With UK plc in a protracted battle to improve productivity, and talent retention frequently topping lists of companies’ key concerns, it is no wonder that employee engagement – and how it can be increased – is still a topic so extensively explored by the employer community.

And that’s without referencing the fact that poor engagement (which encompasses active disengagement at the extreme end of the spectrum) is thought to carry an eye-watering cost of £257 billion to the economy every year.

Engagement, however, is a complex and multi-layered concept: there are various elements that conspire to create an engaged employee and, as such, it is unlikely that a single ‘silver bullet’ solution or quick fix will move the engagement dial on its own.

In acknowledgement of this situation, conversations are increasingly moving on to the nature of those various elements and how they fit together to influence and improve the overall relationship between a worker and their work − or, to put it another way, the employee experience.

Key attributes of the employee experience

Understanding of the employee experience – also referred to as EX – has attracted growing attention in recent years as a key tool in unlocking higher levels of engagement.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) defines it as “the result of all the interactions an employee has with their employer”, and management consultancy Deloitte expands on this to list six relational attributes, or levers, that combine to shape the employee experience for individuals. They are:

• the work they do
• the places they work
• the diversity of people they work with
• the technology they use
• the organisation they work for
• their personal well-being and inclusion

While this can be helpful to provide a structure or framework for the concept of the employee experience, it is also important to remember that sitting in the middle of all of those elements is the employee. As such, any notion of experience in relation to work should be considered in ‘human’ terms, encompassing everything from an individual’s rational thoughts to their more emotional responses.

Crucially, every point of engagement contributes to this overall sense of experience, from an employee’s initial contact with a company through to their recruitment and onboarding, their ongoing engagement with day-to-day procedures and operations, and, potentially, their exit from the company.

If the cumulative effect of those interactions results in a neutral or even negative overall experience then employees are likely to feel less engaged, both in terms of their role and also in terms of their commitment to the organisation and their alignment to its culture and mission. Conversely, a more positive employee experience can breed deeper engagement, which can have tangible implications for key business performance metrics.

Factors that enhance experience

Research from market insight company Gallup underlines this point. It found that, on average, a third of global employees strongly agree with the statement “The mission or purpose of my organization makes me feel my job is important”.

However, in companies where that proportion is twice as high, significant benefits were observed in the form of a 34% reduction in absenteeism, a 41% drop in safety incidents and a 19% improvement in quality.

Creating or optimising the employee experience can be a complex task, demanding consideration of many different aspects of working life and company culture. One expert has narrowed this down to five crucial factors.

These are: mutual trust between an organisation and its employees; accountability among company leadership; alignment of employee values with the company vision; nurturing potential and recognising success; and employing technology that reduces day-to-day friction.

The employee perspective

And in 2025, there is evidence that the UK workforce is placing particular value on an employee experience that supports and empowers them to be productive. This comes amid growing pressure from the need to adapt to rapid strategic and technological change, which can lead to feelings of stress and a general sense that work feels chaotic.

Within this broader context, it is clear that employee benefits, rather than being considered in isolation, should be regarded as a vital spoke in the employee experience wheel. As such, there is a need to engineer a benefits offering from a people perspective, based on an authentic understanding of how they will be perceived and valued.

Getting that balance right ensures benefits can become a valuable contributor to a better employee experience. In doing so, they can help secure improved engagement, which in turn can drive the productivity, loyalty and retention that is so valued by UK plc.

The information contained within this communication does not constitute financial advice and is provided for general information purposes only. No warranty, whether express or implied is given in relation to such information. Vintage Corporate or any of its associated representatives shall not be liable for any technical, editorial, typographical or other errors or omissions within the content of this communication.

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