Introduction
Namrata Rathore, Assistant Vice President of Orlando Health Medical Group recently led a virtual event for Frost & Sullivan’s Customer Engagement Leadership Council. Here are key insights from the discussion, highlighting the importance of a positive employee experience and its connection to customer satisfaction and business success.
Abstract
An exceptional employee experience relies on genuine connection and understanding the core drivers of fulfillment and satisfaction. Compelling leaders who manage highly engaged teams leverage authentic human engagement and connection, while focusing on continuous growth and improvement.
Meaningful and successful growth is created by understanding team member strengths and how they help the team achieve its goals. A great employee experience manifests from an environment centered on trust, positive collaboration, supportive productivity, and psychological safety.
The bottom line: when it comes to your employee experience, great teams and teamwork are not a nice-to-have…they are a must-have!
Leading an award-winning team
Moderator Namrata Rathore and her team at Orlando Health were recent recipients of two CC Awards from Frost & Sullivan. The awards recognize best-in-class companies that demonstrate the hallmarks of a progressive, innovative and forward-focused enterprise in customer experience strategy and implementation. Orlando Health received the “Get Up Stand Up” Award for excellence in establishing a hybrid workforce and the “Work Hard, Play Hard” Award for excellence in company culture.
As the event began, attending members were asked to briefly introduce themselves and answer the question: What do you consider the single most important component to exceptional employee experience? Their replies included:
- The culture in general
- Two- way communication between employees and leaders
- Continuous feedback (stated several times)
- Mutual trust
- Empowerment – letting employees do what they do best
- Employee engagement and opportunities for career development
As Namrata “Namz” Rathore stated, “There are no right or wrong answers to the question. It is more about doing what it takes to keep employees engaged amidst constant change.” Namrata shared that she had joined Orlando Health, a rapidly growing, award-winning healthcare network three years ago. The organization currently consists of 16 hospitals and 10 ERs and includes over 4,950 physicians. Summing up her own management and growth philosophy, she stated, “Growth is about a team of humans who are committed, believe in the vision, and work hard together to make the product a success. It is always about the humans.”
Creating an exceptional organizational culture
Namrata stated that healthcare needs are rapidly growing globally, and to embrace the change and growth, her operational demands must continue to expand with the organization. As growth occurs, it is increasingly important for managers to keep team members active and engaged during the workday. Creative ways to do this can include games, quality certifications and enrichment activities like community events that allow employees to have fun as a team. Creating a unique blend of daily norms, values and practices, while staying focused and committed to the organizational mission is essential for an exceptional culture.
To cultivate curiosity, support and fellowship among employees, managers are advised to:
- Encourage learning and exploration
- Promote collaboration and support
- Celebrate curiosity and creativity
- Foster inclusivity and belonging
- Recognize and appreciate employee efforts
- Most importantly – lead by example
Providing psychological safety and positive momentum
Other tangible benefits like compensation (pay fairly for skills) and company perks matter too and contribute to a positive employee experience. Creating a sense of “positive momentum” towards organizational goals was also discussed. Supportive colleagues and leaders who share critical information and “explain the why” are very important. Drawing on her varied experiences as a contact center leader, Namrata stated that she believed that “having the intention to listen” to employees was one of the most important skills a manager could bring to the table. Creating a truly safe work environment was another critical requirement for successful team members.
Key Employee Experience (EX) tools
To operationalize an exceptional employee experience, consider creating peer mentorship programs, providing clear career growth opportunities, and voicing consistent recognition of “best efforts” – even when they fall short, which will sometimes happen. Namrata encouraged the member audience to build authentic relationships with their teams and to share information openly, even when it is not positive or good news. Communicating sincere convictions can go a long way towards building better relationships with employees. Finally, striving for perfection can be detrimental to you and your team; the group was reminded that a degree of latitude is necessary for intelligent risk-taking.
Ensuring an exceptional employee experience
In summary, to create a winning employee experience, employers and leaders were advised to:
- Provide meaningful work
- Create a culture of positivity and productivity
- Design opportunities for growth
- Ensure there is confidence in leadership
- Provide psychological safety
To learn more about the Customer Engagement Leadership Council, a professional development community for executives in the customer experience, customer care and contact center industry dedicated to helping their organizations drive results, click here.
With over 20 years of experience in process improvement, and organizational growth, Namrata is a highly skilled, award-winning Administrative Executive. She has influenced the implementation of system-wide best practices and training initiatives that have had positive impacts on efficiency, productivity, and quality of care. She was awarded the Excellence in Leadership Award in 2018 and the 2015-2016 Best New Patient Experience Leader in Patient Access Service Center from Stanford Children’s Health. While at Orlando Health, she was recently awarded the Excellence Award in Leadership.
Patricia Jacoby
Senior Content Strategist, Marketing
Frost & Sullivan
