# How these leading enterprises turn EX into strategic value November 20, 2025 [Jay Lupas](https://www.unily.com/authors/jay-lupas) Value Advisory Manager - [Employee Experience](https://www.unily.com/resources/employee-experience) At Unite 25, one message came through loud and clear: employee experience (EX) is no longer a “nice-to-have”. It’s a strategic lever for resilience, efficiency, and transformation success. For the C-suite, investing in EX isn’t about perks or engagement scores; it’s about reducing risk, accelerating adoption, and improving operational performance. The stakes are high: - [Gallup](https://makeadifference.media/reports/gallup-state-of-the-global-workplace-2025/) estimates disengagement costs the global economy $8.8 trillion annually, while highly engaged teams deliver 18% higher productivity and 81% lower absenteeism. - [IBM](https://www.ibm.com/think/insights/designing-engaging-employee-experiences-change-management) research shows organizations that prioritize EX are significantly more likely to achieve transformation goals and innovation targets. - [McKinsey](https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/three-new-mandates-for-capturing-a-digital-transformations-full-value) reports that fewer than 30% of digital transformations succeed, and most capture less than one-third of expected value—often due to lack of employee engagement. ## British Airways: EX as an operational resilience tool When a major power outage hit Heathrow, British Airways faced a high-stakes challenge: grounded flights, frustrated customers, and thousands of employees needing answers – fast. BA also anchored its [internal comms](https://www.unily.com/resources/internal-communications) strategy around a unifying narrative (“Our Star”), aligning 90% of its workforce behind shared goals. Their [digital workplace](https://www.unily.com/resources/digital-workplace) has become the single source of truth, delivering real-time updates, FAQs, and frontline guidance across multiple channels. ### Lesson for leaders Operational resilience isn’t just about systems; it’s about people. A well-governed EX platform ensures employees have the right information at the right time, reducing downtime and reputational risk. ### Action Build crisis communication workflows into your [EX strategy](https://www.unily.com/resources/guides/employee-experience-best-practice-strategy). Test them. Make sure your intranet can pivot from ‘business as usual’ to ‘command center’ in minutes. ## Estée Lauder Companies: Governance as a growth enabler Estée Lauder Companies runs a distributed publishing model, enabling “freedom within the framework” for 150+ content owners across 30,000 employees. Without governance, that could mean chaos. Instead, they’ve built a framework that includes naming conventions, content lifecycle reviews, and clear roles tied to performance goals. The result? Faster publishing, brand consistency, and compliance confidence. ### Lesson for leaders Governance isn’t bureaucracy – it’s a productivity multiplier. It reduces rework, accelerates time-to-market for campaigns, and ensures compliance. ### Action Define governance early. Document processes, align roles to PDPs, and leverage automation (like content review cycles) to keep information fresh and accurate. ## Johnson & Johnson: Personalization drives adoption J&J’s ‘Home’ platform serves 150,000+ employees with [AI-powered search](https://www.unily.com/features/ai-powered-intranet), personalized dashboards, and integrated task views. As a result, colleagues get the news and tasks that are most relevant to them – and can take faster action. J&J have seen CSAT scores jump by 10 points, and adoption of enterprise tools has accelerated. These are both critical parts of realizing ROI on tech investments. ### Lesson for leaders Personalization isn’t a nice-to-have – it’s how you get ROI from digital transformation. Employees adopt tools faster when experiences feel relevant. ### Action Use audience segmentation and AI-driven recommendations to tailor content and tasks. Measure adoption and iterate constantly. ## Optimum: Using the employee voice as a transformation catalyst Optimum’s ‘Make Ideas Happen’ program invited 10,000 employees to co-create solutions during a major transformation. Backed by leadership training in psychological safety, it boosted engagement and surfaced actionable ideas that improved customer experience and operational efficiency. ### Lesson for leaders Transformation fails without employee buy-in. Giving employees a voice accelerates cultural alignment and reduces resistance. ### Action Pair ideation programs with leadership sponsorship and enablement, to create a safe space for innovation at all levels of the business. ## The bottom line Unite 2025 proved that EX is very much a boardroom conversation. From cost avoidance through lower attrition, risk mitigation through better compliance, or operational efficiency through productivity gains and reduced rework – the gains are measurable. The question isn’t whether you can afford to prioritize EX – it’s whether you can afford not to.