S2: Ep 9 | Putting people first with Christiaan Lustig

David Bowman and Jarbas Horst from Fresh Intranet sit down with Christiaan Lustig, intranet and digital workplace consultant and author, to explore what digital employee experience really means. Christiaan explains why his definition puts employee needs first, arguing that great digital employee experience is the sum total of all digital interactions where the needs and expectations of employees come first. The conversation covers how intranets serve as horizontal platforms that bridge organizational silos, the importance of talking directly to employees before implementing new tools, and why resistance to digital tools often signals the wrong tool or wrong implementation approach. Christiaan shares practical advice on using personas to make employee insights tangible and discusses how AI will change digital workplace interactions through conversational interfaces while exposing poor content management practices. Key topics covered: [00:00] Intro [01:29] Writing a book on digital employee experience [04:04] Defining digital employee experience beyond technology [05:15] Business benefits of employee-focused design [08:43] Organizations actively pursuing DEX improvements [12:28] Internet's role as horizontal platform [16:07] Organization size boundaries for DEX [17:56] Formal recognition of digital employee experience [21:45] Integration strategies based on employee journeys [25:06] Handling resistance to new digital tools [29:35] Listening to employee needs effectively [31:54] AI's impact on digital employee experience [36:33] Future of DEX in next 5 years [41:01] First steps for improving employee experience  A must-listen for anyone working to improve their organization's digital workplace through employee-centered design.