WHY THE JOURNEY MATTERS

The focus of Human Resources (HR) has changed a lot in the last 30 years. When Nextran Truck Centers purchased its first dealership in 1993, HR Departments were largely focused on administrative duties, hiring and keeping the order within a company. In today’s world, HR’s role has grown far beyond that. A successful HR department enables employees to do their best, excel in their roles, and grow in their careers. There’s an element of aligning employee potential with the organization’s business objectives so that everyone can thrive and continue to move the company forward.

For Nextran, we are always looking for ways to add value for our employees. We have put a lot of focus on our HR practices. We are shifting our focus in two distinct directions: 1) work with business leaders and employees to provide the tools, insights, and support needed to further our employees’ success through a meaningful Employee Experience, and 2) reduce the amount of time spent on administrative tasks.

Let’s start with the “Employee Experience”. This can best be described as the journey employees take with an employer. A journey that starts before Day One on the job. Everything can influence whether or not someone may be interested in interviewing with your company. For Nextran, our branding, community efforts, or where we choose to post job openings can all factor into someone’s perception of Nextran as an employer. Some qualities can never be quantified, but it doesn’t mean future candidates aren’t keeping track.

Once someone has applied, the experience continues across all phases of employment, from hiring, onboarding, training and development, to retirement. HR has to take great care with every step of the process, even if an applicant isn’t moving forward for consideration. Word-of-mouth is a powerful tool, and if your company starts to build a reputation for failing to communicate with applicants, this could hurt the turnout for future postings.

HOW IS THE “EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE” CREATED?

It is influenced by such things as the day-to-day interactions with managers, coworkers, technology, the physical work environment – and even how communication occurs. In today’s world, many individuals are seeking places to work that fulfill a purpose beyond a paycheck. Research has already demonstrated that enhancing an Employee’s Experience results in greater employee satisfaction and engagement and strengthens an organization’s ability to provide a better customer experience.