In light of decreasing trust in various institutions over the years, the focus on client experience (CX) is growing significantly. In our recent webinar, The Evolution of CX, we shed light on this trend in the context of the staffing industry, with implications that reach far beyond.
Client Experience as the Heart of Decision-Making
The current era reveals an interesting pattern – trust in establishments, from organized religion to business entities and governments, is diminishing. This trend, which Gallup’s 2023 Confidence in Institutions
survey confirms, presents an unparalleled challenge to all sectors, including the staffing industry. To overcome this, companies must meet the challenge of delivering on their promises and fostering client trust.
Evidence-based research adds more weight to this argument. A study by PwC revealed that a whopping 86% of clients choose a professional service firm based on the quality of customer experience. Beyond that, the urgency of response times has escalated, with our most recent staffing industry benchmark study, conducted in partnership with ClearEdge, revealing that 98% of clients expect a response to their call or email within 24 hours, and close to two-thirds expect a response within four hours.
Negative experiences can prompt clients to switch service firms, reducing their likelihood to recommend the brand and impacting the company’s bottom line. A remarkable statistic from Forrester suggests that 67% of clients have switched professional service firms due to poor customer experience. Additionally, about half of clients report having a negative customer experience with a professional service firm in the past year. However, on a positive note, almost 73% of clients are ready and willing to pay more for a better customer experience.
The Evolution of CX: From Insights to Action
In response to these evolving client expectations, the staffing industry has progressively adopted client experience management as a strategic defense against commoditization. This approach demands adaptability, innovation, and preparedness for continuous evolution.
Many firms are expanding their CX programs, emphasizing client, candidate, and employee experiences. Each interaction shapes the client’s overall experience and influences their perception of your brand.
We are currently seeing a transition from mere measurement of CX to action based on insights. Simultaneously, the practice of feedback collection is evolving from a static calendar-based operation to a more dynamic, journey-based approach.
Looking ahead, CX is poised to move towards a customer health program, where anticipating customer’s needs is as important as receiving their feedback. The aim is to track customer sentiment in real time, requiring adjustments in approach and a client-centric business model.
Conclusion
This shift towards a comprehensive and anticipatory customer experience approach could be the solution to reestablishing trust, ensuring business success, and most importantly, creating improved experiences for everyone. The future of the staffing industry rests on the continuous optimization of stakeholder (client, candidate and internal employee) experiences.
*Watch a quick 30-minute webinar “The Evolution of CX: What’s Now and What’s Next”, presented by Eric Gregg, ClearlyRated CEO & Founder.
