Boosting CX through employee engagement: How 5 industry leaders are winning the workforce game

A silent revolution is happening inside some of today’s most successful companies. It’s not about new products or aggressive marketing—it’s about workforce engagement. Many businesses that once viewed employee satisfaction as a secondary concern are now putting it at the center of their CX strategy. Why? Because engaged employees create the kind of seamless, personalized customer experiences that define industry leaders.

With hybrid and remote work becoming the norm, employees expect more autonomy, flexibility, and purpose in their roles. According to a Gallup study, companies with highly engaged employees experience a 10% increase in customer ratings and a 23% increase in profitability. Forward-thinking companies that prioritize workforce engagement see significant improvements in operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and profitability.

Yet many organizations still struggle with outdated workforce management practices—leading to burnout, high turnover, and inconsistent service quality. This is why employee engagement is no longer just an HR initiative—it’s a business strategy with direct implications for customer satisfaction and retention.

Let’s explore how five industry leaders successfully leveraged NICE Workforce Management (WFM) and Employee Engagement Manager (EEM) to enhance their customer experience and drive long-term success.

1. CVS Caremark: Enhancing retention and workforce alignment

As a pharmacy benefit manager with over 6,500 agents, CVS Caremark struggled with misaligned schedules and manual scheduling processes. To address these challenges, the company’s leadership implemented NICE EEM to enable real-time, self-service scheduling for employees. This transition resulted in a 39.9% increase in positive employee sentiment and a 17.9% improvement in scheduling efficiency.

By empowering employees with self-scheduling capabilities, automated shift swaps, and real-time schedule visibility, CVS Caremark reduced the administrative burden on managers while increasing workforce satisfaction. Employees now cite scheduling flexibility as a key reason for staying with the company, contributing to higher retention rates and consistent service delivery.

When employees feel empowered, they are more likely to stay committed to their roles and take ownership of customer interactions. A Harvard Business Review study found that employees who feel in control of their work-life balance are 31% more productive and 59% less likely to experience burnout, making engagement strategies like those employed by CVS Caremark a win-win for both employees and businesses.

2. Lowe’s: Empowering agents with self-service scheduling

Home improvement giant Lowe’s recognized the need to streamline WFM while providing employees with greater control over their schedules. By implementing NICE WFM and EEM, Lowe’s eliminated inefficiencies, processed 434,000 hours of schedule changes in eight months, and saved over $1 million in operational costs.

Through self-service scheduling, voluntary time off (VTO) management, and automated approvals, Lowe’s gave employees greater control over their shifts. This not only improved workforce engagement but also optimized coverage, ensuring the right employees were available at peak customer demand times.

Studies indicate that organizations with engaged employees outperform competitors by 147%. By enabling employees to manage their schedules through NICE’s self-service tools, Lowe’s has created a workforce that is more motivated, engaged, and productive. This approach not only reduced administrative burdens but also improved customer service by ensuring that the right agents are available at the right time.

3. TD Bank: Balancing self-service scheduling and business needs

With 15,000 contact center agents handling 65 lines of business, TD Bank needed a solution that would balance scheduling flexibility with operational efficiency. By optimizing workforce scheduling with NICE WFM and EEM, TD Bank achieved millions of dollars in savings annually, reduced customer wait times by 88 million minutes, and saw an 11% increase in calls handled.

Banks and financial institutions often struggle with rigid workforce structures, making employee engagement a challenge. However, research has shown that providing agents with more scheduling flexibility can increase their willingness to go the extra mile for customers, leading to improved CX metrics and customer loyalty.

A Deloitte report found that 88% of employees believe a positive workplace culture is essential to business success. Through automated shift bidding, dynamic VTO offerings, and real-time workforce adjustments, TD Bank ensured optimal staffing levels while giving employees the flexibility they requested. The self-service features within NICE’s solutions also helped reduce absenteeism and increase employee engagement by aligning workforce availability with personal preferences and business needs.

4. Travel + Leisure Co.: Engaging a remote workforce

With a 98% remote workforce, Travel + Leisure Co. sought to modernize employee engagement to improve workforce retention. By implementing NICE EEM’s mobile-first, self-service scheduling tools, the company achieved an 86% agent adoption rate, exceeding participation targets and stabilizing attrition rates despite a competitive labor market.

For companies with a remote workforce, engagement strategies must focus on digital-first experiences. Remote employees tend to have higher expectations for streamlined technology, and NICE’s cloud-based scheduling platform gave them anywhere real-time access to scheduling adjustments, shift swaps, and overtime requests.

A recent Gallup poll shows that highly engaged teams demonstrate 21% greater profitability. By giving employees the autonomy to manage their schedules, Travel + Leisure Co. strengthened workforce engagement and improved service quality. This shift not only increased productivity but also ensured that customer interactions remain seamless and efficient.

5. PSCU: Automating transactions and reducing absenteeism

As the nation’s largest credit union service organization, PSCU sought to optimize its workforce by automating scheduling and transaction processes. By leveraging AI-powered automation within NICE EEM and WFM, PSCU reduced manual scheduling interventions, optimized labor costs, and ensured real-time shift coverage.

The ability for agents to quickly swap shifts, take voluntary time off, and accept overtime via NICE’s intelligent automation led to higher agent satisfaction and more predictable workforce management. The results have been significant: Over 71,000 transactions are now automated annually, absenteeism has dropped by 75%, and 97% of agents participate in the workforce engagement program.

Automation in WFM allows businesses to enhance operational efficiencies, reduce costs, and improve service consistency. When employees spend less time on administrative tasks, they can focus more on providing excellent customer experiences.

The competitive advantage of employee engagement

Employee engagement is not just an HR initiative, it’s a business strategy that directly impacts customer experience, operational efficiency, and profitability. Companies that prioritize engagement see lower turnover, increased productivity, and improved CX metrics.

By leveraging NICE’s WFM solutions, including Employee Engagement Manager, leading organizations are optimizing their workforces to drive CX success. By empowering employees with flexible scheduling, automation, and digital workforce solutions, organizations can seamlessly create a resilient, motivated workforce that consistently delivers exceptional customer experiences.