Leading enterprises are doubling down on enhancing frontline employee experience (frontline EX). Investing in frontline worker software and strategies that improve communication, engagement, and alignment with organizational goals enables companies to empower their workforces, boost morale, and drive higher performance across the board.
Evidence shows that engaged frontline workers increase profitability by 23% and reduce turnover by 51%. With 70% of the US workforce and 80% globally in frontline roles, companies can’t afford to ignore frontline EX. The Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends report reveals that organizations prioritizing employee experience are four times more profitable than those that don’t.
Frontline EX is more than a “nice-to-have”—it’s a performance accelerator. In large enterprises with dispersed teams, like healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics, disconnected employees often feel isolated, leading to disengagement and decreased productivity across the organization.
Unvalued frontline workers cause inefficiencies, rising errors, slower workflows, and higher costs. In industries relying on speed and accuracy, these inefficiencies are a significant drain—and disengaged employees are more likely to leave, taking valuable skills and knowledge with them.
The critical role of frontline workers
Frontline workers are not only the face of your organization but also the backbone that keeps it running. Whether they are healthcare professionals, manufacturing staff, retail associates, hospitality workers, or logistics personnel, these employees directly influence efficiency, customer satisfaction, and business success.
Optimizing frontline experience enhances customer experience; consider them two sides of the same coin. However, engaging frontline staff has long been a challenge for many enterprises.
Leaders can unlock workforce potential by fostering a culture that encourages frontline employees to share insights from their direct interactions with customers and operations, driving innovation and overall satisfaction.
Disengagement among frontline staff results in lost productivity and reduced profits, making it essential for organizations to recognize and empower them. Gallup estimates that 85% of employees are disengaged, costing the global economy $8.8 trillion. Gartner also notes that 79% of HR leaders report frontline attrition negatively impacts their business. With frontline workers comprising over 70% of the workforce, there is much at stake.
Frontline employee engagement challenges and solutions
Frontline employees often miss out on corporate communication. Without proper communication channels, they’re disconnected from your organization's mission and values.
Failing to engage your frontline comes at a high cost. Gallup reports that disengaged frontline staff cost organizations an average of 34% of an employee’s annual salary, leading to 37% higher absenteeism, 18% lower productivity, and 15% lower profitability. High turnover rates among these employees are partly due to low engagement levels and feeling undervalued.
Exceptional digital employee experiences improve employee engagement, allowing organizations to rectify the communication issue for frontline workers while helping to solve six key challenges.
Challenge 1: Lack of access to digital tools and resources
Despite relying heavily on technology—75% of deskless workers spend most of their day using it—frontline employees often lack efficient digital tools. This limitation hampers productivity, leaves employees feeling unsupported, and can lead to bottlenecks that slow down customer service, product delivery, and issue resolution.
Strategy
To enhance productivity and engagement, organizations should provide accessible digital resources tailored to frontline employees' needs. Offer on-demand training resources to support onboarding and upskilling across the workforce.
Tech solution
Mobile-first solutions are critical for frontline employees who often work on the go and may not have desk access. Platforms with intuitive interfaces allow employees to access tools, information, and communication channels in real time, boosting efficiency and job satisfaction. These platforms should accommodate multiple languages and locations, promoting inclusivity and supporting seamless operations across diverse teams.
Impact
Efficient digital solutions for frontline teams accelerate service and boost customer satisfaction. Improved access to resources fosters employee growth and reduces turnover. Real-time insights into the platform’s use, engagement, and sentiment also allow organizations to make data-driven decisions for continuous frontline experience improvement.
Challenge 2: Communication barriers with management and HQ teams
As the customer-facing arm of your brand, keeping frontline employees informed and engaged is mission-critical. No amount of strategizing at HQ will be effective without buy-in from those putting the plans in place.
However, communication gaps between frontline teams and headquarters can leave up to 89% of these employees out of the loop, creating isolation and misalignment with the company’s mission and values.
Strategy
Develop strategies to improve real-time communication and ensure all employees feel connected to the organization’s mission and goals. Aim to foster inclusion and alignment, creating feedback loops that enable frontline employees to share valuable insights from their direct customer interactions.
Tech solution
Real-time messaging and alerts create seamless connectivity between HQ and frontline teams, facilitating immediate feedback and increasing transparency across the organization. Simplified tools for collecting real-time feedback from frontline employees ensure that management stays attuned to workforce needs and insights, promoting a culture of continuous improvement.
Impact
Maintaining alignment with the company’s mission and values is crucial for building trust and consistency, particularly among frontline workers. Effective communication, especially during crises, empowers frontline teams to make informed decisions on the spot, enhancing both brand integrity and customer experience. Breaking down these communication barriers supports a more engaged, loyal, and productive workforce.
By refueling frontline engagement, you can ensure every employee—from HQ to the frontline—is empowered to do their best work.
Challenge 3: Limited career development opportunities
Career development opportunities are often in short supply for frontline staff, contributing to high turnover rates, which can reach up to 60% in industries like retail. Without clear advancement paths or access to training, many frontline employees look for opportunities elsewhere.
Strategy
Offer clear paths for advancement and provide training that supports career growth and internal mobility. By investing in career development, companies can reduce recruitment costs and build a more resilient workforce.
Tech solution
Mobile access to HR applications—such as performance tracking—enables frontline employees to gain control over their career paths. Providing tools for performance monitoring and goal-setting promotes a sense of ownership in career development.
Impact
Encouraging internal mobility and offering upskilling helps retain talent and ensures employees continue to grow and contribute at higher levels. This in turn reduces turnover, minimizes operational disruptions, and fosters a stronger, more engaged workforce.
Challenge 4: Lack of real-time feedback and recognition
Without real-time feedback and recognition, frontline employees may feel that their efforts go unnoticed, leading to decreased motivation. 70% of frontline workers feel that even when they are asked to give feedback, no one genuinely takes what they say and puts it into action.
Strategy
Create avenues for real-time feedback and recognition to show that frontline employees' contributions are valued. Providing frontline workers with accessible feedback tools not only fosters engagement but also generates valuable insights for continuous improvement.
Tech solution
Recognition and engagement platforms reward frontline staff for their efforts, boosting morale and encouraging ongoing excellence. By using these systems, organizations can create structured opportunities for acknowledging achievements and reinforcing positive performance.
Impact
Recognizing frontline employees as integral contributors strengthens satisfaction and commitment, which ultimately improves both employee turnover and productivity.
Challenge 5: Employee isolation and disengagement
Frontline employees often experience isolation and disengagement, reporting some of the lowest rates of inclusion in the workforce. These feelings of disengagement can harm performance and customer experience.
Strategy
Foster an inclusive culture and strengthen employee connections to enhance engagement. Supporting frontline workers with peer support networks, wellness resources, and a tailored experience contributes to a positive work environment that meets employees' holistic needs.
Tech solution
Seamless communication tools, such as real-time messaging and alerts, help align frontline employees with leadership, fostering inclusion and enabling swift action. Personalized interfaces allow frontline staff to quickly access information specific to their roles, creating a stronger sense of belonging. Personalizing content, communication, and tools based on role and location ensures that employees receive relevant information, which helps them feel more connected to the company's mission and values.
Read more about how to engage your frontline workforce here.
Impact
By cultivating an environment where frontline employees feel engaged, organizations enhance satisfaction and build a committed workforce dedicated to the larger mission, improving both productivity and retention.
Challenge 6: Health and safety
Only 44% of frontline employees report receiving health and safety training in the last year. This lack of preparedness can leave employees vulnerable to workplace hazards, putting them and the organization at risk.
Strategy
Prioritize health and safety by implementing clear, accessible protocols and resources that frontline employees can rely on at any time. Regular, up-to-date training sessions should be provided to reinforce safety standards, and employees should feel empowered to report incidents without hesitation. Encouraging a proactive safety culture can significantly reduce workplace risks and promote a sense of security.
Tech solution
Introduce platforms that offer health and safety training modules accessible via mobile devices, allowing employees to stay informed on safety protocols regardless of location. Real-time incident reporting systems enable employees to report hazards or accidents immediately, fostering a responsive safety culture and minimizing risks through timely interventions.
Impact
When employees feel their well-being is prioritized, job satisfaction and loyalty increase, leading to higher retention rates. Moreover, by proactively addressing safety concerns, organizations can minimize disruptions, reduce workplace accidents, and maintain consistent productivity, benefiting overall operational performance.
Integrating an employee experience platform across industries
Leveraging technology to enhance the frontline employee experience isn’t just a modern convenience—it’s a strategic imperative. An employee experience platform serves as the digital fabric of the workplace, centralizing and simplifying interactions between employees and the organization.
While the frontline experience is facing challenges across a large variety of organizations, EX platforms present unique opportunities to address industry-specific issues effectively.
Employee engagement in healthcare
Workforce shortages, high patient demand, and increased stressors make employee engagement a pressing issue in the healthcare sector. Frontline healthcare employees often lack quick access to expertise, shared knowledge, and recognition, all of which are essential for maintaining morale and retention.
Without effective support and engagement, patient-facing teams may struggle to stay motivated and perform at their best, impacting both patient care and organizational performance.
Cardinal Health: Enhancing employee experience in healthcare
Leveraging Unily’s mobile-first EX platform, Cardinal Health improved employee experience and engagement for its healthcare staff through these key components:
Accessibility to resources: Cardinal Health’s platform provided easy access to essential tools and patient information, empowering healthcare staff to make informed decisions quickly. Employees could retrieve necessary information regardless of their location within the facility.
Real-time communication: Seamless communication channels between frontline workers and leadership enhanced transparency and alignment. With real-time messaging, employees stay updated on critical information, fostering a sense of inclusion and connection to the organization’s mission.
Training and development: Cardinal Health’s platform offered on-demand training resources and professional development opportunities, supporting continuous learning and career advancement.
Recognition and engagement: Systems for rewarding frontline contributions were integrated into the platform, significantly boosting morale and job satisfaction. This culture of recognition helped Cardinal Health’s employees feel valued and motivated, encouraging them to deliver the best patient care possible. Read more on how to empower frontline healthcare workers with an intranet.
Employee engagement in manufacturing
High-pressure environments and increasing production demands can lead to disengagement in the manufacturing industry, and without proper support, frontline workers can lose sight of operational goals.
dormakaba: Enhancing employee experience in manufacturing
Intranet technology made all the difference to dormakaba during its merger. Unily’s EX platform helped to maintain cohesion across the workforce during a turbulent time by implementing several key elements.
Centralized communication: dormakaba used a unified intranet to deliver consistent messages, updates, and resources across its diverse employee base. This kept employees informed and aligned with company goals, creating a shared understanding across teams.
Real-time collaboration tools: By enabling seamless collaboration across departments and locations, dormakaba’s EX platform broke down silos and fostered a sense of unity. Real-time collaboration tools allowed employees to connect and share insights, promoting operational efficiency and innovation during a period of intense change.
Recognition and engagement programs: To reinforce a positive company culture, dormakaba implemented systems to recognize team and individual efforts. This culture helped employees feel valued and motivated, especially amid the merger.
Access to training and resources: dormakaba’s platform provided frontline employees with easy access to training materials, HR resources, and support, helping them adapt to new processes and systems introduced during the merger. This approach minimized disruption and helped employees stay productive and engaged.
Employee engagement in retail
The retail industry faces rising customer expectations and increased stress levels, making frontline employee engagement a large challenge. Without proper engagement, retail employees may struggle to meet customer demands effectively, impacting both customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
The ELC: Enhancing employee engagement in retail
The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) used Unily’s EX platform to effectively engage its diverse, global workforce, setting an example of successful strategies in retail.
The results were:
Enhanced engagement: Unily’s platform connected ELC employees across different brands and regions. By aligning employees with the company’s mission and values, ELC created a sense of belonging and global community, fostering a stronger connection to organizational goals.
Increased productivity: ELC used centralized resources and efficient communication tools to streamline workflows, minimize redundancies, and enhance productivity. With quick access to inventory updates and customer feedback via mobile devices, frontline employees could make informed decisions in real time to better serve customers.
Strengthened company culture: Unily’s platform helped bridge gaps between corporate, retail, and field teams, unifying a varied employee base under a shared culture.
Improved retention: The enhanced engagement levels ELC achieved translated into increased employee satisfaction and reduced turnover, especially among frontline retail staff. By building a culture of recognition and connection, ELC fostered long-term loyalty and minimized attrition.
Employee engagement in hospitality
High turnover rates, diverse and multilingual teams, and logistical challenges, such as limited access to company communication channels, create unique obstacles for maintaining consistent engagement across hospitality frontline teams. Without effective communication and coordination, minor misalignments can lead to service delays and unsatisfied guests, ultimately affecting the brand’s reputation.
Kerzner International: Enhancing employee experience
Hospitality organizations can implement an EX platform that bridges communication gaps, supports inclusivity, and empowers staff with tools for effective performance. Kerzner International’s partnership with Unily serves as a strong example of how these strategies can be put into practice.
Kerzner International achieved:
Enhanced employee engagement: Through Unily’s EX platform, Kerzner connected frontline employees to the company’s mission and values, fostering a sense of belonging and motivation, while reinforcing each employee’s commitment to delivering exceptional guest experiences.
Improved communication: For employees without company email addresses, the mobile-first platform provided an inclusive solution, making essential updates accessible to everyone.
Increased productivity: Empowered with the right information and training resources, staff could manage tasks efficiently and respond promptly to guest needs.
Consistent guest experiences: Empowered and well-informed employees were able to deliver high-quality, consistent guest services, enhancing Kerzner International’s reputation for excellence. This positive guest experience directly reflects the organization’s investment in its people and contributes to long-term brand loyalty.
Stronger organizational culture: The platform fostered a sense of community and inclusion across Kerzner’s diverse teams and locations. This unified culture helped reduce turnover, supported team morale and cultivated a high-performing workforce capable of meeting the dynamic needs of the hospitality industry.
Employee engagement in transport and logistics
Employee engagement is difficult in the transport and logistics industry, where a mobile workforce, vast geographical spread, and varied roles can lead to disconnection across the organization. This can lead to inefficiencies, safety risks, and lower morale, all of which negatively impact the bottom line.
British Airways: Enhancing employee experience in transport and logistics
British Airways' partnership with Unily addressed these unique challenges by connecting its mobile workforce, enhancing safety protocols, and encouraging unity across the organization.
Improved communication: The centralized EX platform provided timely, consistent information to employees worldwide. This ensured that pilots, cabin crew, ground staff, and corporate employees stayed aligned with company updates, regardless of time zones or location.
Greater collaboration: The platform enabled employees from different departments and regions to connect, share insights, and work together effectively.
Operational efficiency: Easy access to essential resources and real-time updates empowered British Airways employees. For example, drivers and logistics personnel could access up-to-date operational data on the go, allowing them to make informed decisions that minimized delays and improved customer satisfaction.
Enhanced safety and inclusivity: The platform supported multilingual communication, ensuring all employees understood critical health and safety protocols. This inclusivity enhanced safety by enabling everyone to follow the same guidelines and report incidents promptly, fostering a culture of safety and accountability.
Strengthened culture: By unifying a diverse, global workforce under one platform, British Airways was able to cultivate a strong organizational culture, improving retention and supporting long-term success in a highly competitive industry.
Read the full British Airways case study.
Cathay Pacific: Improving EX in transport and logistics
Cathay Pacific’s challenge was keeping its global, constantly mobile workforce connected and engaged. Frontline staff like cabin crew and ground personnel needed real-time access to information and communication tools.
Cathay Pacific partnered with Unily to launch a mobile-first intranet platform. This innovative solution provided employees with easy access to essential resources, company updates, and collaboration tools directly on their mobile devices.
The benefits of Unily’s platform:
Instant communication: Real-time updates keep all employees informed, no matter where they are.
Increased frontline employee engagement: Mobile accessibility and user-friendly design make it easy for frontline staff to keep their fingers on the pulse.
Enhanced customer service: Empowered employees provide better service, improving overall customer satisfaction.
Unified workforce: The Unily platform fosters a sense of community and alignment with company goals among dispersed teams.
Read the full Cathay Pacific case study.
Best practices for enhancing frontline employee experience
From security and compliance considerations to ideation processes and user-generated content, leading enterprises are implementing these best practices and strategies to place frontline workers at the core of their digital transformation efforts and employee experience platforms.
Collaborative leadership between business, HR, and IT
Cross-functional collaboration is key. When business leaders, HR, and IT join forces, employee experience goals align with business objectives. This unified approach ensures that the EX platform’s introduction addresses the real needs of frontline workers, driving adoption and delivering measurable results.
Designing an employee-centric digital experience
A user-friendly interface ensures frontline adoption of new technologies. Designing digital tools with the employee in mind—and tailoring them to specific roles and industries—makes the technology intuitive and relevant. Personalization not only enhances usability but also helps employees feel valued, as the platform supports their unique workflows and solves their challenges.
Ensuring continuous engagement and adoption
Training and onboarding programs are vital to maximize the value of new platforms. By providing comprehensive training, organizations empower frontline workers to fully leverage the tools at their disposal. Regular feedback loops ensure the technology evolves with employee needs, transforming it from just another tool into an invaluable asset that enhances their daily work.
Security and compliance considerations
In sectors like healthcare and manufacturing, data privacy and compliance aren't just important—they're mandatory. Proactively addressing data privacy concerns builds trust with frontline employees who handle sensitive information. Ensuring compliance with labor laws and industry-specific regulations protects both the organization and its employees, fostering a secure and ethical work environment.
Leadership involvement
Active participation from leadership is crucial. When leaders engage directly with frontline employees, it fosters inclusion and shows that every role matters.
Transparent communication from the top ensures that frontline workers understand the company's vision and how their contributions drive success. This alignment boosts morale and encourages employees to perform at their best.
Digital signage
Utilizing digital signage across the EX platform is an effective way to disseminate information quickly and efficiently. It provides real-time updates, important announcements, and key performance indicators right where frontline employees are working. Immediate access keeps everyone informed and aligned with company objectives, even in changing work environments.
Employee recognition
Acknowledgment from leadership and peers boosts individual morale while cultivating a positive work culture. Implementing recognition programs motivates employees to excel and remain committed to organizational goals.
Ideation
Frontline employees are often closest to customers and daily operations, making them a valuable source of innovative ideas. Encouraging ideation by providing platforms for employees to share suggestions can lead to process improvements and new solutions. This inclusion fosters a sense of ownership and engagement among staff.
User-generated content
Empowering frontline workers to create and share content enriches internal communications. User-generated content allows employees to share experiences, best practices, and success stories, building a stronger community within the organization.
Actionable steps for implementing an EX platform
Implementing an employee experience platform is a strategic move that can revolutionize your organization's productivity and employee engagement, especially among frontline workers. Here are actionable steps to guide you through a successful implementation:
1. Assess current frontline EX
Start by conducting internal audits and surveys to understand the current state of frontline employee engagement, tools, and communication. This deep dive will highlight gaps and areas for improvement.
By gathering insights directly from your frontline employees, you ensure the platform addresses their real needs and challenges.
2. Set clear objectives
Define what you aim to achieve—whether it's reducing turnover, improving communication, or accelerating time-to-market. Clear objectives get your team on board and provide measurable goals. Align these objectives with your overall business strategy to maximize impact.
3. Select the right platform
Choosing the right platform is critical. Look for a solution that offers:
Enterprise-level scalability: Not all businesses have the same EX needs. Enterprise-level organizations need to ensure the technology matches their needs. The Forrester Wave™ Intranet Platforms Report 2024 identifies Unily as a strong performer with robust features tailored for modern enterprises.
Multilingual/multi-brand support: Accommodates diverse workforces across different regions and brands.
Mobile-first design: Ensures accessibility for on-the-go frontline workers.
Real-time analytics: Provides insights into adoption, engagement, and employee sentiment.
The ideal EX platform should be the digital fabric of your workplace, unifying your tech stack into a single, user-friendly interface. This minimizes app switching and improves access on the go.
Unily stands out in this space, recognized by industry leaders including the Gartner Magic Quadrant Award 2023 for Intranet Packaged Solutions for its completeness of vision and ability to execute. Unily was also named a Leader in IDC MarketScape, highlighting our experience-centric intelligent digital workspace solutions.
Unily ranks first in all Use Cases in the 2024 Gartner® Critical Capabilities™ for Intranet Packaged Solutions.
4. Leverage enterprise experience
Implementing an EX platform is a significant undertaking. Leverage expert support to ensure smooth deployment. Unily offers comprehensive services to guide you through every step, from strategy to execution. Our expertise can help tailor the platform to your unique needs, ensuring seamless integration.
5. Measure and optimize
Continuous monitoring is essential. Utilize real-time analytics to track platform performance, adoption rates, and employee engagement. Data-driven insights allow you to make informed adjustments, maximizing the platform's impact. Unily's analytics provide deep visibility into user behavior and sentiment.
Conclusion
Leading enterprises recognize the undeniable link between frontline employee experience, customer experience, and positive business outcomes. By investing in modern employee experience platforms, organizations can bridge the gap between HQ and frontline workers.
Now is the time for senior leaders to prioritize frontline EX as a strategic imperative. By leveraging advanced platforms, you can unlock the full potential of your frontline workforce and achieve measurable business impact.
Don't let disengagement be a velocity drain—empower your frontline employees today to propel your organization into a future of sustained success.
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