Employee experience (EX) metrics help HR leaders take a data-driven approach to understanding how their frontline teams feel, what’s working, and what needs fixing.  But with so many metrics available, choosing the right ones can feel overwhelming—especially for frontline teams spread across multiple locations and shifts.

In this blog, we’ll break down the top five EX metrics you should track, how to measure them, and how to use them to create a workplace employees love. 

What Is Employee Experience (EX)?

Employee experience is the sum of every interaction an employee has with your company - from their first day to their last. This experience stems from factors like how they interact with your processes, tools, and culture.

Why EX Matters for Business Success

Good EX is not only a nice-to-have; it also is a business driver. Here’s why:

• Higher employee engagement -  companies with a a positive employee experience are 16 x more engaged than those with a negative experience. 
• Better employee performance: happy employees do better work
• Increased employee retention: happy employees stick around
• Overall higher customer satisfaction. This is a result of satisfied employees delivering the best service they can.

It’s not hard to do the math on how these rewards cumulatively impact and boost an organization’s profitability. 

The 5 Must-Know Employee Experience Metrics

Despite EX’s importance, 49% of employees say their organization doesn’t deliver on the promised experience. So, how do you find out what’s really happening in your company? Here are the five key metrics you need to know.

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#1 Employee Engagement Score

What it measures: How satisfied, connected, and motivated employees feel at work.

Why it matters: Engaged employees innovate, perform better, and stick around longer.

How to track it:

• Use pulse surveys or quick mobile polls with questions like:
  
  • Does your workload allow for a healthy work-life balance?
  • How often do you work during vacation?
  • How many hours of sleep do you get on workdays?

The answers will indicate about your engagement level.

#2 Retention Rate

What it measures: The proportion of employees that stick around with your company.

Why it matters: Retention rate signifies how happy employees are in staying in your company. According to research, 63.3% of companies find retaining employees harder than hiring them. That is precisely why retaining employees is so important.

How to track it:

Retention Rate = (Number of Voluntary Exits / Number of Hires) × 100

Example: If your company hires 100 employees and 20 leave voluntarily, your retention rate is 80%.

Speakap tip: Track retention before and after new initiatives (e.g., onboarding mentors) to measure their impact.

#3 Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS)

What it measures: Employee satisfaction and whether they’d recommend your company as a great place to work.

Why it matters:  It’s a pretty direct measure of your employee satisfaction. Knowing your eNPS is vital to ensure people stick around and are motivated to offer the best service to your customers. 

How to track it: Ask your employees: “On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend us?”

Based on responses, classify the scores as below:

• Promoters (9-10) = Enthusiastic employees
• Passives (7-8) = Neutral
• Detractors (0-6) = Unhappy employees

Next, use the eNPS formula:

eNPS = % of Promoters – % of Detractors

What it tells you: An eNPS score above 40 is excellent, signifying loyalty and satisfaction. A lower score signals leadership or culture issues that need your attention to turn sceptics into promoters.

#4 Absenteeism Rate

What it measures: How often employees are absent from work.

Why it matters: High absence disrupts smooth workflows and lowers morale at the workplace. For customer-facing staff, high absence gives a negative impression. For you, it’s a sign to dig deeper and discover if there’s burnout or disengagement that’s affecting their experience.

How to track: Record the number of missed workdays over a set period as a proportion of the total workdays. 

[[Image Suggestion: Absenteeism Rate=(Total Number of Days Absent/Total Number of Workdays​)×100

Formula: Absenteeism Rate=(Total Number of Days Absent/Total Number of Workdays​)×100

Example:  If your employees collectively missed 50 days a month with 500 total workdays, your organization’s absenteeism rate would be 10%. 

#5 Employee Turnover Cost

What it measures: The exact financial impact on your organization once employees leave. This includes several costs, from recruitment and onboarding costs to productivity loss costs. 

Why it matters: Employee turnover impacts everyone’s morale and even hits your bottom line. According to research, replacing an employee costs 1.5 to 2x the employee’s annual salary. 

How to track: Multiply the turnover costs by the number of employees and the percentage of annual turnover.

Formula: Employee Turnover Cost = Cost of (Hiring + onboarding + development + unfilled time) x (number of employees) x annual turnover %) ]]

Speakap tip: Share employee turnover costs with leadership. This will help motivate them to prioritize retention and take the appropriate action, such as more competitive pay, career advancement opportunities, etc.

Now that we know tracking these metrics is essential, let's discuss how.

How to Use Metrics to Take Action

Step 1: Identify Trends

Data without context is just noise. So, look for patterns.

Example: If engagement dips after six months, it may mean employees lack growth opportunities or simply do not know about them.

Step 2: Set Measurable Goals

Once you spot a problem, you need to define a clear solution.

Example: If engagement drops after six months, you need to set a specific goal to counter it, such as “increase career opportunity visibility with monthly updates.”

Step 3: Leverage Tools

Tracking these metrics manually? Exhausting.

Simpler alternative: Use employee experience tools (like Speakap’s employee experience platform with workforce analytics) for real-time insights and effortless monitoring.

Are You Listening to What Your Employee Metrics Are Telling You?

Talking about these metrics brings us to the real question: Are you opening Pandora’s box for insights on employee experience and acting on them? From refining your onboarding process to addressing burnout or improving recognition efforts, insights from employee experience metrics can guide you toward creating an environment where people want to stay, grow, and thrive. After all, these metrics reveal what’s working, what’s not, and where your workplace can grow.

Take a moment to ask yourself: Are you using employee experience metrics and to their full potential? The answers are there—if you’re ready to listen and act!

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