisfaction of each employee and the process they have gone through to get there.

Step 5: Be careful with the satisfaction scale

Ideally, you should use a system that represents how happy or unhappy each person is in your company. 

In this regard, many experts recommend a graphic design with numerical symbols ranging from 1 to 5 that rates employee satisfaction as objectively and realistically as possible. 

Step 6: Use a specific programme

How important technology has become in the internal processes of companies, including the employee journey map. 

You can use a special programme that automates the whole process of collecting, prioritising and organising information. 

This will allow you to create a history of comparisons and metrics that will help you make more accurate decisions. 

Step 7: Analyse the results

Once you've gone through the whole process, you will obtain results that will reflect the satisfaction of each of your collaborators. From here you will know how weak the company is in the area of human resources.

Always focus on providing value to your employees so that they help you meet your objectives. At the end of the day, it's all about teamwork, with everyone contributing to the achievement of goals.

Why do you need to create an employee journey map?

Many employers ask themselves: Do I need to create an employee journey strategy? And the truth is that you do if you want to have a solid and stable company in the long term.

Job satisfaction translates into productivity. So much so, that there are studies that show that a happy employee is 40% more productive and his or her creativity increases by 80%.

So, if you want to know your team and if you want to take your organisation to the next level, it's time to apply this.

Benefits of the employee journey map

Still have doubts about the benefits of the employee journey map? Let's take a look at some of its advantages so you can make the decision once and for all: 

1. People who feel listened to

There's nothing worse than feeling like just another member of the team. It's true that at the end of the day everyone is important, but it's imperative that someone reminds you of that so you don't feel left out.

So, by creating a map you'll know what everyone's expectations are, what their situation is and what they need to be happy.

This way you can address their concerns and offer that helping hand that is rarely seen in business.

2. Increases the organisation's commitment

Having an organisation committed to the company's vision is one of the most important challenges in the corporate world. 

The problem is that managers focus so much on customers that they forget the most important thing: human capital. So from now on you will be sure to take a look at the employee journey map to find out how the mood of the whole team is. 

3. Increases productivity

Productivity is one of the most relevant indicators for companies and to achieve it you need to use this strategy. 

The reason is very simple, when employees feel motivated and identified with the vision of the company, they work more efficiently, which is reflected in the overall performance. 

4. Improves the working environment

Maintaining a harmonious working environment is one of the most important challenges for any corporation. The problem is that when managers forget about their team, members decide to solve problems on their own. 

In this sense, applying an employee journey map will help to create affinity in everyone equally. Apply it and you will be surprised by the results. 

5. Aligns objectives

There's nothing more powerful than an organisation that has a sense of belonging to its company and this is reflected in the day-to-day work. 

A company cannot survive if each individual does what he or she can to meet his or her own objectives and neglects the company's purpose. 

All this shows that the employee journey map is a very useful strategy to make the whole team feel identified with the actions of the corporation. Today many employees feel helpless in the face of management decisions.

It's time to change this paradigm and that's why we created today's article. Now it's your turn to apply it to take your organisation to the next level.

Do you already have your employee journey map model?