Too many businesses continue to ignore how crucial their workforce is to the experiences of their customers and their bottom line. (Photo: Shutterstock)

The link between employee experience (EX) and customer experience (CX) can no longer be denied. According to a Gallup study on how employee engagement drives growth, companies with highly engaged employees outperform their competitors by 147 percent and companies in the top quartile of employee engagement experience 10 percent higher customer ratings. For companies wanting to improve the experience of their customers and grow their business, they must look at employee morale and engagement.

Unfortunately, not all businesses are ready to make EX a priority. In fact, while nearly 80 percent of executives rate employee experience as important, only 22 percent think their own companies have successfully built a differentiated employee experience. As a result, many businesses continue to ignore how crucial their workforce is to the experiences of their customers and their bottom line.

Case in point: reports show that 85 percent of employees are not engaged or are actively disengaged at work, amounting to an economic deficit of approximately $7 trillion in lost productivity.