Start small, listen, and learn: HashiCorp's Emily Day on EX success

Emily Day, Head of Workplace Experience at HashiCorp, wrote an incredible article on shifting the EX approach from ‘afterthought’ to ‘boutique’ and provided a framework for reviewing key moments for employees. Her fresh perspective made us want to know more about Emily’s view on EX and the impact of her work at HashiCorp, which is a remote-first organization with over 1,100 employees. 

Emily’s perspective on workplace goes beyond a physical location. It's about creating a "sense of place" for all employees, regardless of where they work – be it a home office, corporate headquarters, or a local workspace. Delivering a cohesive and holistic employee experience is paramount. 

By prioritizing the development of a sense of belonging that transcends physical boundaries, organizations can cultivate an environment where employees feel valued, engaged, and part of a unified culture. This approach not only enhances the overall employee experience but also contributes to increased productivity, job satisfaction, and organizational success.

Prioritizing employee well-being 

Fostering a positive employee experience hinges on prioritizing employee well-being. At HashiCorp, the notion of employee experience revolves around how an employee "feels" at the end of the day, based on the interactions they encounter throughout their workday. These interactions span communication with colleagues, virtual exchanges via email or messaging platforms, and their overall engagement with the company itself.

The question Emily asks is:

“Are they ‘feeling’ supported and connected?”

Mapping these engagement points and reviewing how they might be improved to generate a better feeling was highlighted in Emily’s LinkedIn article:

By prioritizing employee well-being through thoughtful interactions and empowering tools, companies can foster a sense of support and connection among their employees. This, in turn, contributes to a positive and fulfilling employee experience, which is crucial for driving overall business success and retaining top talent.

Measuring the intangible

Quantifying the employee experience (EX) is a complex endeavor. While data can provide valuable insights, the intangible and subjective nature of EX poses significant challenges in measurement. Emily Day acknowledges that data hasn't previously played a significant role in designing HashiCorp's EX strategies, as employee experience is an inherently subjective concept.

However, certain data points can offer glimpses into the overall EX landscape. Annual engagement scores, ongoing feedback mechanisms, and tool usage metrics can provide indicators of employee satisfaction and engagement levels. 

While data offers a quantitative perspective, Emily emphasizes the importance of having trusted, people-minded individuals within the organization. A deep understanding of human behavior and organizational dynamics is essential to ensure the business doesn't lose sight of the human element amidst data-driven decision-making.

Striking the right balance between data-driven insights and human-centric approaches is crucial for designing and refining effective EX strategies. Numerical metrics alone cannot fully capture the nuances of employee experiences. 

EX success through engagement

At HashiCorp, the approach to measuring success is to focus on how employees are showing up and engaging within the company. Monitoring engagement levels, actively seeking feedback, and having open dialogue with employees is crucial in this process. However, Emily acknowledges that more work is needed to establish a comprehensive framework for evaluating the impact of their EX initiatives. 

Ultimately, the goal is to create an environment where employees feel supported, connected, and like they belong, regardless of their physical location. HashiCorp is committed to continuously refining its approach, listening to employee feedback, and adapting to continue to deliver great EX for all.

Key technologies enabling HashiCorp's EX

As a remote-first company, HashiCorp relies heavily on collaboration tools like Slack to serve as their virtual headquarters, fostering real-time communication and connection among their distributed teams. To further strengthen the sense of community and belonging, HashiCorp is rolling out Desana company wide to:

“encourage meeting up monthly on a specific day”

Complementing these efforts is Epoch, a comprehensive event management platform that provides a holistic view of all company happenings and helps promote employee engagement. 

For Emily, any technology that makes an “employee more productive, comfortable, and/or connected in their work day” is important to the EX strategy. 

AI and EX in 2025

The rapid advancement of AI is poised to disrupt and transform nearly every industry by 2025, and employee experience EX strategies are no exception. Emily acknowledges the inevitable impact stating, 

"AI is going to make meaningful changes to pretty much everything in 2025."

HashiCorp is currently adopting a "listen and learn" approach into applying AI to their EX strategy. Like many organizations, the company aims to continually explore the possibilities of AI, as their resources allow, and test the waters when opportunities arise.

The potential applications of AI in enhancing EX are vast. AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants could streamline employee support and provide personalized guidance. Machine learning algorithms could analyze employee data and sentiment to identify areas for improvement and tailor experiences accordingly. But, like with any technology, AI integration must be approached mindfully.

There are already reports that AI use is negatively impacting employees and actually leading to burn out:

So whilst AI will present opportunities, the “listen and learn” approach adopted by HashiCorp is an incredibly diligent way to move forwards. 

Putting people first

When it comes to enhancing employee experience, Emily’s advice is to "start small." Even without substantial resources or funding for new initiatives, organizations can make significant strides by refining existing programs and projects. Rather than searching for a new initiative Emily reminds us that:

“Enhancing what you have can make a big difference to the employee experience”

Instead of impersonal, unpolished experiences, strive to infuse personal touches that resonate with your workforce. Put yourself in their shoes and critically examine the look, feel, and delivery of current offerings. Small tweaks, such as personalized messaging, thoughtful design, or streamlined processes, can elevate the overall experience.

This people-first approach extends beyond surface-level improvements. It involves cultivating a deep understanding of human behavior, organizational dynamics, and the unique needs of your employees. By listening actively, gathering feedback, and fostering an environment of empathy and connection, companies can ensure their strategies remain grounded in the fundamental principles of positive employee experience.

‍