The Secret to Engaging Your Frontline and Boosting Profitability: Lessons from Good Jobs Institute and WorkJam
June 30, 2023 / Unlock the potential of your frontline workforce
Businesses that heavily invest in their people and provide their frontline workers with the digital tools they need to succeed have discovered the secret to cultivating happier and more productive employees. Industry leaders such as Sam’s Club, Costco, Trader Joe’s, and QuikTrip, have experienced remarkable improvements by implementing the “good jobs” strategy advocated by the Good Jobs Institute, and some WorkJam customers have seen a rise in stock performances, out-pacing the Dow Jones Industrial Average, since deployment.
In a recent webinar by the Good Jobs Institute and WorkJam, valuable insights were shared, highlighting the parallels between their proven strategies and the four essential pillars of frontline work. “This is a paradigm shift… and it really puts your customer at the center of how you win and how your frontline teams help you do it”, Sarah Kalloch, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Good Jobs Institute.
In this blog post, we will delve into four key takeaways that demonstrate how leveraging WorkJam can unlock the potential of your frontline workforce, offering them the “good jobs” experience they deserve and need to help your business win all around.
1. Focus and Simplify: Employee Communication
Effective communication is a game-changer when it comes to reducing wasteful tasks, processes, and time. By providing frontline workers with tools for instant two-way communication, you empower them to overcome hurdles, break down barriers, and find quick answers. This enables them to redirect their attention toward delivering exceptional customer experiences, resulting in higher satisfaction levels.
2. Standardize and Empower: Task Management
Empowering your frontline workers with digital task management tools enables them to complete their tasks quickly, efficiently, and autonomously. By digitizing tasks, managers can easily track their completion and approvals at their fingertips. This streamlines operations and allows managers to focus on areas that require their expertise, ensuring maximum productivity and effectiveness.
3. Cross-Train: Employee Learning
Harness the potential of your existing staff by implementing strategic cross-training programs. When employees are trained in multiple areas, they become flexible and can step in where an extra hand is needed the most. Imagine the possibilities if they could learn while on the job or access training tools conveniently on their mobile devices. This innovative approach to learning-in-the-flow can also be a game changer, boosting employee confidence and versatility.
4. Operate with Slack: Shift Management
To foster a workspace where team members can interact seamlessly and cater to customers’ needs, effective shift management is essential. By empowering your employees to manage their shifts using tools like WorkJam, you enable them to swap or pick up shifts as necessary. This not only reduces last-minute cancellations but also ensures that your teams can perform their duties efficiently, enhancing overall operational effectiveness.
Investing in your frontline is the key to creating a more productive and profitable business. By ensuring that your hourly jobs embrace the fundamentals of a human-first approach, you can transform your organization’s culture and offer your frontline employees the “good jobs” experience they deserve. Your good jobs strategy should focus on streamlining communication, empowering task management, implementing cross-training programs, and optimizing shift management so that you can unlock the full potential of your frontline workforce. The result will be happier employees, satisfied customers, and increased profitability – a win-win-win situation for everyone involved!
To help you embark on this transformational journey, WorkJam provides a valuable resource: a free evaluation tool. By utilizing this tool, companies can gain a customized report that assesses their digital journey and offers tailored recommendations on how and where to invest in their frontline to make the biggest impact. This assessment will serve as a roadmap to guide your organization toward the most effective strategies and initiatives, ensuring you achieve tangible results in employee engagement and business performance. Your employees, customers, and bottom line will thank you.
