As frontline workers are quitting their jobs in record numbers, the role of the frontline manager is becoming even more critical. Workers are looking to their managers for stable, supporting leadership with clear guidance. To reduce employee attrition, empowering your managers to support their workers is crucial.
In this article, we provide valuable tips to be implemented in your workplaces to empower your frontline managers.
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What is a Frontline Manager
The frontline manager is responsible for the essential workers at the company, that is, the employees that provide essential services to the general public. Examples of frontline managers includes store managers, line managers, leaders of sales teams, etc.
The frontline managers are often considered the closest to the main business processes of the company.
By making up 60% of a company’s leadership and directly supervising up to 80% of the workforce, they are the key in how a business is being run.
Harvard Business Review
Key Roles and Responsibilities of a Frontline Manager
The key role of the frontline manager is to manage and oversee the work of the frontline workers. On a daily basis, they are responsible for motivating and engaging their employees. Although, in many companies, frontline managers spend their days overseeing statements and drafting sales reports. A shift is needed, where the frontline managers worry less about the customer experience and prioritize the employee experience.
The Importance of a Frontline Manager
Frontline managers typically provide daily leadership to the workers who are representatives of the business to its customer. With strong leadership, the frontline manager ensures a positive employee experience for their workers, which will funnel its way down to customer service.
The frontline manager does not only directly impact the employee experience and customer service, but as reported,
companies that have been able to empower their frontline managers have seen results of increased workplace flexibility and productivity which has generated strong financial results.
McKinsey
Empowering Managers is the Key to Keeping Your Frontline Workers
As reported in a survey, the strongest indicator of a frontline worker’s sense of belonging and intent to stay at the company is feeling supported by their managers:
Workers who feel a sense of belonging at work are nine times more likely to have a supportive manager, and 79% of them have no plans to leave their employer
Workday
The results clearly show that the key to reducing employee attrition is to empower your managers to support them. When your managers are fully empowered, they have the power and knowledge to support their workers, which will increase their desire to stay.
Unlocking the Full Potential of Frontline Managers
In many organizations, frontline managers are lacking agility and room for creativity. They are stuck in daily routines of reports and administrative work. To unlock the full potential of frontline managers, thus, the full potential of frontline workers, there needs to be less focus on administrative work and meetings with executives and more focus on coaching and developing their employees. Frontline managers can support their frontline workers in many ways, including:
- Inspire
- Coach
- Address problems quickly
- Provide regular feedback
- Conduct employee experience surveys
- Schedule one-on-one meetings
HR Software that Empowers Frontline Managers
For frontline managers to perform their job in the most efficient way, they need technology that empowers them. HR software is a cloud-based solution for managing and optimizing human resource tasks. With the right HR software that promotes team collaboration and internal communication, frontline managers can support their workers in the most efficient way. Research reports that:
60% of frontline employees are unsatisfied with, or believe there is room for improvement in, the technology they’re provided to do their work
Forbes
The numbers show that you can gain a competitive advantage in attracting and keeping workers at your company by providing the right HR technology to your managers and workers.
PeopleSpheres: the People Platform
PeopleSpheres is an HR platform that provides greater workplace flexibility and opportunities for all employees. By consolidating all your HR software on a single platform, we reduce the HR workload of your frontline workers by 30%, allowing them to spend more time leading and inspiring their workers.
The PeopleSpheres platform allows your frontline managers to easier schedule work shifts and manage employee tasks by using our shared tools and clear workflows. Of course, the system is easy-to-use with no code needed, and offered both on a computer and as a mobile app, promoting flexibility and allowing both managers to get the work done wherever they are.
For a personalized demonstration based on your specific needs for your frontline managers and workers, contact our experts and we will get back to you within 1 business day.
