Organizations are increasingly recognizing the immense value of frontline employees' feedback. These employees, who directly interact with customers and represent the face of the company, possess invaluable insights that can drive operational improvements, enhance customer experiences, and shape the overall success of the organization. 

Competition for talent is stiff these days, no matter which industry you’re in. But the fight to hire and, particularly, retain great talent, is especially fierce in industries that employ a frontline workforce. While attention is often focused on top-level management and strategic initiatives, hat many business leaders don’t realize is that frontline managers play a huge role in whether or not frontline employees decide to stay or go. 

Organizations who have made frontline employee engagement a strategic priority are reaping the rewards.

The numbers don’t lie: Frontline managers have a major impact on business success.

The impact that frontline managers have on an organization’s overall performance and results is significant, especially when you consider that, nationwide, they are directly responsible for 8 out of 10 employees in the workforce. Yet, in many organizations managers on the frontline feel undervalued, underdeveloped, and overworked; and their levels of engagement show it. Gallup research has found that only 35% of managers are engaged, meaning they are enthusiastic about and committed to their work, their people, and the organization. 

“Can you cover tomorrow’s shift for so-and-so?”

Read 7:12 PM.

No response.

Many working Americans report experiencing a negative emotional response to the end of the weekend and personal freetime as the “Sunday Scaries”–an anxious feeling about the work week ahead that cuts into the final hours of off-the-clock bliss. But, perhaps the only thing worse to interrupt an employee’s time off work is receiving unexpected or poorly timed messages from their employer.  

Let's face it: organizations crave high engagement levels from their frontline employees but are often short of ideas on exactly how to accomplish this. 

If you're an HR Director, Communications Director, or Talent Acquisition Specialist who manages a mobile workforce, you know how challenging good communication can be.

Deskless workers often work in remote settings or visit different locations throughout the day, so you may go long stretches without seeing or verbally communicating with some of your employees. 

Because of this, communication channels that work for office and onsite employees aren't practical for mobile workers.

Seasonal hiring is both exciting and stressful for many businesses. 

Busy seasons such as holiday shopping and back to school are a welcome uptick in profits. But, these busy times of the year can also be worrisome as you struggle to find enough employees to meet customer demands.

Employee engagement is one of the most important indicators in gauging satisfaction in work. This is especially true amongst Front Line Workers. People are looking for more than just a 9-to-5 job these days. They crave to be involved in their work, and want to be enthusiastic about the organization they work for and to be committed to those they work with.

Whether you operate a single retail location or a chain of stores, your retail employees are your best asset. They are the ones who interact with your customers daily and can create a positive or negative association with your brand. 

But, with a 69% employee turnover rate in retail — 12% higher than the U.S. national average — it can feel like most of your time and resources are spent on hiring and training new staff rather than nurturing existing employees to be your best brand ambassadors. 

With an approximate price tag of $3400 to replace one employee, a retention strategy should definitely be on your radar.