5 Key Stages of the Employee Journey

The challenge, of course, is building an intentional company culture that increases employee engagement, improves the employee experience, and fosters authentic connections. Where do you even start? 

Every interaction is an opportunity to strengthen the employee-employer relationship. That’s why mapping out the employee journey – which spans from pre-hire to retirement, and everything in between – is such an effective way of thinking about company culture. It ensures no milestone is overlooked and all the moments that matter are tied together to create a cohesive, empowering experience that improves employee satisfaction. 

These are the five stages of the employee journey mapping process that lay the foundation for increased workplace engagement, improved retention, and thoughtful company culture. 

STAGE 1:
Recruiting Done Right Sets the Tone 

Attracting top talent starts long before a job-seeker submits their resume. Companies with reputations for great culture are the ones that draw in the best applicants from the get-go.

Competitive wages and benefits are part of the equation, but they’re not the only things that matter to modern workers. Flexibility, diversity, inclusion, work-life balance, recognition, and mental health wellness are also key. 

These values should be reflected across your brand, embedded in your hr team in recruitment efforts and underpin all recruitment communication from interviews to job offers – throughout the entire hiring process. 

STAGE 2:
Onboarding For Ongoing Success

An effective onboarding process not only sets employees up for success over the long term but also increases retention rates and job satisfaction. 

There are a lot of important moments of learning and development that happen when introducing an employee to processes and job requirements. It’s never a one-and-done affair.

Ensuring a new hire feels valued and supported is a commitment that spans the entire employee journey. The starting point is pre-arrival. The journey gains momentum throughout the first few days on the job and continues over the coming months. A people-focused culture that includes employee surveys and feedback is important throughout the entire journey and starts right from the beginning during the employee’s onboarding experiences. 

STAGE 3:
Supporting Employee Development

The empowering culture that developed during onboarding continues as the months turn into years. 

Regular performance reviews allow for constructive feedback and authentic praise, laying the groundwork for each employee’s professional development and progression. Mentorship opportunities and career coaching provide employees with a clear path forward and a reason to stay.

And the power of recognition should never be overlooked. Celebrate the big wins, the little wins and service anniversaries. 

STAGE 4:
Nurturing the Leadership Pipeline

At this stage of the journey, the employee is high-performing, has been with the company for many years and has deep experience. Make the most of that!

Encourage your best employees to rise to leadership positions within the company using training support, promotions and recognition. Nurturing the leadership pipeline internally has immense benefits for employees and employers alike. 

STAGE 5:
Saying Farewell

Goodbyes are always bittersweet but they can also be moments of celebration.

Honor the departing employee with meaningful recognition of their contributions and take the time to debrief using an exit interview. Employee feedback from an honest post-employment interview is an opportunity for new insights into the employee’s journey with the company.

A positive exit experience is important for the departing employee, but it also fuels a culture of recognition for those remaining. 

Leveraging Each Stage of The Employee Journey

Mapping out the stages of the employee journey is the first step and measures the employee experience. But leveraging each of these stages with the right touchpoints and actions is when the real magic happens. 

Dive into these important steps of the journey with actionable examples and insights in our new guide about the employee journey: The Employee Journey: Increase Engagement, Improve Retention and Elevate Company Culture.