In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the concept of customer-centricity is not just a buzzword—it's a strategic imperative. But while many organizations focus intensely on customer satisfaction, there's a critical element that often gets overlooked: the employee experience (EX). A customer-first approach is intrinsically linked to the experience of the employees who serve them, and businesses that appreciate and leverage this connection can drive transformative outcomes.

I spoke on this topic at last week’s Field Service East event in Orlando. The day’s theme was around customer centricity and as I reflected on what within that theme I wanted to surface, the need to better respect and reflect the role of EX in driving CX was my immediate thought. Further, because the event was a technology-centric event, I wanted to showcase how companies can expand their view of technology’s role to encompass how it benefits employees and can drive EX.

The Business Case for Prioritizing EX

At the heart of any successful customer-first strategy is a workforce that feels engaged, valued, and empowered. Research from the MIT Center for Information Systems Research (CISR) underscores this point by defining EX as the extent to which employees are enabled or constrained by organizational capabilities and practices. This includes both the digital and physical environments that allow employees to adapt their work to meet changing needs, and the collective work habits that foster knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and empowerment.

Research shows that companies investing in great EX are more innovative and deliver better customer experiences more efficiently. MIT researchers found that organizations in the top quartile of EX not only developed more successful innovations but also doubled their revenue from these innovations compared to companies in the bottom quartile. Additionally, their industry-adjusted Net Promoter Scores (NPS) were twice as high.

Gallup has reported that companies with engaged workforces are 21% more profitable and 17% more productive. McKinsey’s findings echo these sentiments, revealing that more than half of employees who left their jobs in the past six months did so because they didn’t feel valued by their organization or manager, or lacked a sense of belonging.

Technology as an Enabler for Better EX

We recognize technology as a powerful enabler, but most commonly that recognition is tied to how it can help the business, both in optimizing operations and in improving CX. What is far less considered is how technology can serve as an enabler for the EX.

This is an oversight; technology should be seen as an enabler not only for business productivity and customer benefit, but for transforming the employee experience. Instead of asking how technology can be used to get the most out of employees, organizations should consider how it can be used to create the best possible work experience for them.

I’ve seen some powerful examples of how companies are broadening their view of technology’s impact to include employee benefit. Here are a couple of illustrations:

• Using Automation to Create Autonomy: One company is using IFS Planning & Scheduling Optimization, a powerful AI-based tool that will auto-adjust using various criteria, to offer employees the autonomy to select their start and end times each day. Rather than dictating their schedules, the tool will accommodate the technicians controlling their own. Some employees want to drop their kids off at school and start a bit later; others want an early start and an earlier finish. The technology can account for any of this, and this company has put focus on work-life balance and employee wellbeing by sharing in the benefit of the increased productivity by giving its workforce choice.
• Sharing the Time Savings of AI. Another company has incorporated AI into its field operations to automate reporting. This saves each technician three hours per week of manual reporting, and rather than take the mentality of “How much more can we squeeze out of that three hours,? they instead opted to share that return by absorbing two of the hours gained into the technicians’ productive time but giving one hour back in the form of an hour shorter work week (for the same pay, of course).
• Offering Flexibility with Remote Capabilities. I have a couple of examples of companies that are using Remote Assistance and other remote service capabilities to get creative about how service is delivered in their organizations and introduce far greater flexibility – which we know is important to today’s talent. Some are using remote to offer hybrid schedules, where technicians do remote work from home a few days a week and travel the others. Others are creating new roles where remote is the primary duty and therefore for those whom travel is a barrier have more options. Finally, some companies have been able to keep older, knowledgeable workers around longer to mentor newer talent by allowing them to support in a “hands-on” manner from home.
• Using AI to Transform Knowledge Sharing. Many companies are making strides in how they’re using AI to capture, store, and intuitively share knowledge. This equips employees with the insights they need to be successful, easing burdens of the job and making them heroes in the eyes of the customer. It also helps alleviate the magnitude of onboarding and initial training needed when the tools are sophisticated enough to deliver accurate insights as they are needed.

Now I’m not suggesting companies take an entirely altruistic view on this topic (although I do believe treating people well is a worthwhile initiative in and of itself); this perspective isn’t to minimize the reality or importance of driving the familiar business metrics of efficiency, productivity, and the like.

I’m simply saying that when today’s technologies are leveraged well, they can accomplish those business objectives organically without the focus of “wringing the most we possibly can” from our employees being the narrative. In fact, when you broaden your view to consider how technology can benefit the EX, you may find you derive greater business benefit – because the two are inextricably linked.  

The organizations that will lead the future of business are those that recognize that both people and technology are critical to success and must work hand in hand. By fostering an environment where employees feel empowered, valued, and engaged, companies can drive better outcomes for both their employees and their customers, paving the way for sustained innovation and success.