Industry Leaders More Concerned About Workforce Issues Than Supply Chain Woes
The latest research from WorkJam revealed that executive leaders across several industry sectors are more concerned over workforce issues than they are about supply chain disruptions. WorkJam, the frontline workplace technology company, also said that as the “Great Resignation” wears on, just 7 percent of respondents say delivering better customer service is a priority.
The authors of the report said its recent survey of executives working in industries that include retail, manufacturing, consumer goods, and transportation and warehousing “found that leaders consider labor shortages (48 percent), employee turnover (31 percent) and even workplace stress (10 percent) as bigger operational challenges than supply chain issues (9 percent).”
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The WorkJam study also found that “retention ranks as a much more important workforce initiative than improving customer service.
“Fully one-third of execs surveyed cite retention as their top imperative, followed by attracting talent (28 percent), upskilling staff to be able to ‘do more with less’ (20 percent), improving operational efficiency (12 percent) and delivering better customer service (7 percent),” the report said.
Steven Kramer, chief executive officer of WorkJam, said the company’s customers across industries “are dealing with high turnover, and this survey suggests that executives understand it’s imperative to meet the needs of employees who are choosing to stay but are looking for a better work environment, more flexible schedules and career mobility.”
Kramer said in the retail industry, “the back-to-school season is coming up fast, and executives know they must hold on to great employees to be able to provide an excellent customer experience. The survey shows retail leaders are looking to meet their current employees’ needs as individuals wherever they can. This includes prioritizing professional development, team-building activities and providing a better work/life balance.”
Other findings from the report include that leaders understand the role of retention in business success, with 72 percent of those polled saying that investing in employee retention “will result in a better ROI for their business, but only half (50 percent) think their organization is doing an excellent or good job when it comes to retaining frontline employees.”
Surprisingly, DE&I initiatives were not highly ranked by employees when it comes to needed workplace improvements. What did score high were scheduling flexibility at 57 percent, meaningful work with 54 percent, compensation at 53 percent, and company culture at 45 percent. Growth opportunities and schedule predictability also ranked high at 46 and 49 percent, respectively.
The survey also showed a majority of executives polled are confident in their company’s ability to engage and better enable their employees.
“Some 68 percent of survey respondents think their organization is doing an excellent or good job of engaging frontline employees, and 65 percent say the same about enabling employees, but only 50 percent say their organization is doing an excellent or good job of retaining workers, indicating that there is room for improvement when it comes to corporate engagement and enablement efforts,” the report stated.
Regarding WorkJam’s workforce solution, the company’s platform integrates communication, task management, scheduling tools and training, among other tasks, into a single app.
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