2021’s remote-working revolution represents a sliver of what’s going on for the UK’s workforce, most of whom are the deskless frontline staff that kept the country going during the lockdown and are now vital to post-Covid recovery.
Alongside recovery challenges, organisations are also grappling with acute talent shortages. As the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) warned recently, ‘British employers are facing the most severe shortage of job candidates on record.’ In the UK, 41% of employees are considering quitting their jobs searching for more fulfilling work.
The aftereffects of the pandemic will extend through 2022. In the next 12 months, organisations must turn their attention to supporting and engaging frontline, deskless workers.
“The majority of organisations have accepted the value of the employee experience. However, few are investing in creating moments that matter; just 6% are succeeding in creating amazing employee experiences,” says Marc Gingras, WorkForce Software’s SVP of Employee Experience Strategy. “Investment in employee experience pays off – that 6% enjoy over four times the profit and have 40% lower turnover than the average.”
Engaging frontline talent relies on strong, empowered line managers. They are the most vital link between the organisation and its dispersed workforce.
Deskless staff are only engaged when they have a solid and supportive relationship with their line manager. Broader company initiatives are highly likely to fall flat if their relationship with their day-to-day manager has issues.
“It has become evident that companies that invest in technology to help workers in their day-to-day job will be more likely to retain them in the long term,” Gingras adds.