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Employee experience (EX) roles are becoming increasingly vital in today's workforce. And although EX is still a developing function at many organizations, 74% of employee experience professionals say they have more responsibilities than they did just three years ago, according to Reworked’s State of the Employee Experience Leader.
Demand for skilled EX leaders is on the rise, paving the way to new career opportunities that intertwine elements of human resources, psychology and business strategy for those passionate about enhancing the workplace.
How to Get Started in an Employee Experience Career
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to an EX career.
For instance, Iris McQuillan-Grace, now head of employee experience at the OLIVER Agency, was a drama major in school and taught Shakespeare at maximum security group homes for young women — roles that she said don’t necessarily scream EX.
Still, she said, these experiences provided her foundational awareness to center her thinking around the learner/employee. “Theater and Human Centered Design share quite a few similarities,” she said, “and I feel very much like I use skills from my ‘prior’ life daily.”
Brittany Barhite, head of employee experience at Firstup, had a much different journey. She got her start in marketing and media but then began looking for new challenges outside of those scopes, which eventually led her to a team focused on changing the field of solar energy and handling IT communications and change management.
This, she said, marked a pivotal moment in her career, as she transitioned toward internal communications and employee experience. From there, she dove into organizational development opportunities, earned HR training certifications and earned a doctorate in leadership studies with a focus in communication.
“This academic endeavor propelled me into an in-depth exploration of employee experience, exploring the interconnectedness between technology, leader-employee relationships, organizational communication and employee engagement,” she said.
Ultimately, she became impassioned about enhancing EX through hyper-personalized communications, mirroring marketing strategies to create amazing employee experiences and help break through the “chaos and noise” within organizations, she said.
Related Article: What Is Employee Experience? And Why It Matters
A Typical Day for an EX Leader
Once again, there is no “typical” day for an EX leader, something McQuillan-Grace said is common in most HR roles. Still, she added, she faces many of the same challenges that other HR personnel deal with: securing buy-in, navigating shifting priorities and supporting employees through change.
“A common EX challenge I have faced in the past is educating the organization about what EX is and why to invest in it,” she said. “However, even if you don’t label the work as EX, you can still engage in it.”
Barhite said that in her role, she oversees internal communications, rewards and recognition programs, the onboarding experience and other employee programming. She’s also the leader of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Council.
“In the dynamic realm of internal communications, each day brings a unique set of challenges and opportunities,” she said. “I navigate a landscape marked by constant organizational changes, updates and the regular cadence of HR communications that punctuate each quarter.”
Every employee, Barhite added, is on a distinct journey — onboarding, career advancement, navigating parental leave, etc. — and at Firstup, she manages communications for each of these journeys, which means collaborating with various stakeholders and departments to identify critical communication touchpoints that enhance EX during pivotal moments.
Key Skills for a Career in Employee Experience
Though the EX career field is still developing, certain key skills stand out as essential for success. The following are areas of expertise that can help EX leaders make a difference:
- Interpersonal skills: Having the social intelligence to read signals others send and interpret them correctly is one of the most critical skills for an EX leader, according to Reworked’s State of the Employee Experience Leader.
- Empathy: Both Barhite and McQuillan-Grace cited empathy, being able to understand and share the feelings of others, as crucial for EX.
- Communication and listening skills: Clear and effective communication, including active listening, is necessary for understanding employees’ needs, conveying company values and implementing changes, said Barhite.
- Cultural competence: Another essential skill, according to Barhite, is understanding and appreciating diversity and creating a culture that respects different perspectives and backgrounds.
- Design thinking: This skill, including human-centered design (HCD), agile and user experience, will help prepare you for how to think through the work, said McQuillan-Grace.
- Team collaboration: EX professionals often have to work with different departments, human resources teams and leadership to implement and sustain EX programs, explained Barhite.
- Change management: Reworked’s State of the Employee Experience Leader found that it’s essential for EX leaders, especially those newer to the field, to know how to deal with and manage transitions within the organization.
- Data analysis: Using data to identify trends, measure employee satisfaction and assess the impact of different initiatives is important for making informed decisions, said Barhite.
- Technical skills: According to Reworked’s report, 91% of EX leaders said having technical skills and experience is important to success in their role.
“By developing these skills,” explained Barhite, “individuals can contribute to creating a positive and supportive employee experience within an organization. Keep in mind that the specific skills required may vary depending on the industry, company size and organizational culture.”
Related Article: What Kinds of Expertise Do You Need for a Successful EX Function?
The Future Outlook for EX Career Paths
Ultimately, the EX career path varies widely, and those in the field have different outlooks on the road ahead depending on their industry and organization.
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According to Reworked’s report, 54% of EX leaders feel positive about their ability to advance professionally at their company — leaving 46% feeling unsure or negative.
McQuillan-Grace offered some advice for those in the field or those looking to break in: “Fail forward and embrace failure and make it mean something: What did I learn, what won’t I do again, what can we try now?”
Plus, she added, find community. “This work is communal and best done not in a vacuum; others in your org but also across industry engaging in EX work to share ideas, questions and wins.”
