Written by: Femke Aarts, HX Consultant, May 2026

When organizations realize: this isn’t working anymore

There comes a point when organizations realize: our way of working no longer aligns with our ambitions. They’re growing faster than they can organize themselves, are choosing a new strategic direction, or simply notice that friction is beginning to arise in their collaboration, decision-making, or culture.

They see it in teams that aren’t working in sync. In leaders who manage differently. In strategies that look good on paper but don’t translate into practice. What once worked well no longer aligns with where the organization wants to go—or is even starting to work against it.

This often raises the question: How can we reorganize our work in a way that is future-proof?

Next, the focus turns to HR and HR-specific topics. Cultural programs are launched, leadership development programs are set up, or new performance review cycles are introduced. In fact, many organizations work on multiple initiatives simultaneously, often without clear prioritization. This results in fragmented change and, consequently, makes it less effective.

Despite all our efforts, there remains a sense that we are not getting to the heart of the matter.

Because the issues at hand rarely lie within a single part of the organization. They lie in how the organization as a whole is structured—in the way work, responsibilities, and collaboration are organized.

Human Experience as a Perspective on Organizations

At Rvdb, we therefore view organizations through the lens of Human Experience (HX). Not as a standalone intervention, but as a way of examining how work, leadership, and culture come together in a company’s vision of being an employer.

HX helps organizations gain a holistic understanding of themselves and realign their structures in a way that aligns with today’s ambitions—one in which the human and business aspects do not conflict but rather reinforce each other. From that perspective, we developed a framework that provides direction for sustainable organizational change.

From this perspective, we always look at both sides at the same time. On the one hand, there are five building blocks that characterize a strong organization: vision and strategy, leadership and organizational design, culture and collaboration, growth and performance, and vitality and well-being. On the other hand, we look at employees’ basic psychological needs: the sense of competence, having a say in their work, feeling connected to others, and knowing that their work matters.

The strength lies in the connection between the two. When organizations structure these building blocks with an eye toward basic needs, it fosters clarity, a sense of ownership, and better collaboration. And organizations see the immediate results in employee engagement and enthusiasm—and ultimately, in performance.

From Feeling to Insight with the HX Scan

Often, there’s a sense of what’s going on, but the clarity needed to make specific choices is lacking. The moment it becomes clear that something needs to change, the question arises: where to start?

Because insight is the first step toward change, we developed the HX Scan. This scan helps put that feeling into concrete terms. It reveals how the organization is perceived and where energy is being wasted.

By examining both the building blocks of the organization and the experiences of employees, we gain a comprehensive and well-founded understanding of where the key challenges and opportunities lie. This makes it clear where to start in order to take targeted action.

From Insight to Direction: The HX Vision & Roadmap

Insight alone isn’t enough. The real challenge lies in what you do with those insights next.

That is why we link the HX Scan to the HX Vision & Roadmap. In a short and intensive process, we translate analysis into direction. Together with the organization, we develop a clear vision of employer branding and define exactly what the strategy means for the way we work.

Based on that vision, we define our focus. Where can we make the greatest impact? What choices need to be made? And what does that require in terms of leadership, collaboration, and organizational structure? We translate that into a roadmap: a phased approach that allows organizations to build, step by step, a way of working that aligns with their ambitions.

Developed through practical experience

The HX Scan and the HX Vision & Roadmap weren’t conceived all at once, but were developed through practical experience—by combining research with co-creation and through continuous testing and improvement. First within our own organization, then with our customers.

It is precisely this combination of theoretical foundation and practical application that ensures the approach not only provides insight but also actually drives change.

In conclusion

Organizations choose this approach because they feel that things need to change. Because growth no longer happens on its own, strategies aren’t taking hold, or there’s a sense of unease that’s hard to pinpoint.

And that is precisely where the strength of Human Experience lies. It helps organizations reexamine how they operate—and to do so in a way that is not only results-oriented but also people-oriented. So that the organization not only feels right, but also functions well. And can adapt to what the future demands.