Poor productivity and absenteeism cost UK businesses £14 billion in 2020 alone. What can be done to improve employee wellbeing and productivity, whilst filling the record-high number of vacancies we’re seeing right now? With zero-hours contracts on the up, ensuring hourly workers are empowered, supported and appreciated is key.
Workforce Software, whose technology is used by major brands like Kurt Geiger and Morrison’s Supermarkets to manage their workforces, has released a new guide ‘Making Every Moment Matter: Your Guide to Improving Employee Experience for the Modern Workforce,’ exploring this.
Key statistics from the report reveal:
- Over 40% of hourly workers say their jobs lack scheduling flexibility
- 85% reported they don’t get enough direct communications from senior management
- 43% of fathers surveyed are considering reducing hours or leaving jobs to work close to home
While much has been said about the impact of remote working for desk-based employees, 80% of the global workforce is deskless and comprised of vital ‘key’ workers, which are currently in short supply. Employers are falling short when it comes to EX for this essential section of the workforce.
In the UK:
- 43% of fathers surveyed are considering reducing hours or leaving jobs to work close to home
- Over 40% of hourly workers say their jobs lack scheduling flexibility
- More than a quarter say that their organisation doesn’t help hourly workers deal with personal circumstances that impact their work schedules
- 85% reported they don’t get enough direct communications from senior management
- 81% of employees want their companies to prioritise creating and sustaining a positive culture when improving EX
“From delivery drivers and care home workers to hospitality and retail associates, those in hourly paid, deskless roles are ubiquitous but often forgotten in discussions around workplace innovation and employee experience,” said Steve Tonks, EVP EMEA at Workforce Software.
“These employees form the backbone of many organisations, deliver vital services, and work on the frontline of customer service,” says Tonks. “More needs to be done to support their work-life balance and make them feel valued and engaged in the wider business- after all they are often the public face of your organisation. It all comes back to understanding how they experience you as an employer, and what you can be doing to improve that experience.”
For example, in response to poor communication and scheduling experiences which were impacting engagement, Kurt Geiger deployed the Workforce Experience app. The result is greater engagement and connection through a social media-like tool that enables deeper communication across its dispersed retail workforce.
Alice Millichamp, Retail Operations Manager at Kurt Geiger said, “People working in the stores now have a platform to share their thoughts and be heard. There’s lots of interaction and camaraderie on the platform, with our retail director and senior leadership team regularly ‘liking’ and comment on posts. There’s more of a connection between stores and the head office than there ever was before,” says Millichamp.
Tonks concluded: “Creating a better employee experience can feel like trying to complete a giant puzzle without an idea of the picture you’re trying to create (and often with missing pieces). The first step in building this picture is to explore how your organisation is charting the experience journey from start to finish, and what missing pieces are stopping you from moving forward. This new report is designed to show the bigger picture, and help you understand what employee experience success could look like for your organisation. Helping you to build your overarching strategy, it explores tools and tactics that are proven to support superior employee experiences. With this approach, organisations can bring their vision of a brilliant employee experience to life.”
See the full report here.
