Employee Experience Is Felt Before It Is Understood

We remember Halloween because of how it felt. It is a moment we can relive. From a few weeks ago or years ago, everyone can feel how that event went.

The excitement. The laughter. The anticipation of costumes and candy. We remember the glow of magic but almost never the logistics behind it.

I remember so many memories as a child, teen, college student and now mom. All different versions of the same event. But all of those Halloween’s are met with a warm feeling. A happiness. Friendships and fun, and enjoyment.

Why? Well, emotion is the memory-maker.

And while I am still reflecting on Halloween, the reality is that emotion makes memorable moments or interactions within organizations too.

Employee experience doesn’t live in policies or programs, rather it lives in the moments. When the expectation of the moment is met with the expected feeling, you will see results.

• The first-day welcome when someone wonders, Do I belong here?

• The performance conversation where tone matters as much as words.

• The team celebration, or the lack of one.

• The transitions, promotions, restructures; all where uncertainty is high and clarity is everything.

We don’t have to script emotions. But we do have to design for them. We need to plan for what will come from it. And recognize that sometimes emotions will not be positive, it is even more important to plan (see: change management).

There were a few raining Halloweens. Major bummer. But it was never a wake up that morning to rain. My mom know it a few days in advance. She planned for the anticipated news. And this last week, there was a chance of rain. So, what did I do? I planned for change. I made a backup plan to have a few friends over to do a scavenger hunt for candy indoors and a Halloween movie. I told my kids that the weather might not be as great. They were part of the evolution. They were not happy, but they understood. Because the expectations and emotions were being put at the forefront.

Turns out, it did not rain. Which was met with even more excitement, but they were totally fine with the evolution because the experience was designed for my little ones. I took into consideration their expectations and their emotions.

Design isn’t about being elaborate or extravagant. It’s about intention.

I once worked with a leader who wrote a personal note to every new hire before their first day. Three sentences, handwritten. The new hires mentioned it for months. Why? Because it signaled, You matter before you arrive.

The note wasn’t the point. The feeling was. The intention that a new employee was only expecting a corporate onboarding but was delighted with a personal touch.

Small shifts. Deep resonance. That’s where employee experience lives.