{"id":18425,"date":"2026-09-09T10:18:04","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T09:18:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/?p=18425"},"modified":"2026-09-09T16:26:52","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T15:26:52","slug":"what-is-employee-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/what-is-employee-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"What is employee experience and why is HR struggling to deliver it?"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--standard entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--standard\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/category\/people-leadership\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">People &amp; Leadership<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWhat is employee experience and why is HR struggling to deliver it?\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tDiscover the biggest barriers to improving employee experience and practical steps to create more time for people-focused work.\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \">Published <time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-09-09T10:18:04+01:00\">9 September, 2026<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"What is employee experience and why is HR struggling to deliver it?\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/what-is-employee-experience\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/author\/charliebraithwaite\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/06\/Charlie-Braithwaite-Profile-Image-600x600-1-350x350.png\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Charlie Braithwaite\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/06\/Charlie-Braithwaite-Profile-Image-600x600-1-350x350.png 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/06\/Charlie-Braithwaite-Profile-Image-600x600-1.png 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Charlie Braithwaite<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/employee-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u>Employee experience<\/u><\/a> isn\u2019t a perk or a programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s what work feels like for your people, day after day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HR teams know how much the employee experience matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The problem for many HR teams is finding enough time to shape it when admin and process work take up so much of the week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sage\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/human-resources\/resources\/hr-trends\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em><u>HR and Payroll Leaders\u2019 Report<\/u><\/em><\/a>, based on research with 1,000 HR and people professionals across the UK, Ireland, and South Africa, shows the scale of the challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">60% of HR leaders spend 10 or more hours a week on administration and paperwork, compared with just 29% who spend that long supporting employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What\u2019s more, 89% say they face challenges with resource and capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite these challenges, HR is still making time for culture: 67% already spend significant time creating an inclusive, engaging workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, what\u2019s in short supply is the capacity to do more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The good news is that some of that time can be reclaimed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And you don\u2019t need to overhaul your entire HR function to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this article, you\u2019ll learn what employee experience is, why it matters to business performance, what\u2019s getting in the way, and how to build a practical plan for improving it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-sage-container is-constrained\"><div class=\"sage-container__inner\">\n<h3 id=\"h-key-takeaways\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key takeaways<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Employee experience is a business capability, not a perk: <\/strong>it covers everything a person encounters at work, from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/employee-onboarding-process\/\"><u>on<\/u><\/a><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/employee-onboarding-process\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">b<\/a><\/u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/employee-onboarding-process\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u>oarding<\/u><\/a> and pay accuracy to how their manager supports them day to day.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Culture is already high on HR\u2019s agenda: <\/strong>67% of HR leaders already spend significant time on culture and inclusion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Capacity is the real constraint: <\/strong>89% face challenges with resource and capacity, and 77% spend a lot of time maintaining records, contracts, and policies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Admin takes a disproportionate share of HR\u2019s time: <\/strong>61% of HR leaders spend 10 or more hours a week on admin and paperwork, while 30% spend that long supporting employees.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Technology frees time for people: <\/strong>among businesses using modern HR technology, 82% say it reduces admin and frees time for strategic work while 77% say it significantly improves employee experience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Here\u2019s what we\u2019ll cover:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><ul><li><a href=\"#h-what-is-employee-experience\" data-level=\"2\">What is employee experience?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-why-employee-experience-matters-to-your-business\" data-level=\"2\">Why employee experience matters to your business?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-why-hr-is-struggling-to-deliver-a-better-employee-experience\" data-level=\"2\">Why HR is struggling to deliver a better employee experience<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-how-to-improve-employee-experience\" data-level=\"2\">How to improve employee experience<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-how-the-right-systems-give-you-time-back\" data-level=\"2\">How the right systems give you time back<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-turn-insight-into-action\" data-level=\"2\">Turn insight into action<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-frequently-asked-questions-about-the-employee-experience\" data-level=\"2\">Frequently asked questions about the employee experience<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-what-is-employee-experience\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is employee experience?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employee experience is everything a person encounters throughout their time working for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It starts during the recruitment process, before they\u2019re even technically an employee, and continues through the day-to-day experience of working for your organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How they\u2019re onboarded, whether their pay arrives correctly, how easily they can book leave, and how their manager responds when they raise a problem all contribute to that experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In turn, their experience shapes their engagement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If people feel valued and able to do their jobs without unnecessary friction, they\u2019re more likely to feel engaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those everyday operational moments matter more than you might think. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">88% of HR leaders say accurate and timely payroll processes are critical to employee satisfaction and trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A payslip with an error, or a form that takes 4 emails to process, can affect how someone feels about working for you just as much as a wellbeing programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s why employee experience can\u2019t be separated from HR\u2019s day-to-day work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HR touches almost every stage of the employee journey, giving it a major influence over how your culture feels in practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Infographic: Employee experience and culture<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Looking to improve employee experience but struggling with limited time and resources? Discover the biggest challenges facing HR teams and practical ways to free up more time for people.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-0786a6f9-a343-4a44-aa9c-1bb9d13574cb\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download the Employee Experience and Culture infographic<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/09\/HPF_Static_Danielle_Option1-Final-1440x720-1.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"A woman stands in front of the Sage glowline in front of a black background.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/09\/HPF_Static_Danielle_Option1-Final-1440x720-1.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-why-employee-experience-matters-to-your-business\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why employee experience matters to your business?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/human-resources\/resources\/hr-trends\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em><u>HR and Payroll Leaders\u2019 Report<\/u><\/em><\/a><em> <\/em>puts it plainly: when people thrive, business thrives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employee experience affects much more than how people feel about coming to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It can influence some of the issues HR and business leaders are already trying to solve:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Retention: <\/strong>66% of HR leaders say attracting and retaining people with critical skills is a current challenge. Given the current <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/what-is-the-organisational-skills-gap\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u>organisational skills gap<\/u><\/a>, creating an experience that gives good people reasons to stay has become even more important.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Wellbeing: <\/strong>65% cite low morale, burnout, or employee wellbeing issues as a current challenge. A great employee experience can help you address the conditions that contribute to those problems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Trust and satisfaction: <\/strong>88% say accurate and timely payroll processes are a critical driver of employee satisfaction and trust. Employee experience isn\u2019t just about culture initiatives. Basic processes matter too.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Business value: <\/strong>87% agree that when HR and payroll work well together, it creates measurable value for the business.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employee experience has a clear business impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The challenge for HR is translating that impact into terms leadership recognises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-why-hr-is-struggling-to-deliver-a-better-employee-experience\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why HR is struggling to deliver a better employee experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For many Irish HR leaders, the challenge goes beyond workload alone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">62% say ensuring payroll processes are accurate, compliant and efficient has become more important than it was in the past, reflecting the increasingly strategic role HR and payroll play in employee experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">77% of HR leaders spend a lot of time maintaining accurate records, contracts, and policies, while 75% say the same about compliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And 89% face challenges with resource and capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That pressure is clear when you look at how HR spends its week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">69% of HR leaders spend 10 or more hours a week on processes, while 61% spend that long on administration and paperwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just 30% spend 10 or more hours supporting employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ask where they\u2019d like<em> <\/em>to spend their time and the picture changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">58% would like to spend 10 or more hours a week on strategy, 50% on technology and AI, and 37% supporting employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By comparison, just 31% want to spend that much time on processes and 24% on admin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pattern is clear: HR leaders want to shift more of their time away from process and admin work and towards strategy, technology, and people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That matters for employee experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When operational work consumes so much capacity, there\u2019s less room for the work that directly shapes it, from stronger onboarding to meaningful check-ins and spotting signs of disengagement early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pressure affects HR teams too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HR workload challenges are now the norm, according to our research: 71% say their workload has increased compared with last year, while 52% feel a sense of burnout in their current role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p><em>\u201c I would automate routine HR tasks, thereby creating more time for strategic and human activities.<\/em><\/p><cite>HR director, technology sector, Ireland<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Infographic: Employee experience and culture<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Looking to improve employee experience but struggling with limited time and resources? Discover the biggest challenges facing HR teams and practical ways to free up more time for people.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-0786a6f9-a343-4a44-aa9c-1bb9d13574cb\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download the Employee Experience and Culture infographic<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/09\/HPF_Static_Danielle_Option1-Final-1440x720-1.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"A woman stands in front of the Sage glowline in front of a black background.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/09\/HPF_Static_Danielle_Option1-Final-1440x720-1.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-how-to-improve-employee-experience\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to improve employee experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first step in any successful employee experience strategy is freeing up more time to focus on your people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-1-nbsp-automate-repetitive-admin\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a><\/a>1.&nbsp; Automate repetitive admin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Start by checking what your existing tools can already do before you think about buying something new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Features such as email filters, saved templates, automated reporting, and workflow automation can all reduce repetitive manual work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What\u2019s more, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/what-is-hr-automation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u>HR automation<\/u><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/what-is-ai-in-hr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u>AI in HR tools<\/u><\/a> can also help speed up the process of completing routine tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pick one recurring task to start with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Look for work that follows the same steps each time, such as routine data entry, reporting, or simple employee requests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Automating even one process can begin to free up more time for people-focused work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"h-practical-actions\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Practical actions:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>List the 5 repetitive tasks that take up most of your time each month.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check which ones your existing systems can automate or simplify.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose 1 to automate this month and track how much time you save.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-2-nbsp-streamline-routine-processes\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a><\/a>2.&nbsp; Streamline routine processes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not everything needs to be automated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some routine work can be handled more efficiently, or even delegated to someone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tasks such as scheduling or answering basic policy questions don\u2019t always need senior HR involvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Where appropriate, redistribute them across the team so experienced HR staff have more time for work that needs their judgement, such as coaching or conflict resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It also helps to protect dedicated time for admin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rather than switching constantly between paperwork and people-focused work, batch routine tasks into set blocks during the week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"h-practical-actions-0\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Practical actions:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Set specific times for routine admin rather than handling it throughout the day.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>List routine tasks that don\u2019t need senior HR involvement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Give employees and managers self-service options for simple HR requests.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-3-nbsp-build-manager-capability\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a><\/a>3.&nbsp; Build manager capability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employees experience much of working life through their manager, so managers have a big influence on how work feels day to day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HR can help by giving them practical tools they can actually use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That might mean a simple structure for 1-to-1s, clear guidance on when to raise a wellbeing concern, or enough policy knowledge to answer common questions without sending everything back to HR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This supports employees and takes pressure off your team at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Managers can deal with more day-to-day issues themselves, while HR has more time to focus on work that needs specialist input.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Learning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/how-to-choose-managers-get-the-most\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">how to choose managers<\/a> who can get the most from their teams is essential for improving employee experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"h-practical-actions-1\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Practical actions:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Give managers a simple template for regular 1-to-1 conversations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Build 1 wellbeing check-in into the monthly management rhythm.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create a short FAQ for the policy questions managers hear most often.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-4-nbsp-make-engagement-part-of-the-routine\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a><\/a>4.&nbsp; Make engagement part of the routine<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employee experience improves through consistent action, not occasional initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The aim is to build regular opportunities to listen to employees, recognise good work, and respond to concerns into the way you already operate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That doesn\u2019t need to mean another major programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keep feedback simple enough to collect and act on regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A short quarterly pulse survey, for example, can help you spot changes between larger <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/employee-engagement-key-boosting-retention\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">employee engagement<\/a> and culture surveys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Using the right employee engagement survey questions will help you gather actionable insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"h-practical-actions-2\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Practical actions:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Run a short quarterly pulse survey between larger engagement surveys.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Share what you\u2019ve changed in response to employee feedback.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use existing team meetings to recognise employee contributions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Infographic: Employee experience and culture<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Looking to improve employee experience but struggling with limited time and resources? Discover the biggest challenges facing HR teams and practical ways to free up more time for people.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-0786a6f9-a343-4a44-aa9c-1bb9d13574cb\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download the Employee Experience and Culture infographic<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/09\/HPF_Static_Danielle_Option1-Final-1440x720-1.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"A woman stands in front of the Sage glowline in front of a black background.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/09\/HPF_Static_Danielle_Option1-Final-1440x720-1.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-how-the-right-systems-give-you-time-back\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How the right systems give you time back<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Changing how you work can free up some capacity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the systems behind your HR processes matter too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">86% of HR leaders say investment in modern HR technology would have a significant impact on tackling their challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And among businesses that have already invested, 82% say their technology reduces admin and frees time for strategic work, while 77% say it significantly improves the employee experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Connecting HR and payroll can help further by reducing the manual work involved in moving information between processes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That matters when HR teams are already stretched for time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The goal isn\u2019t simply to automate more. It\u2019s to spend less time on repetitive work and more time on the people and priorities that need your attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-turn-insight-into-action\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Turn insight into action<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Improving employee experience starts with finding the hours to work on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Audit 1 week of your time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Track what you actually do, then sort each activity into strategic, operational, and administrative work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Soon, it will be pretty clear where you spend most of your time, and what you should take off your list moving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To make lasting improvements, you\u2019ll need to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/build-hr-strategy-from-business-strategy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">build HR strategy from business strategy<\/a> and understand how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/create-hr-strategy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">create an HR strategy<\/a> that supports your goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-want-to-find-out-more\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Want to find out more?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Download the <a href=\"#gate-0786a6f9-a343-4a44-aa9c-1bb9d13574cb\">employee experience infographic<\/a> for a practical guide you can share with your team.<\/p>\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-sage-faq\">\n\t\n<h2 id=\"h-frequently-asked-questions-about-the-employee-experience\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions about the employee experience<\/h2>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"faq-items\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-sage-faq-item\" id=\"faq-item-f8dc9242\">\n\t<div class=\"faq-item-question\">\n\t\t\n<h3 id=\"h-what-is-employee-experience-0\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is employee experience?<\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"faq-item-answer\">\n\t\t\t\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employee experience covers everything a person encounters throughout their relationship with your organisation, from:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>recruitment and onboarding to payroll,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>manager interactions,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>development,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>and day-to-day HR processes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These experiences shape how people feel about working for you.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-sage-faq-item\" id=\"faq-item-03e5940b\">\n\t<div class=\"faq-item-question\">\n\t\t\n<h3 id=\"h-what-is-the-difference-between-employee-experience-and-employee-engagement\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the difference between employee experience and employee engagement?<\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"faq-item-answer\">\n\t\t\t\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employee experience is what happens to people at work.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employee engagement describes how connected, motivated, and committed they feel as a result.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Improving everyday experiences can therefore help create the conditions for stronger engagement.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-sage-faq-item\" id=\"faq-item-1a48d47e\">\n\t<div class=\"faq-item-question\">\n\t\t\n<h3 id=\"h-why-is-employee-experience-important\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is employee experience important?<\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"faq-item-answer\">\n\t\t\t\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employee experience matters because it shapes how people feel about working for your organisation and can influence:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>retention,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>wellbeing,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>trust,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>and engagement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When employees have a better day-to-day experience, they\u2019re more likely to feel valued and supported.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-sage-faq-item\" id=\"faq-item-84c53a5b\">\n\t<div class=\"faq-item-question\">\n\t\t\n<h3 id=\"h-how-can-hr-improve-the-employee-experience\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How can HR improve the employee experience?<\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"faq-item-answer\">\n\t\t\t\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Start by freeing up more time for people-focused work.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Look for repetitive admin you can automate, streamline routine processes, give managers practical support, and create regular opportunities to gather and act on employee feedback.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Consider developing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/create-human-centric-employee-value-proposition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">human-centric employee value proposition<\/a> to strengthen your approach.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-sage-faq-item\" id=\"faq-item-11875a83\">\n\t<div class=\"faq-item-question\">\n\t\t\n<h3 id=\"h-how-can-hr-technology-improve-employee-experience\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How can HR technology improve employee experience?<\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"faq-item-answer\">\n\t\t\t\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">HR technology can reduce repetitive admin and give HR teams more time for higher-value work.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among businesses in Sage\u2019s research that have invested in modern HR systems:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>82% say the technology reduces admin and frees time for strategic work,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>while 77% say it significantly improves employee experience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Understanding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/hr-strategies-future-of-work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">HR strategies for the future of work<\/a> can help you make the most of these investments.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Join 1.5 million subscribers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-53abbdcc-410c-4c8c-bf97-ca5c6982eebd\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"999\" height=\"666\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/04\/z.5E3A0481_All-Uses.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/04\/z.5E3A0481_All-Uses.jpg 999w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/tag\/employee-engagement\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEmployee engagement\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/tag\/employee-retention\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEmployee retention\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/tag\/hr-process\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHR processes\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/tag\/hr-processes-medium-businesses\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHR processes for medium businesses\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/tag\/leading-people\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tleading people\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/tag\/looking-after-your-employees\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLooking after your employees\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/tag\/managing-people\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmanaging people\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-18383 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership category-trends-insights tag-career-development tag-employee-retention tag-hr-process tag-hr-processes-medium-businesses tag-looking-after-your-employees tag-payroll tag-state-of-small-business business_type-small-business business_type-medium-sized-business card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-1200x810.jpeg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"A woman looks to camera with the Sage glow line in the background.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-684x384.jpeg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-768x518.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-1200x810.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-07-28T13:01:10+01:00\">28 July, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">12 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/what-is-the-organisational-skills-gap\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWhat is the organisational skills gap and how can businesses close it?\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tDiscover how to identify and close the organisational skills gap. Learn practical strategies for workforce planning, skills development, internal mobility, and skills-based hiring.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-18286 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-people-leadership tag-business-costs tag-business-management tag-grow-business tag-recruit tag-hr-process tag-looking-after-your-employees tag-payroll business_type-small-business business_type-medium-sized-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/minimum-wage-ireland\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-1035512574-1-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-1035512574-1-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-1035512574-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-1035512574-1-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-07-09T15:55:14+01:00\">9 July, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">8 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tMinimum wage Ireland 2026: the real impact on your margins\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-18036 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership category-trends-insights tag-employee-benefits tag-employee-engagement tag-looking-after-your-employees tag-payroll tag-small-business-saturday tag-state-of-small-business business_type-small-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/payroll-compliance-in-ireland-for-small-businesses\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/08\/GettyImages-1272758830-1440x810-1-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Colleagues around a table\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/08\/GettyImages-1272758830-1440x810-1-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/08\/GettyImages-1272758830-1440x810-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/08\/GettyImages-1272758830-1440x810-1.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-06-29T12:10:42+01:00\">29 June, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">6 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tPayroll compliance in Ireland: your 2026 checklist for small businesses\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-17991 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership category-trends-insights tag-ai tag-automation tag-business-intelligence tag-hr-process tag-hr-processes-medium-businesses business_type-small-business business_type-medium-sized-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/what-is-ai-in-hr\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/06\/Ai-in-HR-infographic-image-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"A woman stands in front of the Sage glowline in front of a black background.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/06\/Ai-in-HR-infographic-image-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/06\/Ai-in-HR-infographic-image-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/06\/Ai-in-HR-infographic-image-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-06-19T16:33:22+01:00\">19 June, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">10 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tWhat is AI in HR and how can you use it responsibly?\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-7884 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-hr-process tag-payroll business_type-small-business business_type-medium-sized-business business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/statutory-sick-pay-irish-employers-need-to-know\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1178687924-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1178687924-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1178687924-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1178687924-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-06-04T12:36:54+01:00\">4 June, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">9 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tStatutory sick pay: What Irish employers need to know and do\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover the biggest barriers to improving employee experience and practical steps to create more time for people-focused work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1926,"featured_media":18430,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_page_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_article_type":"","_sage_video":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"[{\"keyword\":\"what is employee experience\",\"score\":81},{\"keyword\":\"improve employee experience\",\"score\":81},{\"keyword\":\"employee engagement and culture\",\"score\":61},{\"keyword\":\"employee 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Braithwaite","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/09\/HPF_Static_Danielle_Option1-Final-1440x720-1.jpg","imagine_tags":{"325":"Employee engagement","204":"HR and Payroll","327":"HR processes","205":"HR software","328":"Top HR resources"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice Ireland","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18425","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1926"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18425"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18425\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18453,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18425\/revisions\/18453"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/18430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18425"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=18425"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=18425"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=18425"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=18425"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=18425"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=18425"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=18425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}