Top 10 Tools to Improve Employee Experience in 2023

Recognizing the importance of nurturing the professional life experience of their employees, the majority of employers (66%) have implemented an HR policy to improve employee experience, as highlighted in the 2023 Parlons RH agency's report. Nevertheless, companies engaged in this initiative are still underequipped.

This situation is not expected to persist. In the era of digitalization, numerous solutions are available to assist employers in offering a more satisfying working environment to their teams. Interested? In this article, Mozzaik365 presents its top 10 tools for enhancing the employee experience in 2023. Happy reading!

#1 Internal Collaboration Platforms

Having the means to communicate and collaborate effectively with team members, colleagues, external partners, and clients is essential for daily work and professional fulfillment. There's nothing more frustrating than losing track of a project due to disorganized email threads, seeing a task delayed because of poor information transmission, or having to repeatedly edit a report because the document was modified haphazardly.

Internal collaboration platforms are the ideal tools for optimizing collaborative work, improving internal communication, and ultimately providing a better employee experience. The most well-known platforms are, of course, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Alternatives like Slack or Klaxoon can also be considered. These solutions integrate the applications your employees need for seamless teamwork and productivity (video conferencing, instant messaging, document sharing, etc.).

However, the ultimate collaboration tool to facilitate your teams' lives and enhance the employee experience on a daily basis is the Digital Workplace. This technology centralizes all the tools, contacts, resources, and communication methods your employees need to work efficiently, either individually or in groups, within a single digital working environment (DWE). When it comes to the Digital Workplace, Mozzaik365 undoubtedly stands out. This SharePoint Online extension is both stylish, quick to deploy, and 100% secure. It makes it easy to create engaging collaborative intranets with rich and functional spaces for communication, collaboration, and knowledge management.

🚀 To delve deeper, explore Microsoft tools for enhancing internal collaboration in the workplace.

#2 Productivity Dashboards

Having all the necessary tools and information at your fingertips to efficiently carry out your tasks without wasting time is undoubtedly a significant enhancement in terms of employee experience. Whether they work in an office, remote, on the go, or on-site, employees should be able to quickly access their work applications, communication tools, their daily to-do list, upcoming events, or internal news.

This is where the MODA application by Mozzaik365 comes into play. This application allows users to create customized Dashboards in Teams through a simple drag-and-drop of widgets or by using templates (personal dashboard, communication, onboarding, project). With this tool, everything employees need for their regular tasks or key moments (e.g., project work, onboarding) is consolidated on a single page, easily accessible by opening the Teams application on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. It's a real time and comfort saver, particularly for field teams.

🤩 To go further, learn more about MODA, the Microsoft Teams app.

#3 Project Management Tools

Successfully managing a project can be as rewarding as it is challenging and demanding. Having the right project management tools is undoubtedly a significant advantage for achieving success and enhancing the employee experience, even in the face of deadlines and budget constraints.

Numerous digital tools have been designed to facilitate project management. Some of these include:

• Monday
• ClickUp
• Trello
• Asana
• Zoho Projects
• Basecamp
• Wrike
• And, of course, Microsoft Project.

With these solutions, employees can plan their projects, visualize their objectives, resources, and deadlines, allocate tasks, and track project progress at both an individual and collective level. Naturally, some of these software, such as Microsoft Project, can integrate with your Digital Workplace. This helps optimize project management, provide employees with a unified experience, and improve overall satisfaction.

✨ To delve deeper, discover the guide to optimize your project management in Microsoft Teams.

#4 HR Software and Employee Onboarding

Welcoming new employees is a crucial step in their journey within the company. A good onboarding process is essential to make new hires want to stay in their positions. An employee who has undergone a structured onboarding process is 69% more likely to remain with the company for at least 3 years. Effectively onboarding your new employees is a major factor in talent retention and loyalty.

Several digital tools can assist you in successfully onboarding your employees:

• Hey Axel, Hey Team, Workelo, Teelt, and Green House are products 100% dedicated to optimizing the onboarding of new hires. 
• Other comprehensive HR software, such as Workday, Freshworks, Factorial HR, and BambooHR, include features designed to facilitate the welcoming of new arrivals. 
• Finally, Microsoft 365 users can simply create an onboarding journey in Teams and establish an integration dashboard in Teams using the MODA application by Mozzaik365.

These various solutions share a common goal: streamlining onboarding for HR, management, and new hires alike. In general, they automate onboarding and pre-onboarding tasks (sending emails, scheduling appointments, collecting HR documents, etc.) and provide employees with a space where they can access all the information they need to quickly get settled (task lists, required training, administrative documents, contacts, practical and technical resources, etc.).

#5 Enterprise Social Networks

Enterprise social networks (ESNs) are internal communication tools inspired by conventional social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. They facilitate communication among different members of the organization and enhance internal cohesion through informal discussion spaces.

On these platforms, employees can interact in a relatively casual manner, using features like emojis or GIFs, and can form virtual communities around common interests (outdoor sports, gardening, etc.). This helps foster connections among employees from different departments, strengthen the sense of belonging, improve the work atmosphere, and ultimately enhance the employee experience.

A variety of technologies enable the creation of internal social network platforms:

• The social media giant Facebook (Meta) has its business counterpart, Facebook Workplace.
• Microsoft has introduced Viva Engage, which is part of the Microsoft Viva employee experience platform integrated with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams.
• Smaller software vendors also offer ESNs, such as Talkspirit, Jamespot, Jalios, Jive, Jostle, Happeo, and Whaller.

‍#6 Online Training Tools

Learning, discovering new things, and upgrading skills are essential for feeling valued and thriving at work. According to a 2023 study by the recruitment firm Robert Half, 14% of surveyed employees would be willing to turn down a job offer that aligns with their skills if the offered training plan wasn't attractive enough. Continuous learning is, therefore, a significant factor in terms of employee experience, talent attraction, and employee retention.

Various Learning Management System (LMS) tools enable employee training by implementing learning paths based on existing courses or even by creating an internal e-learning platform. Some of these tools include:

• LinkedIn Learning
• Udemy Business
• Moodle
• GO1
• Skillsoft
• Coursera
• Ispring Learn
• And, of course, Viva Learning, the future of learning according to Microsoft.

#7 Employee Engagement Platforms

Feeling heard and being part of something greater than oneself gives meaning to work and enhances the employee experience. Employee engagement platforms establish a direct connection between leadership, management, and teams through surveys, questionnaires, and internal inquiries. They help strengthen employees' sense of purpose and satisfaction. Employees are integrated into the decision-making process, have a voice, and can raise their concerns and ideas.

Several Software as a Service (SAAS) solutions enable the establishment of a genuine feedback culture, regularly gauge the pulse of the staff, and promote employee engagement. Here are some of the key ones:

• Office Vibe
• Supermood
• Sparkbay
• Peakon
• Bleexo
• Haiilo
• Not to forget Microsoft Viva Glint.

🗣️ To delve deeper, discover how employee engagement is the secret to productivity.

#8 Employee Recognition Tools

Recognition in the workplace is one of the cornerstones of a successful employee experience. According to a 2017 study by Deloitte, a lack of recognition is the most significant factor contributing to a loss of meaning at work (cited by 43% of respondents). Being valued and recognized by peers and superiors allows individuals to feel useful, and, as a result, be more fulfilled in their work.

A handful of workplace recognition platforms and applications aim to facilitate the sharing of positive feedback, celebrate achievements, and reward both individual and collective performance. Notable ones include:

• Bonusly
• Recognize
• Kudos
• Perkbox
• Applauz
• Empuls
• Vantage Rewards
• Praise for Microsoft Teams.

🖥️ To delve deeper, discover what Microsoft Teams is all about.

#9 Tools for Enhancing Employee Benefits

Employee benefits (such as medical coverage, meal vouchers, employee savings and retirement plans, etc.) have an impact on the quality of the employee experience. To the extent that, according to a survey released in 2023 by the recruitment firm Robert Half, 18% of surveyed employees consider it an important criterion when choosing an employer.

Several tools make it easier to offer employee benefits and highlight these "benefits" to turn them into key points for your employer brand and optimize the employee experience. Here are some examples:

Alan Health Insurance offers an application that simplifies health-related processes and accelerates access to healthcare for employees.

The startup Swile offers a payment card that makes it easier for employees to use their employee benefits (meal vouchers, gifts, mobility, etc.).

Finally, the fintech company Epsor offers a simple, committed, and customized employee savings and retirement solution. With this solution, each employee can become an active participant in their savings and fully benefit from this employee benefit.

#10 Tools Dedicated to Employee Well-being

The health and well-being of employees are, of course, two essential ingredients of a good employee experience. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to adopt measures to protect the physical and mental health of workers is particularly evident. According to the 11th Empreinte Humaine Barometer in March 2023, 44% of French employees would be in a situation of psychological distress.

Although they are not sufficient on their own to ensure employee well-being, tools can be put in place to help employees take care of their physical and mental health on a daily basis. Some of these tools include:

• The mental health and mindfulness meditation app Headspace.
• The meditation app Petit Bambou Pro.
• The mental health and well-being at work app Moodwork.
• The mental health prevention solution for businesses Moka.care.
• The self-therapy app MindDay.
• The psychosocial risk prevention (RPS) solution Holivia.
• The mental support solution Teale.
• The sports and well-being subscription Gymlib.
• The "Well-being" tab in Microsoft Viva Insights.

Top 10 Tools to Improve the Employee Experience in 2023: Closing Thoughts

Providing a good employee experience is essential for attracting, retaining, engaging, and motivating talent. In a time when companies are facing recruitment challenges and declining workplace engagement, it is crucial to optimize the employee experience.

In this regard, various tools can be deployed. In this article, we presented solutions for:

• Facilitating internal collaboration
• Enhancing individual and collective productivity and performance
• Streamlining project management
• Effective onboarding of new employees
• Strengthening internal cohesion
• Optimizing continuous training
• Promoting employee engagement
• Establishing a genuine culture of workplace recognition
• Maximizing your employee benefits
• Caring for the physical and mental health of your employees

Our advice? As an employer, choose an all-in-one technology that integrates all the tools your employees need to perform well and feel comfortable at work. With its numerous integrated applications, the Microsoft 365 suite is ideal for creating a pleasant digital work environment and improving the employee experience. And to provide your teams with a 100% sleek and functional interface, consider the MODA extensions for Teams and Mozzaik365 for your SharePoint intranets.