Designers practice User Experience Design to create usable interfaces and systems. They need to understand the experience of the user as they interact with the system in order to craft a solution that engages the user and makes the interaction easy and hassle free. Users choose software that works for them, so good UX is important for tech companies to stay in business amongst competitors.
Similarly, employees experience a company through their daily work and interactions. It is a much deeper and more intimate interaction than scrolling through facebook, and worth far more attention in designing an appropriate experience.
The first thing that needs to happen is to understand what employees are currently experiencing. Open the door to expressing issues and challenges they face and seek to understand why and how they are impacted, and what can be done to resolve it. That doesn't mean you need to immediately fix every problem. It means you need to show that you are willing to listen and take action. You will also need to be transparent with your priorities and plan to address the issues, so that everyone gains confidence that things will get better.
Here are some common issues that employees run into, and some ways to iron them out.
Communication
Functional team communication is when everyone understands each other and expresses what needs to be heard to keep things running optimally. If there is a problem, it can't be swept under the rug. Miscommunication can come off as disrespectful and lead to demotivated employees and poor decision making. It is important to foster an open culture where everyone can express themselves and are treated equally. Without this, issues will not be uncovered or resolved.
Coordination
Context switching can be very difficult for developers. Switching priorities or tasks on them in the middle of the work can make it take much longer when they come back to it. It is important to understand how employees are operating and managers should support and guide them without jerking them around. When staff are overloaded and spread across projects, their ability to do quality work is diminished and everything takes longer.
Expectations
When people aren't meeting expectations, it can lead to a lot of frustration on both sides. We get agitated because we believed something should happen. However when those expectations are not communicated, employees may not even know they are falling short. If your expectations are not being met, you need to set them immediately, but in a way that checks if the employee is willing to meet those expectations and if there are any conditions to that. Sometimes it is a matter of showing respect and not speaking over others that would get them to like you more and put in the work.
Roles
When roles are unclear, people will step on each others toes and may leave gaps in responsibilities. With a little forethought, clearly defined roles will delegate necessary responsibilities and encourage employees to step up and own their area. It is important to empower and nurture them in these roles once given and not revert back to old patterns of telling people what to do and how to do it.
Incentives
Tech employees are in hot demand, and there are not enough to go around. Even if they're happy here, they can still be happier with a higher salary somewhere else. You need to provide enough compensation and career opportunities to keep your top talent on board. Think about what these are and communicate them regularly in staff check-ins.
Leadership
Company leadership is responsible for the vision, mission, and strategy of the company. As their workforce grows, they will need to rely on their talent to understand how to adapt these over time to fit current ambitions and capabilities. When employees feel like they are part of a larger mission and the organization has strong leadership, it will help them understand how to align themselves.