Research finds long-suffering frontline employees in need of a boost

It’s a rare employee who doesn’t sometimes feel overworked and underappreciated. When “sometimes” becomes most or even all the time, though, morale and business suffer in a major way. To address the problem, employers often focus on helping white-collar teams cope with work demands, but new research is warning that it’s the frontline workers who may be more in need of attention.

Frontline challenges

In November, HR advisory firm The Josh Bersin Company released an analysis titled Powering the Frontline Workforce: How Frontline-First Companies Thrive, produced in collaboration with HR technology company UKG.

The research found that frontline workers represent 70% of the global workforce, but it’s those workers—“the people who care for us when we’re sick, welcome us at resorts, help us navigate bureaucracy, drive trucks, and stock the shelves that supply our food”—who are feeling overlooked.

The researchers found that 75% of frontline workers feel burned out, and 51% feel like a number, not a person.

The study urges HR professionals to prioritize their frontline workforce strategy “to capture significant untapped business value and address what may soon be critical retention challenges.”

Benefits of going ‘frontline first’

By adopting a “frontline first” mindset, an employer can boost its bottom line, according to the Bersin analysis. A statement announcing the research said an employer that provided frontline employees with targeted training cut turnover by 5%, saving $500,000.