Few Retailers Investing in Improving Experiences of Frontline Workers

While nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of retail executives responding to a recent survey say they are experiencing a shortage in frontline employees, only 8 percent plan to invest in improving the experience of such workers in the next 12 months. That situation was uncovered by a new study that was commissioned by WorkJam, which it said is the first global survey covering the frontline employee experience across industries that include retail, hospitality, restaurants, travel, manufacturing and healthcare.

“Focusing on the frontline employee experience is key to achieving business goals, including growing revenue, engaging and retaining associates, increasing efficiency and ultimately delivering an excellent customer experience,” said WorkJam CEO Steven Kramer. “This survey shows that business decision makers across retail and many other industries want to improve the frontline experience through digital innovation — and understand that doing so is key to their overall business success — but are struggling to prioritize investments in technology that empowers frontline workers and makes their daily work lives significantly better.”

The WorkJam study also found that “80 percent of decision makers across industries and geographies want to leverage technology to improve the frontline experience, but struggle with prioritizing digital investments.”

Conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of WorkJam, the survey polled 502 business decision makers at some of the world’s largest employers of frontline workers.

Click here for more results from the survey.