Your Employees' Experience REALLY Matters

Cathie Leimbach • February 6, 2023

For years HR has handled all ‘people’ matters in most companies. The other departments focused on producing products and serving their customers. However, since productivity is greatly impacted by how employees are trained, informed, treated, and rewarded, a strong bottom line depends on all leaders caring about their people.

The foundation for a positive employee experience is seeing everyone as a partner and stakeholder and worthy of being treated with respect. The employee experience consists of all the thoughts and feelings employees have of the company. This includes the culture, the brand, clarity of workplace expectations, being provided with the training and tools to do their job, pay and benefits, how the job impacts their personal life, and being listened to.

A recent workplace study found that the top three reasons employees quit are:

  • not feeling valued by their organizations,
  • not feeling valued by their managers, or
  • not feeling a sense of belonging at work. 

Each of these reasons were cited by 50 to 55% of employees. This emphasizes the need for all people leaders to invite employees to share their perspectives, listen to them, and take action to address their concerns. This requires leaders to prioritize one-on-one and small group meetings with their employees.

Other factors that impact the employee experience are quality technology with user-friendly interfaces, ongoing skills development, opportunities to use their expertise, and a diverse and inclusive environment.

You may see that an employee’s workplace experience is important, yet, wonder just how important it really is. A global company with over 1000 retail locations measured several factors, including employee longevity, full-time versus part-time status, experience in multiple roles, and skill level.  They found that when employee experience scores at a store moved from the bottom quarter of the company’s retail outlets to the top quarter both revenue and profits increased by about 50%.

If you like the idea of a 50% increase in your bottom line, what is the first step you will take to improving your employees’ workplace experience?  It might be asking open-ended questions to learn the obstacles they are facing and collaborating with them to create a more favorable workplace. You can almost count on win/win outcomes for the employees and the company. 

Looking Ahead to a Fruitful 2026

By Cathie Leimbach • December 30, 2025
As the New Year approaches, it’s a natural time to look forward and ask what you want the next chapter to bring. One simple way to reflect to ask yourself three questions to create a stronger year ahead, what should you: Stop?, Continue?, and Start? Stop focusing energy on habits, meetings, or expectations that no longer serve you or your team. This might mean letting go of outdated processes, unnecessary urgency, or ways of working that drain momentum without adding value. Continue the practices that helped you gain traction this year. Think about what worked—perhaps clear communication, strong collaboration, consistent follow-through, or time spent developing people. These are the behaviors worth protecting and reinforcing. Start being intentional about what will move you forward in 2026. This could include setting clearer priorities, investing in leadership development, building healthier team rhythms, or creating space for innovation and growth. Taking time to reflect now helps you enter the New Year with purpose rather than pressure. Small, thoughtful shifts can create meaningful impact over time. Ready to turn reflection into action?  👉 View our Stop • Continue • Start Worksheet for a simple, practical way to reset priorities, build on what’s working, and step into 2026 with clarity and momentum.

Take a Moment for Joy

By Cathie Leimbach • December 23, 2025
As the year comes to a close, it’s worth pausing to ask a simple question: What brought you joy this year at work and in life? Joy doesn’t always arrive in big, headline moments. Often, it shows up quietly—in meaningful conversations, shared laughter, progress made, lessons learned, or the steady presence of people who support us. Sometimes joy is found in growth, sometimes in rest, and sometimes in simply getting through a challenging season with resilience and grace. Take a few minutes to reflect. What moments made you smile? When did you feel most connected? For what are you grateful? This reflection isn’t about ignoring the hard parts of the year. It’s about honoring the bright spots that sustained you through them. Recognizing joy helps us close the year with perspective and open the next one with hope. As the holidays approach, give yourself permission to slow down, savor meaningful moments, and share joy with others—through kindness, gratitude, and presence.  May this season be filled with moments that lift your spirit, and may you carry that joy with you into the year ahead. 👉 Take a moment to pause this season—view the Reflecting on Joy one-pager and reflect on what brought meaning to your work and life this year. Wishing you a truly joy-filled Christmas season .