4 lessons from ING for a successful Employee Experience (podcast)

The road to lasting change can be bumpy, especially in large or complex organizations. It requires vision and patience, but also the courage to start small. “Success on a small scale is an infectious way to get people involved,” says Sander de Bruijn, who, as Head of Global Employee Experience (EX) at ING Group, achieved exactly that.

A strategic look into the ‘change kitchen’ of a financial giant – who wouldn’t want that? In Mixit’s 30% Club podcast, the EX expert shares his experiences and lessons from 6 years at ING. What makes a healthy change culture possible at the global player with almost 60,000 employees?

Listen to the Podcast now or read the 4 lessons from ING.

People are central

Sander first of all does not approach change as a project, with a head and an end, but as a constant process. From measuring, knowing and improving, where not technology, but the employee is central to finding a suitable solution.

Sounds logical, but in practice things often work differently. Sander: “It is said: you first make sure that the project is live. And then you see how people experience that.” Perhaps the reason that only 30% of digital transformations succeed?

Only by involving employees in the core of the change can you quickly and smoothly offer solutions that really benefit them. By recognizing this you are taking an important first step.

ING also knows how to combine both speed and involvement, by using design thinking, agile and other methods. Sander advises:

1. Dream big, start small
Small-scale pilots with clear results often form the springboard (or “trojan horse”) to large-scale implementations. “I have experienced this a number of times now: that we had tackled something relatively small with relatively little money, which was ultimately implemented worldwide,” said the keynote speaker of the recent Employee Experience Event.
2. Use data as a compass
You always want your initiatives to be well substantiated. Sander: “Data not only helps us to identify problems, but also to understand which solutions really work.” For example, the use of data at ING contributed to identifying and solving a major internal frustration. He tells all about it in the podcast conversation with Arjan Nataraj (Mixit).
3. Work multidisciplinary
EX is not just an HR term, but a shared responsibility: from IT to Facilities and from Communication to the Board of Directors. So involve your entire organization in the change. According to Sander, this multidisciplinary perspective ensures that the entire working environment is in line with the needs of employees.
4. Iterate, iterate, iterate
As said before: change is continuous. So continue to use feedback and data-driven insights to continue to improve. An iterative mindset also helps your organization to respond effectively to new and changing issues and needs, such as AI.

Curious about these and more change lessons from Sander de Bruijn, who recently left for KennedyFitch? The approximately 30-minute conversation is now available: Listen to the podcast now