Unskilled Worker? No such thing

Mark Williams at WorkJam argues that frontline workers need to be highly valued, whatever their formal skill levels

There was a time when businesses could make a clear delineation between the skilled and unskilled positions within their company. At least on paper. This differentiation could be used to justify pay structures, degrees of responsibility, training requirements, and recruitment processes.

The ‘unskilled’ received less of everything because, really, what were the unskilled workers other than thoughtless drones programmed to get the drudge work done? Essential, but replaceable. Few managers would openly admit to holding such opinions.

The world is changing. Frontline worker jobs are getting more complex. The ‘great resignation’ has left many businesses strained and we’ve finally reached a point where savvy managers are realising that even ostensibly ‘unskilled’ positions benefit from well-trained and experienced employees.

Frontline workers are not disposable

Ecommerce is arguably the greatest disruptor in the history of retail. The ability to access goods and services online means that there is no longer any such thing as a captive retail audience. Shoppers can go literally anywhere.

And with the advent of omnichannel shopping, customers increasingly view stores as resources rather than retail destinations. On site locations are now viewed as somewhere to collect online orders, seek help with problems that are difficult to resolve online, or a place to find inspirations. This puts the onus on the customer experience.

Brick-and-mortar stores have become places for businesses to dazzle and differentiate. And frontline workers are integral to that process.

While a digital retail space presents the perfect opportunity to display your products, the in-store arena is experiential. It’s about service, attitude, accessibility, and knowledge. And while in-store might not be the place where the majority of your high-value sales take place, it is where you foster the most loyalty.

The experiences you deliver and the impressions that your teams create are what root themselves in customers’ memories. It is the skills and attitude of your frontline workers that make your business stand out.

But what too many businesses are failing to realise is that it is no longer an employer’s marketplace. 

Attracting and retaining a solid workforce

2022 is a bad time to be recruiting. According to Fortune/Deloitte’s CEO Survey, 71% of CEOs anticipate that the skills shortage (alongside the labour shortage) will be the year’s biggest business disruptor. And it’s a situation that is only predicted to get worse.

The estimation that 85 million jobs will go unfilled globally by 2030 due to skills shortages will result in about $8.5 trillion in unrealised annual revenues. This makes employee retention and upskilling a priority across all sectors. Even those previously reliant upon the ‘unskilled’ masses. So, what can businesses do?

Educate and upskill

Despite the fact that frontline workers are the first point of customer contact, they have traditionally received the smallest amount of training. This needs to change.

Educating and upskilling frontline employees makes sense on multiple levels. Of course, it can help them – and by default, your brand – to deliver the best customer experience while building your brand image and establishing customer loyalty.

But it also helps your employees to feel valued, and that brings another form of loyalty. This feeds into what is perhaps the most significant issue in the current climate; your ability to safeguard your business against a potential future skills shortage. Because if you can train all employees, and provide the opportunity for growth to all, then there will always be someone waiting in the wings to fill skills gaps.

Focus on company culture

A Glassdoor survey found that 77% of respondents investigate a company’s culture before applying for a job. Half (56%) considered company culture to be more important than salary. In fact, a recent survey by WorkJam, the leader in the digital frontline workplace, shows that the most commonly stated reason for Gen Z employees seeking new employment is a lack of appreciation or feeling under-appreciated (36%) by their employer.

If you wish to attract and retain employees at any level, you need to invest in creating a pleasant working environment. This doesn’t just mean quality facilities, but management training and increased digital communication to ensure frontlines are being heard and kept in the loop of news and changes. This creates a culture that ensures everyone feels valued and heard.

Utilise digital tools

The right digital management tool helps to create that sense of value that is integral to company culture.

Employers must facilitate direct feedback, implementing and enabling personalised training opportunities, monitoring employee performance to assess where help may be required (whether for additional training or emotional support).

And they must ensure that every team member always has access to the information they need, the right digital frontline workplace solution can give businesses the control they need to create both the best working environment and the best employee experience.

A digital frontline workplace is essential because tools like surveys, mobile-friendly training, mandatory messages, and anonymised responses increase communication. And with increased communication comes happier and more fulfilled employees.

In a profitable, effective business, there is no such thing as unskilled workers. By investing in an employee’s career path, businesses can ultimately increase employee productivity, happiness, and retention. And consequently, create the customer experience they need to excel.

Mark Williams, Managing Director EMEA at WorkJam. The WorkJam app combines communication, task management, scheduling tools, learning, and more , all in one place providing a unified system designed to revolutionise the way HQs and their frontline work together

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com