Editorial
The Gist
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Bridging the gap. Companies have traditionally treated voice of the customer and voice of the employee as separate functions that use distinct tools and work in silos.
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Employees as customers. Employees interact with products firsthand, which makes their insights critical for improving customer experiences.
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Integration in action. Leading companies use employee feedback loops to refine products before launch.
Companies have long invested in customer feedback systems (i.e., NPS surveys, social listening and direct interviews) to refine their offerings. Simultaneously, HR departments use tools to track employee engagement and job satisfaction. Traditionally, these two functions operated independently, with separate stakeholders, goals and platforms.
However, employees are more than just workers; they are potential expert users, early adopters and, in many cases, active users of the service itself. A product experience that frustrates employees will likely frustrate customers. A disengaged workforce can lead to a disengaged customer base.
As the line between voice of the customer (VoC) and voice of the employee (VoE) blurs, forward-thinking companies are integrating both to improve products, services and customer interactions. Analyzing VoC and VoE together provides a comprehensive view of the business ecosystem, and it reveals how internal engagement influences external satisfaction.
Table of Contents
- Using Employees for Valuable Customer Insights
- Engaged Employees Drive Better Customer Experiences
- Breaking Down Silos of Customers and Employees
- Overcoming Integration Challenges
- Integrating VoC and VoE for Better Results
- Core Questions Around Integrating Voice of the Customer and Voice of the Employee
Using Employees for Valuable Customer Insights
Before launching a product, Google's internal "Dogfood" program tests new features with employees, which helps uncover usability issues and customer pain points before public release. Udacity runs company-wide beta testing sessions where employees actively test and identify issues, which guarantees a seamless customer experience before launch.
By using employees as an extension of the customer base, companies gain many advantages:
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Actionable insights: Employees provide detailed, solution-oriented feedback that external customers may not articulate.
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Faster iteration cycles: Identifying issues internally prevents costly public-facing failures.
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Stronger adoption: Employees who contribute feedback become internal champions and drive product adoption and advocacy.
While integrating VoE into product testing is valuable, companies must balance this approach to avoid employee fatigue. Not every employee will engage with products the same way, so structured programs are essential.
Engaged Employees Drive Better Customer Experiences
The connection between employee engagement and customer satisfaction is backed by data. Qualtrics reports that companies with high employee engagement see a 20% increase in customer satisfaction. And Forbes found that businesses with highly engaged employees are 1.5 times more likely to achieve superior customer experience metrics.
Here’s what engagement translates into:
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Customer loyalty and retention: Engaged employees go the extra mile, proactively address issues and deliver personalized service.
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Revenue growth: Companies with strong employee engagement outperform competitors with lower engagement.
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Brand reputation: Employees who believe in a company’s mission become brand advocates, which influences customer trust and perception.
Despite this correlation, many organizations still treat employee and customer experience as separate efforts and miss opportunities for alignment.
Related Article: Creating Great Customer Experiences Starts With Employees
Breaking Down Silos of Customers and Employees
To integrate voice of the customer and voice of the employee effectively, companies should do the following:
Unify Feedback Systems
Instead of separate platforms, organizations should use shared insights to identify overlapping themes. Employees can provide input on the same product-related questions customers answer. Tools like Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey Enterprise and Medallia offer integrated solutions for collecting and analyzing both customer and employee feedback.
Encourage Cross-Functional Collaboration
Product, marketing, HR and customer service teams should work together to make sure employee insights inform customer experience strategies. At Intuit, customers were invited to team meetings, which encouraged direct dialogue between employees and end-users. Similarly, organizations should make sure employees have enough exposure to both the product and customer needs to provide meaningful feedback.
Empower Employees as Customers
Formalize internal testing programs where employees actively engage with products and provide structured feedback. Platforms like UserTesting, Maze and ProductBoard help organize and track this feedback. Additionally, inviting customers to staff meetings can strengthen the connection between employees and end-users, guaranteeing a customer-first mindset.
Overcoming Integration Challenges
While the benefits of merging voice of the customer and voice of the employee are clear, implementation also presents challenges:
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Siloed teams: HR, product and customer experience teams often operate independently, which makes collaboration difficult. Executive buy-in is crucial to align priorities.
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Data overload: Collecting feedback from both customers and employees can be overwhelming. Companies need a clear process for filtering, analyzing and acting on key insights.
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Employee participation: Not all employees feel comfortable providing feedback on products or customer experience. Businesses should create structured opportunities for input without making it an additional burden.
By addressing these obstacles, companies can make sure the integration of voice of the customer and voice of the employee is both effective and sustainable.
Integrating VoC and VoE for Better Results
The companies that thrive in the future will listen to both customers and employees. Progressive organizations are evolving their employee surveys to include product performance insights and customer interaction feedback. This creates a continuous loop of improvement and helps companies identify training needs, product enhancements and service gaps before they impact customers.
In the same way product-related questions should be part of employee surveys, customer surveys should explore how companies can help customers achieve their professional goals. This means not only educating them on how to use a product but also helping them improve their craft, skills and careers. Companies that invest in their customers' professional growth through education and training can build deeper relationships, drive loyalty and position themselves as true partners in their customers' success.
Breaking down traditional silos between voice of the customer and voice of the employee will result in stronger products, better customer experiences and a more engaged workforce. This is a competitive advantage that companies can’t afford to ignore.
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Core Questions Around Integrating Voice of the Customer and Voice of the Employee
Editor's note: Here are two important questions to ask about VoE and VoC:
What is the connection between employee engagement and customer satisfaction?
Employee engagement directly influences customer satisfaction. Companies with highly engaged employees see a 20% increase in customer satisfaction and loyalty. Engaged employees provide better service, which leads to more satisfied and loyal customers.
How can companies integrate voice of the customer and voice of the employee?
To effectively integrate VoC and VoE, companies should unify feedback systems, encourage cross-functional collaboration and empower employees to engage in product testing. This helps create a comprehensive view that improves both products and customer experiences.
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