- Revealing Top Trends to Improve the Frontline Work Experience & Overcome Global Labor Shortages
Beekeeper, the mobile-first collaboration platform for frontline workers, announced the release of their 2022 Frontline Trends Report. The report explores trends for frontline industries and details several ways frontline businesses can improve the employee experience amid the ongoing labor crisis.
Retail, hospitality, and manufacturing industries faced some of the highest levels of resignation. The global worker shortage caused businesses to take a closer look at their employees’ needs while implementing changes to attract and retain qualified talent.
HR Technology News: Point B Partners With Endeavour, Ignites Growth and Deepens Industry and Technology Expertise
“History’s largest labor shortage has put a spotlight on the frontline workers who are essential to business and our lives,” says Flavio Pfaffhauser, Beekeeper’s Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer. “To make these workers’ lives easier, we must empower them with better tools. The shift toward technology-enabled workplaces should be a top priority for businesses this year. By revolutionizing the way workforces collaborate, we can ensure employee well-being and retention, improve operations, and drive business growth and profitability.”
1,864 frontline workers and their managers responded to Beekeeper’s first survey of the company’s 1M global users. The survey asked what motivates them, what they struggle with, and what stresses them out at work. The 2022 Frontline Trends Report combines their responses with industry research to share what frontline employees need to be more happy and productive at work.
HR Technology News: University of Phoenix Leadership Shares Insights on Social Capital During National Mentoring Month
Five major trends are highlighted in this year’s report:
1. Higher Wages and Faster Access to Them
In a challenging time for the global workforce, the report found higher pay to be a common trend. Companies have taken notice, driving wages up across many sectors. The study also found that expedited pay is surging in popularity, leading many organizations to partner with on-demand pay apps that offer same-day or next-day pay to cash-strapped hourly workers.
2. Creative Recruitment Strategies and Candidate Sourcing
As the worldwide labor crisis continues, businesses must find alternative ways to recruit qualified talent — especially with the rise of tech-savvy Gen Z applicants. This trend has driven employers to utilize social media platforms to seek out this new generation of workers. Many companies outside of the U.S. are also welcoming migrant employees to fill the talent gap. Others have implemented incentive-driven referral programs to leverage their existing employee base as an additional avenue for recruitment.
3. More Context and Fully Staffed Teams
The report presented a clear disconnect between the needs of frontline workers and what their managers think they need. According to the survey, 80% of frontline workers rated context about why and when things change as a key factor in their workplace happiness. Only 13% of managers rated context as a top management tool. Furthermore, one in three workers rate understaffed teams as their top stressor, underscoring the importance of maintaining adequate staffing to avoid burnout.
4. A Simplified Frontline Tech Landscape
The study found employees use multiple digital tools for work-related tasks. Frontline workers experience app fatigue because they have to go to too many places to get the information they need to complete their work. It’s paramount for employers to adopt mobile solutions that give workers one streamlined interface to access shift schedules, pay stubs, PTO requests, SOPs, health and safety procedures, task lists, forms–everything they need for a job well done.
5. Empowering Frontline Managers
This report confirmed that frontline managers and team leads have a massive impact on the employee experience. They are responsible for creating a positive work environment, and they play a pivotal role in employee retention and productivity. Employers must empower these individuals with the tools and skills necessary to keep their essential workers satisfied and motivated.
The report also includes actionable steps companies can adopt to improve the use of technology in the workplace, streamline operational procedures and improve the overall workday experience for frontline employees and managers. These action items will help frontline employers navigate the challenges posed by the trends surfaced in this year’s report, including the ongoing labor crisis. Taken directly from frontline workers, these insights will equip employers to meet their employees’ needs, and be vital to employee recruitment and retention in 2022.
HR Technology News: Udemy Set to Expand EMEA Headquarters in Dublin, Creating More Than 120 Jobs