Here's why employee-experience manager is one of the fastest-growing jobs in the US
Jack Lau
- Employee-experience manager was fifth on LinkedIn's list of the fastest-growing jobs in the US.
- The role involves helping employees stay interested and productive in their jobs.
- Insider spoke with Jack Lau, an employee-experience manager in the Bay Area, about what that's like.
Nearly three years after the pandemic yanked many of us from our offices and workplace routines, a new type of professional is on hand to help make sense of all the ways our jobs have changed.
Behold: the employee-experience manager.
The role scarcely existed a decade ago but ranked fifth on LinkedIn's latest list of the 25 fastest-growing jobs.
At a time when employers are grappling with an array of human-resource challenges including an enduring labor shortage, burnout, and low engagement, employee-experience managers are a touch point between the rank-and-file and senior leadership.
On top of responsibilities around tracking and analyzing workflows and assisting with HR tasks like recruiting, hiring, and performance reviews, they are culture carriers for the organization.
"My job is to create a great experience and community for our people," said Jack Lau, an employee-experience manager at Gearbox Publishing SF, an 80-person division of the video-game-development company Gearbox Software. "And that's from the moment they're looking for a job with us to the day they leave."
LinkedIn suggests employee-experience managers command an average salary of $55,000 to $125,000, depending on the company and industry. The job typically requires three to five years of experience, and many people in it have transitioned from roles like office manager or human-resources business partner.
To get a better understanding of the role and how to get a job as an employee-experience manager, Insider spoke with Lau, 38, via phone from his office in San Francisco.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
How did you get your start at Gearbox?
The job evolved. I started five years ago as an office manager doing all the things office managers do. I ordered supplies and company lunches, took care of shipping and receiving, and booked travel and planned events. I knew everyone at the company and had a lot of institutional knowledge.
When the pandemic hit, everybody started working from home — except for me. I was in the office five days a week to check the mail and make sure our servers were up and running. Being there by myself, I thought about my colleagues and what we were all going through. I began to think more about how I could help the company adapt to allow people to feel connected to something.
What did you come up with?
To bring everyone together, I had to put my whole self out there. So I started creating content like an influencer. Every morning I put up a new TikTok video on our company's Slack channel.
At first they were silly: dances and trending sound effects. Then I realized I could give company updates: let people know about open enrollment, announce a charity initiative, or introduce new hires. People liked it, so I did more, including a virtual employee talent show where people showed short videos of skits or karaoke. We had 100% participation.
Is that when you became an employee-experience manager?
Not exactly. During this time, I was also taking initiative in my career. I took courses online in facilities management and budgeting. I also got an associate professional HR certificate. That helped me grab responsibilities here and there.
Then, about a year and a half ago, a few HR people left and there was a business need for me to take on more. With my reputation and body of work, I raised my hand, and my director said go for it.
What's your day-to-day like?
Our employee experience before the pandemic was centered around an in-office environment. Now 90% of our people work remotely, so everything has to be different.
I recently created a culture guide for our employees. It includes our mission statement, company values, and sections on how to get things done here. It's your basic 411 that sets you up for success.
I've also ended up owning a lot of our recruitment and onboarding.
How does onboarding work now?
It's a 90-day process and involves a mix of in-person and remote activities, depending on where the person lives. I try to make it fun. I don't want to bombard people — I want to hold their hand and show them how to be a good citizen here. Once you do that, they stick around.
We've retained 95% of the people we hired during the pandemic because we've fostered connections. That's something I'm proud of.
How's the current economic uncertainty affecting your role?
We're in the Bay Area, and so the news from Meta and Google affects us. Mainly it's a distraction.
Luckily, our leadership was disciplined and didn't overhire in the pandemic. We're investing in the future and looking to increase headcount this year.
What else do you do to ensure a positive employee experience?
Not everybody works the way we used to. That's been eye-opening to our leadership. Some people are introverts; they're happy to be left alone to do their work. Other people are social butterflies who thrive off interaction. So I'm trying to help make sure all our employees get what they need.
It's often about making really small efforts, but over time the consistency matters. Sometimes it's a 15-minute phone call. Asking "how are you doing?" I'm giving people an opportunity to get things off their chest. What I've learned is that when you listen to people and pay close attention, they'll tell you what they want.