Axonify, a global leader in frontline learning and enablement, released the 2024 Deskless Report, which revealed that understaffing, burnout, fractured communication and customer conflicts are among some of the top challenges facing the frontline workforce.

The report polled 788 frontline executives, managers and workers to understand issues impacting frontline employees and managers in the retail, hospitality, grocery, foodservice and distribution and logistics industries.

“Frontline teams are the backbone of these industries, yet they continue to face significant obstacles in their day-to-day roles,” said Carol Leaman, CEO and co-founder at Axonify. “Our research shows that while there’s tempered optimism, managers feel unsupported and workers struggle to keep up with customer demands. Understanding and addressing these challenges is critical to supporting the frontline workforce and ensuring long-term success.”

Rising customer incivility is a leading stressor for employees with “challenging customers” identified as the number-one frontline issue by workers and the second among managers. In fact, over half of managers (51%) and one-third of workers want more conflict resolution training to help them safely navigate customer conflict.

Beyond concerns about handling difficult interactions, the need to address and close communication gaps is urgent. Only 39% of employees find communication in their organizations “very helpful,” dipping to 31% for retail respondents, the lowest among the surveyed industries. This gap extends to direct feedback, which 33% of employees say they rarely or never receive, highlighting an opportunity for improved communications strategies that impact morale and efficiency.

Additional findings include:

• Job confidence is shaky. The report exposed gaps in job confidence and performance with a staggering 67% of managers and 57% of workers feeling like they’re “making it up as they go along” at least some of the time at work. These perceptions were strongest among managers in retail (74%) compared to grocery (61%), foodservice (60%) and hospitality (60%). Managers’ lack of job confidence could be contributing to burnout with 40% of managers reporting they “feel burned out on a daily basis.”
• Small daily “wins” matter more than big career development efforts. While organizations are often focused on career development programs, frontline employees place more value on immediate, tangible wins. Sixty-five percent of frontline workers say completing daily tasks is their top measure of success (63% retail, 67% hospitality, 64% grocery, 61% foodservice).
• There is optimism and opportunity. Eighty-seven percent of managers and 77% of workers report being at least somewhat happy in their current jobs. To improve this optimism, managers and workers cited the need for higher pay, greater staffing support and guidance and resources to do their jobs well as the top areas of support executives can provide.
• Upskilling is the most in-demand training. With the need for upskilling at the top of the list, frontline workers and managers are seeking training and support in these top three areas:
  • Managers: Upskilling or cross-skilling (56%), AI and emerging technology (52%), conflict resolution (51%)
  • Workers: Upskilling or cross-skilling (41%), leadership and management (41%), using tools and technology (37%)
• Executives must close technology and communication gaps. While 75% of corporate leaders believe their organizations are investing in technology for frontline teams, only 39% of frontline employees agree. Furthermore, 62% of executives believe their communication is effective, but only 39% of frontline workers feel the same.

“Frontline workers want to be successful in their work, but they need the right tools, support and resources to succeed,” said Leaman. “This report identifies gaps and provides a clear path forward for organizations to invest in their people and build stronger, more resilient teams today.”

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