Employee experience: a strategic performance driver in 2025

In 2025, companies are operating in a context marked by social, economic and geopolitical instability. This uncertainty has a direct impact on employees, who feel more anxious about their professional future, job security and financial equilibrium.

Faced with these tensions, human resources departments are called upon to reinvent the way they conceive the employee experience. It is no longer limited to a series of isolated initiatives, but becomes a strategic lever that contributes to the overall performance of the organization, while responding to the deep aspirations of employees.

These analyses are based in particular on the results of the Mercer Employee Experience and Engagement Survey 2025, a vast online survey conducted by Mercer between January and March 2025 among 1,456 companies in 47 countries and all regions of the world.

A constantly evolving experience: the complete journey

The employee experience is no longer seen as a one-off process aimed solely at improving engagement. It is now seen as a complete journey, integrated into every stage of the employee's professional life, from the moment he or she joins the company through to career development and the key moments in the employment relationship.

This approach encompasses the environment in which employees evolve, the important events that punctuate their daily lives, and their personal expectations. It requires continuous adaptation, as employees' needs and motivations evolve according to the context and their own trajectory. The most successful organizations succeed in creating a culture that supports professional growth, encourages work-life balance and values inclusion.

New employee expectations: beyond compensation

Employee expectations have changed profoundly over the years. While remuneration remains important, it is no longer enough to guarantee their commitment. Today, employees are looking for :

• An environment where their health and well-being are taken into consideration.
• Opportunities for professional development.
• Recognition for their contribution.

Physical and mental well-being has become a central pillar of the experience, as has the opportunity to learn continuously and evolve in a work environment that allows them to reconcile professional and personal imperatives. According to the Mercer 2025 study, HR leaders highlight health and well-being (59% ) and total rewards (50%) as two critical areas for fostering a positive employee experience. Nearly half of companies (46%) will invest in employee benefits in 2025, followed by learning (38%) and effective work-life balance (37%). These developments are forcing companies to rethink their policies and practices, placing greater emphasis on recognition schemes, tailored benefits and individualized development paths.

Challenges to employee experience implementation

Although the value of a well thought-out employee experience is widely recognized, the Mercer 2025 study reveals that satisfaction with EX efforts varies considerably. While 43% of HR leaders express high satisfaction, 39% say they are very dissatisfied. Less than half (40%) believe their initiatives exceed ROI expectations. Many organizations face recurring obstacles:

• Resources: limited resources and insufficient budgets are the most cited challenges. However, the most satisfied organizations don't necessarily have more resources, but excel in design, measurement and cross-functional collaboration.
• Accountability: management support is insufficient in a third of companies; 31% would like more support. Organizations with high ROI are 2.9 times more likely to integrate EX objectives into executive scorecards.
• EX team skills: almost a quarter of companies (22%) face HR skills gaps related to EX design. In addition, 20% of respondents identified inefficient internal operations and inconsistent use of EX tools.
• Business-led change: Implementing EX-related change remains complex. Nearly a quarter of companies (23%) report that managers' willingness and ability to adopt new practices is a challenge. Measuring impact is also a problem: 30% of companies lack sufficient metrics.
  
  

The vital importance of active listening

To respond effectively to employee needs, it is essential to develop a culture of continuous listening. Companies that make a point of gaining an in-depth understanding of what their employees are experiencing are better equipped to make informed, relevant decisions.

Listening is no longer limited to annual surveys, but takes the form of regular initiatives to gather feedback in real time. When combined with concrete follow-up, these approaches boost employee confidence and commitment. The Mercer study reveals that 88% of respondents believe that listening to employees is a key strategic lever for achieving business results.

Shared leadership for sustainable results

A successful employee experience cannot be the sole responsibility of human resources teams. It must be driven collectively by all the company's stakeholders. When executives and line managers are actively involved in implementing actions, initiatives gain in effectiveness and legitimacy.

Organizations that exceed their employee experience objectives are often those where responsibility is shared and clearly defined. This involvement of leaders translates employee feedback into concrete action on the ground, creating a virtuous circle of continuous improvement. Companies with a high EX ROI are 2.9 times more likely to say that EX objectives are part of their leaders' scorecards. They are 2.5 times more likely to collaborate cross-functionally beyond HR to design EX.

Technology and measurement at the service of the experience

The evolution of digital tools has profoundly transformed the way employee experience is designed and managed. Organizations that succeed in making the most of their initiatives combine data from internal surveys with other indicators, such as customer satisfaction(3.3 times more likely to correlate CX and EX) or the results of digital transformation(2.7 times more likely to measure with EX). This integrated approach makes it possible to anticipate employee needs and adapt actions more quickly.

What's more, the use of visual analysis or artificial intelligence technologies makes it easier to understand results and disseminate them to managers, speeding up decision-making. Companies investing in AI for improved visual results believe almost three times more(2.8 times) in a positive return on their EX investments.

Continuous, agile transformation: the key to performance

In 2025, the employee experience is emerging as a real driver of internal transformation. It should not be seen as a static approach, but as an agile process that is constantly evolving. The most advanced companies set clear objectives, regularly adjust their actions according to the feedback they receive, and ensure that employees see the concrete results of the changes they have implemented.

They invest in developing the skills of managers and HR teams to better understand, interpret and exploit listening data. They also promote transparent communication, sharing results with all teams and maintaining an open, constructive dialogue.

Employee experience: a strategic opportunity for resilience

Beyond the individual benefits for employees, a well-designed employee experience becomes a competitive advantage for the company. It not only enhances talent engagement and retention, but also improves productivity and capacity for innovation.

In a world of persistent uncertainty, organizations that place their employees at the heart of their strategy become even more resilient. By creating an environment where everyone feels listened to, supported and recognized, they build a solid, adaptable culture capable of overcoming crises and seizing opportunities.

Employee experience is therefore no longer simply an indicator of internal satisfaction, but a central element of corporate strategy. Organizations that succeed in making it a comprehensive, living process, supported by all levels of the hierarchy, are those that will reap the greatest long-term benefits. By intelligently investing in listening, in action and in continuous improvement, they lay the foundations for sustainable growth and a truly human and high-performance corporate culture.

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Source

• Mercer Employee Experience and Engagement Survey 2025