Frontline workers keep businesses running. They are by the very nature of their roles on the frontlines of business - often the first interaction that customers have with your brand, your services and your products. They are the essential faces of industries that power our economy, like retail, hospitality, and manufacturing. Yet, instability is hitting them hard. Job cuts, reduced hours, and fewer opportunities for growth are becoming the norm and many are worried about an uncertain future.
While the latest World Economic Outlook report shows unexpected growth, businesses are still facing rising costs, slower momentum, and cautious spending - partly influenced by Rachel Reeves’s budget. In retail, for example, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, and Tesco expect one in 10 shop floor workers to leave retail by 2028 due to rising worker costs and looming higher property taxes.
With these mounting pressures, businesses risk losing valuable frontline talent. If companies don’t rethink how they support and connect with their workforce, they could face long-term recruitment and retention challenges. So, what can employers do to create a more engaged and motivated frontline team?
The Growing Risk of Frontline Worker Disconnection
Unlike their desk-based counterparts, who benefit from access to modern collaboration software, frontline employees often lack direct access to company communication channels. Instead, they rely on bulletin boards, printed schedules, unofficial channels like WhatsApp or word-of-mouth Manager updates – none of which allows the frontline to work effectively or securely.
This lack of connection and inequitable access to information as well as people has been the frontline worker normality for too long. It is particularly concerning in fast-paced industries such as retail, hospitality, and logistics, where a lack of real-time communication can have immediate and sometimes severe consequences.
A retail associate, for example, may not receive internal company emails or updates, leading to missed policy changes or shift updates. This communication gap can result in operational inefficiencies, compliance issues, decreased employee engagement and higher turnover of workers.
One of the biggest issues is the impact of employee disengagement - without direct communication, frontline employees are left feeling unheard, unsupported and undervalued.
The Impact of a ‘Sustained Loss of Momentum’
The last few years, for so many people across the globe, have been defined by uncertainty—so much so that "business as usual" feels like a distant memory. With constant disruptions, political and economic shifts, as well as evolving workforce expectations, businesses need to be agile if they want to stay ahead. But that agility can only be present in a workforce if comprised of people who feel connected to each other, and they understand the individual business impact that they can each have. In this environment they’re more likely to thrive personally and professionally, which in turn delivers extraordinary experiences to customers. And customer excellence drives business growth.
Recent research reveals that frontline employees who feel appreciated in the workplace are nearly nine times more likely to be satisfied with their jobs. And that satisfaction translates into motivation. Happier at work, those employees are over three times more willing to go the extra mile compared to their colleagues. Yet only 47% of frontline workers currently feel recognised and valued at work.
On top of that, worryingly nearly two-thirds (61%) of frontline employees experience stress or burnout at least once a month, with 21% experiencing it multiple times a week. Despite these concerning figures, only 30% of deskless employees feel that their manager supports them during difficult times.
There is an interesting correlation between wellbeing and company communication – meaning the link between employee’s wellbeing and their ability to access and receive clear and transparent information from both their managers and from their organisation as a whole. Those frontline employees who agreed that their company’s communication was effective are almost 13 times more likely to report good or excellent wellbeing at work and 9 times less likely to report daily workplace stress or burnout. Alongside that, over half (55%) of frontline employees believe poor communication impacts their work quality and productivity.
With this level of disengagement and demotivation you would think workers would be walking out of the shopfloor or production line in droves. But, two-fifths (41%) of demotivated employees plan to remain in their roles for more than three years. So rather than the ‘great resignation,’ many businesses are now dealing with the ‘great stagnation’ - workers who aren’t engaged but have no plans to leave.
A Workforce Worth Investing In
There is still a long way to go before organisations are truly connected. All employees need access to a central place where everyone in the organisation (regardless of their role type, work location or seniority) can be a part of company-wide conversations - where everyone can participate, talk, listen, learn and connect with each other.
Frontline workers need modern and accessible mobile-friendly platforms - a one stop shop for communication and access to work resources. Through which there needs to be more value than just a communications noticeboard, but rather integrate shift swapping and rotas, feedback loops, absence management as well as learning and development programmes. Investing in meaningful communication, training, and recognition isn’t just about improving employee wellbeing; it’s about ensuring business resilience.
Strong leadership is also essential. Leaders need to be more intentional about creating connection and building feedback loops at scale. A good idea can come from anywhere, and more than likely will come from people who are out there getting work done on the frontlines. Give your people a voice, a way to connect and learn from each other and importantly listen to their perspectives. The ability to get feedback from people in any situation and then respond to it is vital.
The economic outlook may be uncertain, but one thing is clear: businesses that fail to connect with and support their frontline workers will face higher turnover and recruitment challenges. The good news? Boosting engagement doesn’t always require major investments. Small, meaningful changes - like increasing the cadence of communication, giving employees a voice through Q&A or AMA sessions with leaders, centralising and formalising recognition programmes and shoutouts, and ensuring that everyone has access to the right tools - can make a big difference in both employee retention and motivation, as well as job satisfaction.
A connected and engaged frontline workforce isn’t just a ‘nice to have’—it’s essential for long-term success. Organisations who embrace employee voice and a culture of connection and access, will benefit from securing the best talent in the market and retaining it. The “war for talent” will be here for the foreseeable future and this means companies who prioritise ongoing investment in their employee experience now will be the ones attracting top talent, increasing employee morale, and staying ahead in an unpredictable market.
Or as I like to say – happy people = happy customer = happy business.
About Abby Guthkelch, VP Executive Advisory at Flip
With almost 20 years in the digital experience space, Abby is deeply passionate about the future of digital connection - the power of building community and connecting people through emerging technology. As Flip’s VP - Executive Advisory, Abby is focused on deepening Flip’s understanding of and alignment with the needs of frontline workers. She is responsible for creating programmes that underline Flip’s customer-centric approach to product development; as well as connect HR and business leaders with product innovation and frontline industry best practices.
Abby joined Flip from Meta, where she spent 5.5 years leading Global Executive programmes, for the Workplace from Meta product, designed to inspire external C-level audiences about Meta’s unique value proposition; as well as drive awareness for Meta’s Reality Labs portfolio of SaaS and VR/AR/MR Hardware products.
Prior to Meta she held a number of senior level Marketing & Communications roles both in-house and agency side and has been ranked amongst the Top 25 Marketing Innovators (EMEA region) and Top 100 Global Digital innovators.
Outside of work, Abby is an avid traveller and photographer; and she is about to travel to her 52nd country - Morocco - in 2025. She is also a passionate Ireland international rugby supporter.
