By
Steven Kramer, WorkJam
Effective communication is the cornerstone of
any successful relationship, working or otherwise.
Unfortunately, only half of retailers have a
direct line of communication to their frontline employees. This disconnect has
major implications for the work environment and the relationship between the corporate
office and the floor — often
leaving employees feeling disengaged.
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Currently, the popular methods for
communicating with associates are flawed. Because of a lack of corporate tools
available, managers and employees implement their own solutions. Too often,
communicating or trading shifts is a mix of Facebook groups, break room
bulletin boards, and group texts. Not only does this lead to unstructured and
chaotic communication, but these solutions all pose major compliance risks to
employers. While this is a headache for corporate, it’s also the employees who
suffer the most, feeling unheard, disorganized and out of the loop. For many
workers, a poor work environment can be the main reason for departure. Since
the industry suffers from high turnover and compliance rules, this pain point
needs a solution.
Significant improvements can be achieved by
creating a digital relationship with employees via a digital workplace
platform. A digital workplace platform allows for communication at scale via
targeting the right employees, adds structure to communications, and can update
the necessary backend systems in place. In order to improve the day-to-day work
environment for frontline workers and reduce turnover rates, retailers should
consider the following communication tactics via such technology:
Continuous training. As
competition within the industry intensifies, so does the desire to offer highly
personalized customer service experiences. These big changes in expected responsibilities
can frustrate and overwhelm associates. It’s no surprise, then, that without
adequate training initiatives, they will begin to look for employment
elsewhere.
To avoid burnout,
retailers should provide employees with both easily accessible training
materials, and with incentives to complete and absorb those materials. With
training and development being integral workplace assets, a streamlined
education method is critical. Beyond onboarding, a digital, unified
communication platform allows current employees to stay invested and up-to-date
as they take on new roles and responsibilities.
Two-way communication. To
communicate the goals and vision from corporate leadership to the frontline
workforce, the retail industry must rethink its one-way, top-down communication
pattern. Talking at, rather than speaking with, frontline workers is not a best
practice, and by doing so, leaders lose out on valuable insight to be gained
from the floor.
A two-way digital
communication strategy ensures that retailers and associates are in
communication alignment. When there is a conversation between parties, rather
than a one-way message, employees are engaged and workplace culture improves.
No matter the industry or title, employees appreciate feeling like they are
heard.
Structured support and encouragement. Retail isn’t easy, and employees experience some tough days on the
floor. Therefore, it’s important to make recognition a priority. Having hard
work and achievements acknowledged and praised by leadership is an effective
way to let workers know that their efforts are appreciated. More than just a
morale booster, a culture of support and encouragement contributes to less
employee burnout and lower turnover rates.
However, delivering
this praise at scale can be difficult when leadership is not physically
present. When considering how to best communicate recognition to employees, a
single digital workplace platform should be top of mind. With a properly
implemented and streamlined process of internal communication, retailers can
expect a more positive workplace culture in their stores.
The core of retail is creating an experience
for customers. And when frontline workers suffer, so does the in-store
experience. But through engagement and encouragement, workplace culture becomes
one of positivity, and so does the customer experience.
Steven Kramer is CEO at WorkJam, with 20 years of executive leadership experience
driving business results and developing disruptive technologies for the retail
industry. In 1999, Kramer co-founded iCongo, a leading global software provider
for omnichannel retail and B2B commerce solutions, which merged
with hybris Software in 2011 and became the largest independent
provider of e-Commerce solutions with 27 offices worldwide, 1000+ employees and
more than 600 customers. hybris Software was purchased by SAP in 2013.
While innovating in omnichannel and the connected consumer, Kramer identified
a gap between traditional workforce management systems and how retailers
actually hire, schedule and manage their hourly employees. With this in mind, he
co-founded WorkJam and is responsible for the strategic direction of the
company. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University.
