Unlock the Secrets of Frontline Workforce Success in 2024. Download the Frontline Workforce Pulse Report 2024

But disconnection, discontent, and demotivation are driving frontline employees to leave their roles at an alarming rate. At Beekeeper, we conducted our third annual Frontline Workforce Survey in September 2023 and found several trends that indicate a decline in motivation and productivity among deskless workers.

Despite these challenges, corporate leaders can reverse this trend and cultivate a thriving workplace that attracts, retains, and develops frontline talent. Addressing the root causes of disengagement enables companies to build a resilient, motivated frontline workforce, vital for sustained business success.

The 2024 Global Frontline Trends Report by Beekeeper offers insights into the motivations and stressors across frontline industries. We want to better equip leaders with valuable knowledge to formulate strategies addressing challenges and foster engagement, productivity, and growth within their frontline operations.

Let’s look at two key insights from our frontline survey:

1. Disengaged Frontline Workers Are Changing Jobs In Record-Breaking Numbers

While fair pay is undoubtedly important, it’s not the only factor that influences whether workers choose to stay or leave. Frontline employees are seeking a friendly and safe work environment, meaningful engagement from their employers, recognition for their efforts, and opportunities for growth and advancement.

And yet, frontline workers often find themselves overworked, unhappy, and disconnected from the priorities of corporate headquarters. This demotivation and dissatisfaction have led many frontliners to leave, resulting in attrition rates as high as 35% to 50% in various industries. 

To address these concerns and retain valuable frontline talent, companies can take a holistic approach. It’s not enough to focus solely on compensation; employers must create a supportive and engaging workplace culture that meets the diverse needs of their frontline workforce. 

By providing a friendly and safe environment, acknowledging individual and team efforts, offering fulfilling jobs with growth potential, and leveraging technology to enhance their work processes, companies can cultivate a motivated and loyal frontline workforce that will contribute to their long-term success.

2. Productivity Dips When Motivators and Operational Issues Aren’t Addressed

The growing disconnect between frontline teams and managers is causing workers to feel that their concerns are being ignored, leading to decreased morale and productivity.

The top 3 roadblocks to frontline productivity are understaffed shifts (36%), lack of recognition (26%), and poor team communication (18%). 

Understaffing remains one of the top productivity killers for frontline workers. When there aren’t enough employees to handle the workload, frontline teams become overwhelmed and their efficiency suffers. A lack of recognition and poor team communication further demotivate workers, making them feel undervalued and unsupported in their roles.

There is a stark contrast between the concerns of frontline workers and the perceptions of HQ executives. While workers prioritize operational challenges such as understaffing and communication issues, executives focus on low morale, unclear goals, and a lack of training. This disconnect highlights the need for better communication and understanding between management and frontline teams.

The consequences of this disconnect are detrimental to organizational performance. When management fails to address the needs and concerns of workers, employees become disengaged and may seek employment elsewhere. This turnover can disrupt operations and lead to financial losses for the company.

To address these issues and improve productivity, employers must prioritize the needs of their frontline teams. Investing in employee engagement and productivity tools, such as Beekeeper, can help. Beekeeper provides a mobile-first platform that enables workers to communicate, collaborate, and develop their skills. It also streamlines communication and allows managers to track engagement and training completion rates.

By addressing motivators and operational issues, employers can create a work environment where employees feel valued and supported. This, in turn, leads to increased productivity and employee satisfaction.

Download the 2024 Global Frontline Workforce Pulse Report for a full list of insights and Beekeeper’s tips on solving frontline challenges.

The post 2024 Frontline Workforce Pulse Report | Bridging The Frontline Disconnect appeared first on Beekeeper.

Watch the replay “Unveiling a Vision for Empowered Frontline Employees”

Fast forward to 2023, Cris is now the CEO of Beekeeper, a company dedicated to solving the frontline disconnect.

At our annual Frontline Success Summit, Cris spoke about:

• Challenges faced by frontline workers
• Four megatrends shaping this issue
• Insights gained from a survey of 8,000 frontline workers

Let’s get a quick recap of the talk:

Four Megatrends Shaping Frontline Challenges

According to Cris, we’re facing a critical juncture in the realm of frontline operations. This turning point holds significant consequences for those who take decisive action, as it presents an abundance of untapped opportunities for business growth in 2024.

“Your frontline can be the biggest asset for 2024 for you, or the biggest risk.” 

Cris Grossmann, CEO & Co-Founder, Beekeeper

The four megatrends that are shaping this juncture are:

1. The proliferation of smartphones, which almost every frontline worker has or will soon have
2. The wake-up call provided by the pandemic and the “great resignation,” highlighting the essential role of frontline workers
3. Economic chaos, causing financial stress for both businesses and frontline workers
4. The rise of cyber attacks, with frontline workers being vulnerable entry points due to their smartphone usage

And yet, despite these trends, frontline workers are still ill-equipped with outdated tools, and the majority of digitalization budgets are allocated to office workers.

To better understand the motivations, stressors, and productivity inhibitors of the front line, Beekeeper surveyed over 8,000 frontline workers. The results revealed a misalignment between the perspectives of frontline workers, frontline managers, and headquarters. For example, frontline workers ranked the cost of living as their top stressor, while headquarters ranked it lower on their priority list. Similarly, frontline workers prioritized getting the job done, learning and development, and having a friendly and fun environment, while headquarters did not share the same ranking. This misalignment extends to the company mission and vision, which ranked low for frontline workers.

Addressing the Frontline Disconnect

Beekeeper is committed to solving the frontline disconnect by listening to the needs and perspectives of frontline workers. Through our survey, we gained valuable insights into what motivates and stresses frontline workers. These insights can help companies align their strategies and initiatives with the needs of their frontline employees. By focusing on the basics that frontline workers crave, such as getting the job done, learning and development, and creating a positive work environment, companies can bridge the disconnect.

The frontline disconnect is a pressing issue that businesses must address to unlock opportunities in 2024. By understanding the challenges faced by frontline workers and aligning strategies with their needs, companies can bridge the gap and create a more productive and engaged workforce.

Watch the complete replay below!

The post Surprising Truths for Frontline Success appeared first on Beekeeper.

Download the complete eBook, “Proven Strategies to Supercharge Frontline Success” here

Through our experience, we’ve identified four important pillars that consistently drive success among our customers:

1. World Class Communication
2. A Competitive Employee Experience
3. Digitized Processes
4. Data-Driven Insights

At our annual Frontline Success Summit, our Chief Product Officer, Kees de Vos revealed what truly drives frontline success for our customers. We also heard real frontline success stories from global brands like Caribou Coffee, and Resorts World Las Vegas, and how these companies have bravely embarked on a journey to improve customer engagement, and productivity, and build a strong workplace culture in partnership with Beekeeper.

Watch the complete recap of the session here.

In his session, Kees revealed his top four pillars of frontline success and why they’re so important:

1. Effective Communication

Effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful frontline team. It needs to be instant, multilingual, secure, and cater to various forms of communication such as text, video, and voice. But communication goes beyond just being functional; it also needs to be engaging and fun. Opening up communication across the entire company, connecting teams, departments, and even frontline workers with executives, is crucial for driving real change and unlocking frontline success.

In our experience, effective communication needs to be a two-way street. Top-down communication and information may be useful initially, but it will eventually lose its impact. To truly drive success, companies need to foster a culture of two-way conversations, where employees feel heard and valued.

2. Employee Experience

In a time where employee turnover rates are at record highs, creating a great employee experience is essential for retaining your workforce. To do this, companies must put the frontline worker at the center of their thinking. Instead of focusing solely on what the company can provide, think about what the frontline worker will gain from the experience.

Making routine tasks like finding their shift schedules and pay slips easier can be a game changer for frontline workers.

In fact, it should take less than 30 seconds for your frontline workers to do the following:

• Request time off
• Access their shift schedule
• Find their pay stubs
• Locate training and safety materials

Additionally, investing in on-the-job training and opportunities for growth and development creates a more engaged and productive workforce.

3. Digitizing Processes

Many frontline jobs still rely on pen and paper, but it’s time to bring these processes into the 21st century. By providing frontline workers with tools and technology they are familiar with, companies can improve efficiency and productivity.

It’s important to start small and consider processes that will benefit both the frontline worker and the company. For example, implementing a simple process for requesting time off or holidays can result in significant time and cost savings. As companies embrace frontline success technologies and digitize paper-based processes, they will see immediate benefits, not only in terms of efficiency but also in employee satisfaction.

4. Data-Driven Insights

By analyzing data and reporting, companies can gain a deeper understanding of which teams are thriving, engaged, and productive, and which ones are struggling. This information allows companies to improve their strategies and make informed decisions. For example, insights can help identify areas where employees are not receiving the necessary information, leading to dissatisfaction and potential strikes. On the other hand, insights can also highlight engaged teams and potential future leaders within the organization.

By putting the frontline worker at the heart of decision-making, starting small, and combining communication, employee experience, and digital processes, companies can create momentum and achieve higher levels of engagement and productivity.

Now let’s recap the discussion with Jessica Monson, Chief Legal Officer at Caribou Coffee, who will share firsthand insights on how Caribou Coffee has successfully implemented these strategies to drive frontline success. We’ll also hear from Bob Napierala, VP of Human Resources at Resorts World Las Vegas on how the company became the employer of choice on the Las Vegas Strip by being the most technologically advanced property on the strip. Leveraging all 4 pillars of driving frontline success.

How Caribou Coffee Uses Beekeeper to Foster Connection

With over 7,500 employees across 11 countries, Caribou Coffee doesn’t just serve coffee but aims to create, as Jess puts it, “Day-making experiences that spark a chain reaction of good for our team members, our guests, and our community.”

This purpose drives their commitment to authentic interactions and personalized service.

Starting with their General Manager conference, known as “BooCon,” Caribou launched the “Spark Stories” stream on Beekeeper. It began as a platform for sharing experiences from the conference but quickly evolved into a channel for sharing both work-related updates and personal moments, connecting distant team members and fostering a sense of community.

For Caribou Coffee, there was a pivotal shift from considering Beekeeper a nice-to-have tool to an essential element of their operations. The onset of the pandemic revealed the limitations of traditional communication methods, like their ‘Red Book,’ a journal for in-store notes and updates. This inefficiency prompted a reevaluation of their communication processes and the need to streamline information flow, especially to their frontline team members, predominantly comprising part-time baristas.

The evolution from paper-based communication to the streamlined and dynamic Beekeeper platform marked a turning point. The tool not only bridged communication gaps but also facilitated an open, engaging culture. Its adoption signaled a fundamental change in the way Caribou Coffee operates, transforming Beekeeper from a mere convenience to an indispensable component of their day-to-day functions.

One of the key benefits of Beekeeper for Caribou Coffee was the sense of connection and empowerment it created among its employees. Through Beekeeper, frontline workers were able to communicate and support each other, whether it was covering shifts for family events or sharing feedback about product issues. This instant connection and ability to help each other out fostered a sense of teamwork and camaraderie among the employees.

Beekeeper also played a crucial role in creating a positive and engaging employee experience for Caribou Coffee’s frontline workers. The platform made their jobs easier and communication more efficient, ultimately improving productivity and engagement. Beekeeper empowered employees to have a voice and feel like they were part of the decision-making process.

How Resorts World Las Vegas Used Beekeeper to Onboard +5,000 Employees In Record Time

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Resorts World Las Vegas faced the unique challenge of effectively communicating with their frontline workers. With 5,000 team members to hire and a need for efficient and seamless communication, they turned to Beekeeper to bridge the gap.

Bob, a member of the Resorts World Las Vegas team, shared his experience of taking on the mission of hiring and onboarding 5,000 team members during the height of the pandemic. With traditional training sessions and in-person communication not feasible, Bob and his team turned to Beekeeper to communicate with their employees.

The first hurdle Bob faced was getting buy-in from the executive team. As a luxury property, they were not accustomed to employees having their phones with them. However, they soon realized the value of having team members engaged and equipped with the necessary information to provide exceptional service. Beekeeper became the communication system that allowed for seamless communication between management and frontline workers.

One of the key goals for Resorts World Las Vegas was to provide a great onboarding experience for their new hires. With team members joining just two weeks before the property opened, it was crucial to communicate as much as possible before they arrived on-site. Beekeeper facilitated this by providing a platform where employees could access important information such as parking instructions, uniform guidelines, and more. By alleviating anxieties and providing a seamless onboarding process, Caribou Coffee created a positive employee experience from the start.

The use of Beekeeper didn’t stop at onboarding. Resorts World Las Vegas leveraged the platform to foster a sense of connection and engagement among their employees. They implemented a culture of recognition and acknowledgment, where team members could recognize and welcome each other through the app. Additionally, they organized contests and used the app to track volunteer hours, further driving engagement and camaraderie among the team.

From an operational perspective, Beekeeper proved to be a valuable tool for driving efficiency. Resorts World Las Vegas utilized the app as a one-stop shop for employees, providing access to time-off requests, training resources, and more. They also implemented attendance call-outs through Beekeeper, eliminating the need for managers to listen to voicemails and streamlining the process for both employees and management.

A Sneak Peek At Beekeeper’s Roadmap to Empowering Frontline Workers

One of the main focuses of Beekeeper’s roadmap for the future is enhancing the communication experience for frontline workers. The goal is to make conversations more engaging and interactive by allowing users to share rich content such as videos, documents, and images. Additionally, Beekeeper plans to introduce the ability for users to react to content with emojis, adding a fun and expressive element to the communication platform.

Another key aspect of Beekeeper’s vision is delivering the right information to frontline workers at the right time. To achieve this, Beekeeper is developing a new feature called the Frontline Workspace. This personalized space will provide workers with the most relevant and timely information based on their roles and current tasks. The Frontline Workspace has already shown promising results in terms of app engagement, productivity, and completion rates of surveys and forms.

In line with the need for quick and accurate information access, Beekeeper is also introducing artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to its search functionality. The AI-powered search will interpret queries in multiple languages and provide relevant content, ensuring that frontline workers can find the information they need efficiently.

Collaboration among teams is another area of focus for Beekeeper. We are working on an enhanced version of group chats that will enable teams to actively collaborate and access relevant information within the chat context. This feature will foster a collaborative team spirit and streamline workflows by providing all necessary information in one place.

Beekeeper is also revamping its analytics and reporting capabilities with the integration of AI and machine learning. This will enable users to create custom reports and gain insights into their team’s performance. The addition of sentiment analysis earlier this year has already provided valuable insights into team engagement, and Beekeeper plans to expand these capabilities to further optimize operational processes.

Overall, Beekeeper’s roadmap showcases our dedication to empowering frontline workers and helping them succeed in their roles. We’re committed to surpassing customer expectations and delivering software that not only drives frontline success but is also enjoyable for frontline workers to use.

Download the eBook below to learn more ways to supercharge your frontline success!

The post Proven Strategies to Supercharge Frontline Success appeared first on Beekeeper.

It was a cool product with plenty of bells and whistles. Yet it is still considered one of the greatest flops in tech history because of one simple reason: it did not serve the needs of its users.

Download our eBook, “Why Microsoft Doesn’t Work for Your Frontline” to Learn More

Microsoft’s recent push to sell to frontline businesses is an example of history repeating itself. 365 and Teams are great solutions for office-based employees. But what about your frontline workers—the ones who aren’t sitting at a desk with a computer at their fingertips?

Learn why rolling out Microsoft for your frontline alone won’t work and wastes money.

Hidden Costs of Extending Microsoft to Deskless Workers

IT and HR teams are under pressure to maintain a single-stack approach to digital transformation. It’s easy to think Microsoft for the frontline fits into this strategy, but it doesn’t.

Once you peel the layers back, you’ll discover hidden costs that outweigh the benefits of consolidating your employee experience tech stack.

There are so many apps

The Modern Collaboration Architecture, also known as the MOCA, is a framework coined by Microsoft that outlines how each app fits into the ecosystem.

As you can see, it’s massive. The average frontline worker doesn’t need all this to do their jobs. They want to be able to access pay stubs, message coworkers, see their shift schedule, manage their tasks, and view safety policies on their phones without having to navigate different apps.

The Modern Collaboration Framework (MOCA) by Microsoft

Microsoft has force-fit this framework into the lives of frontline workers, touting Microsoft Teams as an entry point to “frontline apps” housed in their Viva Suite. The Viva Suite contains 8+ separate apps that require training and configuration, all of which were repackaged after various acquisitions.

We’re not making this up. Recent Microsoft customers told us about their not-so-wonderful experience.

One CIO said:

“Microsoft Teams is not a great experience for manufacturing employees. They do not want it on their phone and they do not know how to use it. Then, you have Viva integrated and (it) becomes even more difficult. The reality is they need an app that looks and feels like Facebook or Instagram, not like a Microsoft product.”

Expecting frontline workers to adopt a complex desktop suite is a risky proposition. They don’t spend their days in front of a computer screen; they’re at a plant, on the shop floor, in the field, or on the frontlines of customer service.

Frontline adoption rates are as low as 10%-15%

Microsoft is a desktop app for desktop employees. They do not have a streamlined, frontline-focused mobile experience, and that’s why adoption rates are so low.

As this Employee Experience Manager put it:

“The high level of information complexity with many Team rooms, as well as updates, become problematic when people are on Teams less frequently, unlike office workers that use it daily.”

If it’s too complicated, your frontline workers won’t use it. A recent report found that 99% of employees access Sharepoint via desktop. Only 0.22% access the intranet on their phone and .02% by tablet.

Beekeeper’s Sharepoint integration solves this problem by allowing workers to access updated Sharepoint files on their phone, without requiring any administrative work. Learn more about it here.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of “if Microsoft gives it to us for free, let’s just try it”.

There’s a reason why it’s free. Microsoft hasn’t cracked the code on how to get frontline workers to adopt their platform, so they want you to be their guinea pig while they figure it out.

In the 2022/23 Yammer & Viva Engage Benchmarking Report, SWOOP Analytics found that only 10% of users are active on the platform. If only 1 in every 10 workers is communicating with Microsoft, where else are they going?

53% of workers end up using WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger instead. Not only does this push them to less secure communication channels (hello shadow IT ), it reduces productivity and efficiency. Employees no longer know where to find each other, so they revert back to manual, pen-and-paper processes.

Even worse, leadership has no visibility into task completion, employee engagement, and overall sentiment. You can’t optimize the frontline experience without a complete picture of what’s happening.

Missing functionality and administrative bottlenecks

Microsoft is notorious for selling licensing models instead of solutions.

Examined closely, Microsoft’s frontline suite has some glaring gaps that hinder admins and users from working effectively.

Another enterprise CIO told us that:

“Even with a core part of Viva within E3 and E5, there are major pieces of the suite that are missing that they promoted to us, like Viva Goals, Topics and the Answers module…and even the crisis communications alerts…When you add those on, it is another $15-$17 an employee a month, which is outside of our budget with already paying $57 a month for E5.”

To summarize, the a-la-carte pricing model is tricky to navigate. If you’re set on adopting Microsoft, we recommend you at least read the fine print.

Download this guide so you can build your evaluation criteria and make an informed decision

The licensing structure is troublesome, but the real headaches come during implementation. Rolling out Microsoft to your frontline requires deep expertise in their product suite, which can only be found in Microsoft developers and reseller partners.

Let’s say you want to automate your onboarding process with a workflow. Instead of being able to customize and deploy yourself, you’ll be stuck relying on a partner. This can make implementation timelines 4-5x slower, severely increasing internal labor costs and impacting your bottom line.

Limited frontline experience or expertise

As of September 2023, Microsoft does not have dedicated customer support. They outsource to value-added resellers who profit based on the number of licenses sold.

These resellers are experts on Microsoft, but not on frontline businesses or industries. There are a lot of nitty-gritty details involved, like talking to workers on-site or hosting competitions to encourage adoption. This requires a white-glove approach from frontline success experts who have been there and done that.

Want to try out Beekeeper yourself? Sign up for a free trial

The Best Employee Experience Includes Beekeeper

Creating the best employee experience involves catering to the needs of all your workers, not just those in office settings. Beekeeper enhances Microsoft’s employee experience suite by providing a dedicated system for your frontline employees to ensure they’re engaged, informed, and connected.

The digital transformation journey isn’t complete without addressing the needs of your frontline workers. By integrating Beekeeper into your Microsoft ecosystem, you can protect your investment and provide your entire workforce with the tools they need to grow your business.

Download our ebook to dig deeper into the Top 11 Limitations of Microsoft for the Frontline

The post The Problem With Using Microsoft for Your Deskless Workers appeared first on Beekeeper.

Revolutionize your Business with Frontline Intelligence. Get AI-Powered Insights with Beekeeper. Click here to learn more.

Frontline Workforce Management Today

Workforce management is how companies coordinate employees to maximize productivity and business outcomes. But companies often have different workforce management strategies for desk-based employees and frontline employees. 

Without a company email address, frontline workers were often managed as their entity rather than as a part of the larger workforce. They are more often shift-to-shift or hourly workers who had a different set of workplace communication methods, like break room bulletin boards or face-to-face conversations. But that leaves the frontlines detached and disengaged.

Now, mobile workforce management tools have allowed companies to create a blanket workforce management approach for all employees. And within these platforms, AI can do what it does best: gather data, recognize patterns, and deliver insights so companies can make better decisions. This means leaders can take specific actions based on frontline intelligence and improve frontline workforce management.

What is a Frontline AI Performance System?

Historically, managers have been disconnected from their frontline teams, unsure of what they want or need. And they’ve often been left out of mainstream company communication. It’s led to low engagement, poor productivity, and high turnover. It’s also a missed opportunity for companies to glean valuable data that can help create a stronger frontline workforce.

But mobile solutions for frontline workers have ushered in the frontline age of AI. AI can process every data point (behaviors, tasks, engagement, productivity) to constantly produce insights. A frontline AI solution allows leaders to make better decisions based on deep data that will yield a fine-tuned, efficient, productive frontline workforce. 

Here’s how frontline artificial intelligence works.

When employees use a dedicated workplace solution, like Beekeeper, data is collected at every interaction. The platform can organize that information to recognize patterns and predict future behaviors or outcomes.

Embracing AI In Frontline Industries 

Across industries, AI has primarily been used at top levels of the workforce.

Like most new workplace technology, there’s a misconception that AI is intended to replace humans. But it’s designed to support frontline employees and make work more efficient and less redundant. 

Things are shifting, and frontline workers are gaining more exposure to AI in the workplace. 

Here are three ways to get people to embrace AI frontline technology:

• Be transparent about the tools you’re using. Start by talking to the frontline about artificial intelligence to alleviate fears of the unknown.
• Show managers how frontline AI will increase their visibility and give them the insights to better lead their teams.
• Find a mobile-first, AI-powered performance system to reach everyone in your organization and pave the way for frontline success.

Retention, Turnover, And The Role Of AI

The calculation is easy: frontline workers who don’t get what they need are disconnected. That leads to low morale and high turnover. 

Now, imagine there is an analytics dashboard that can deliver real-time insights, reveal how employees are feeling, track productivity levels, and empower managers to make process improvements that engage their frontline teams. 

Having that capability will allow companies to create the experience that employees want and need in their jobs which will lead to happier employees and higher retention. 

A Glimpse into the Future: AI and Personalized Employee Experiences

In frontline industries, companies have been struggling with an ongoing labor shortage, particularly in retail and hospitality. It has demanded greater attention to the employee experience, beginning with recruitment, recruitment tracking and onboarding.

The future of AI and automation in the workforce is supporting this trend. Beekeeper, a solution designed to empower frontline teams, is now incorporating AI into its mobile platform to take collected data and turn it into valuable insights in several ways. 

AI-Powered Sentiment Analysis

For data designed for action, Beekeeper tracks employee morale without the need to distribute regular surveys. Technology can measure employee sentiment while staying compliant with GDPR. Employers gain the insights to respond to the data and can redesign strategies to shift internal trends that engage the frontline.

Analytics Dashboard to Drive Productivity

What’s happening with each worker and what’s getting done during their shifts? Are employees engaged and productive? Real-time data track employee productivity and task completion. Employers can check their analytics dashboard to get the latest insights and make informed decisions to reshape processes that optimize productivity and reduce downtime. 

Deeper Insights for a Better Employee Experience

With Beekeeper, onboarding is a swift, automated process that ramps up time to productivity for each new hire and sets the tone for the entire employee lifecycle. Employers can leverage AI tools like chatbots to automate pivotal moments and create continuous data touchpoints. Based on the information, managers can tailor strategies to enhance the experience for each frontline worker. 

Frontline AI: The Future is Here

As companies aim to strengthen their workforce, drive productivity, and keep operations running smoothly, they’re adopting new technologies to continually optimize business processes. The frontline is constantly generating data, and AI is letting companies finally translate that data into actionable insights that will create a stronger frontline experience. 

Take a Deeper Dive Inside Beekeeper’s Frontline Intelligence Package. Download our free guide below!

The post Frontline AI: Redefining the Future of Workforce Management appeared first on Beekeeper.

The challenge becomes even greater in today’s shifting remote work dynamics and diverse team requirements. That’s why there is an urgent need to adopt tools that cater to individual and company-wide productivity needs.

In this article, we’ll delve into the top productivity apps, segmented by their core functions, to provide a comprehensive guide tailored to every business context. Whether you’re looking for team collaboration solutions or individual task-tracking tools, we’ve got you covered.

One of the pain points we’ll address is the overwhelming array of productivity apps available, which makes it difficult to choose the right one for your needs. We understand the frustration of investing time and resources into a tool that doesn’t deliver the expected results. Our goal is to help you navigate through the sea of options and identify the apps that will truly enhance your productivity.

Inefficient team collaboration is another common challenge that can lead to project delays. We’ll explore apps that facilitate seamless communication, task assignment, and project management, ensuring that your team stays on track and delivers results on time.

Tracking individual and team tasks can be a challenge, resulting in missed deadlines and a lack of accountability. We’ll highlight apps that offer robust task management features, allowing you to stay organized and prioritize your work effectively.

Inadequate tools for business-specific needs can lead to patchy integrations and workflow disruptions, which is why we’ll focus on apps that cater to different industries and business requirements, ensuring smooth integration and enhancing workflow efficiency.

With remote teams becoming more prevalent, keeping everyone aligned and on the same page can be difficult. We’ll explore apps that enable effective remote collaboration, fostering a cohesive work environment regardless of geographical location.

By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear understanding of the top productivity apps available, and you’ll be equipped to select the best tools that drive growth, enhance productivity, and create a harmonious work environment.

Let’s begin.

Communication Tools for Seamless Team Interactions

Communication tools that enable seamless team interactions are crucial for efficient collaboration. Instant messaging, video conferencing, and file sharing all facilitate real-time information exchange. With the global increase in remote work, these tools bridge the gap between team members, improving productivity and decision-making while fostering a sense of connection and teamwork.

Three notable options for seamless team interactions are:

1. Beekeeper

Beekeeper is a frontline success system that is specifically designed for frontline employees. It provides a secure and reliable way for these workers to stay connected in real time. With Beekeeper, frontline teams can easily come together to solve problems, overcome obstacles, and get things done efficiently. This app is particularly useful for businesses that rely on frontline workers and want to optimize their productivity. By streamlining internal communication, improving the onboarding process, and providing easy access to ongoing learning materials, Beekeeper helps businesses create a supportive environment for their frontline workforce.

2. Slack

Slack is another popular communication tool that offers seamless team interactions. It provides a platform for instant messaging, file sharing, and collaboration. With Slack, team members can easily communicate, share ideas, and work on projects together. The app allows for the creation of channels, where teams can organize their conversations and files based on different topics or projects. Slack also integrates with various other tools and services, making it a versatile platform for team collaboration.

3. Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a comprehensive communication and collaboration platform that is part of the Microsoft Office 365 suite. It offers features such as chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and project management. Microsoft Teams allows teams to work together seamlessly, regardless of their location. It enables real-time collaboration on documents, scheduling meetings, and integrating with other Microsoft tools like SharePoint and Outlook. With Microsoft Teams, teams can efficiently communicate, collaborate, and stay organized, making it a solid choice for seamless team interactions.

Project Management Tools for Nailing Deadlines

Project management tools provide a centralized platform for teams to plan, track, and manage tasks and milestones. These tools offer features like task assignments, progress tracking, and deadline reminders, ensuring that projects stay on schedule and deadlines are met successfully.

Here are three we’d recommend:

4. Trello

Trello has a user-friendly interface and intuitive features that make it easy for teams to stay organized and on track. The visual board system allows users to create boards, lists, and cards to represent tasks and milestones. This visual representation promotes transparency and accountability, ensuring everyone is aware of their responsibilities and deadlines. Trello offers features like due dates, checklists, and labels, allowing teams to prioritize tasks, set specific deadlines, and categorize items. Notifications and reminders help team members stay updated and avoid missing deadlines. The collaboration aspect of Trello enables efficient communication and coordination within the cards, making it easy to address issues and make necessary adjustments. Trello also integrates with various tools and platforms, streamlining workflows and centralizing project management.

5. Asana

Asana’s task management system allows teams to create tasks, assign them to team members, and set due dates. One of Asana’s standout features is its ability to break down projects into smaller, manageable tasks. This helps teams visualize the steps needed to complete a project and ensures that each task has a clear deadline. Asana also provides a centralized platform for communication and collaboration, allowing team members to discuss tasks, share files, and provide updates in real-time. Asana’s automated reminders and notifications enable team members to stay on top of their deadlines and avoid missing important milestones. The platform’s intuitive interface and seamless integration with other tools further enhance productivity and efficiency.

6. Jira

With its robust features and customizable workflows, Jira provides a comprehensive solution for managing projects and ensuring timely completion. One of Jira’s key strengths is its ability to create and track tasks through customizable boards and workflows. These boards allow teams to visualize their project progress, identify bottlenecks, and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines effectively. Jira also offers agile project management capabilities, making it ideal for teams working in iterative development cycles. Jira’s integrated calendar and scheduling features enable teams to set clear deadlines and allocate resources accordingly. It provides real-time updates and notifications, ensuring that team members are aware of approaching deadlines and can take necessary actions to meet them.

Time Management Tools for Mastering Your Hours

Time management tools help you prioritize tasks, stay organized, and make the most efficient use of your time. These tools allow you to create schedules, set reminders, and track your progress, ensuring that you stay on track and meet deadlines. They also provide insights into how you are spending your time, helping you identify areas where you can improve productivity and eliminate time-wasting activities.

Let’s look at three effective time management options:

7. RescueTime

RescueTime is a powerful time management tool that helps you understand how you spend your time on your computer and mobile devices. It runs in the background, tracking the apps and websites you use, and provides detailed reports on your daily activities. With RescueTime, you can set goals, block distracting websites, and receive alerts when you spend too much time on unproductive tasks. This tool provides valuable insights into your productivity patterns, helping you identify areas for improvement and make adjustments to your workflow.

8. Toggl

Toggl is a popular time tracking tool that allows you to keep track of how you spend your time. With Toggl, you can easily start a timer for each task and project you work on, and it will accurately record the time spent. You can categorize your time entries, create reports, and analyze your productivity. Toggl also offers integrations with other tools, making it easy to sync your time entries with project management software or calendar apps. With its simple and intuitive interface, Toggl makes it effortless to track and manage your time, helping you stay focused and accountable.

9. Clockify

Clockify is a free time tracking tool that allows you to keep track of how you spend your time on different tasks and projects. With Clockify, you can create timers, enter manual time entries, and categorize your activities. It provides detailed reports and insights into your time usage, allowing you to analyze your productivity and identify areas for improvement. Clockify also offers integrations with other popular tools, making it easy to sync your time entries and streamline your workflow. Whether you are working individually or in a team, Clockify enables you to manage your time effectively and make the most out of your hours.

File Sharing and Collaboration Tools for Effortless Teamwork

File sharing and collaboration tools enable seamless communication, efficient document sharing, and streamlined project management. These tools allow team members to work together in real-time, regardless of their physical location, fostering collaboration and enhancing productivity. By providing a centralized platform for storing and sharing files, these tools eliminate the need for endless email chains and confusing file versions. They often offer features like task assignment, progress tracking, and commenting, facilitating effective project management.

Our top picks are:

10. Dropbox Business

With its cloud-based storage and intuitive interface, Dropbox Business allows teams to easily store, organize, and share files, ensuring that everyone has access to the most up-to-date versions. Its seamless integration with various productivity apps like Microsoft Office and Google Docs makes collaboration and editing a breeze. Dropbox Business also offers advanced features such as file recovery, version history, and granular permissions, enabling efficient file management. With robust security measures, including data encryption and two-factor authentication, Dropbox Business ensures that your files are protected. Overall, Dropbox Business helps streamline workflows, minimize time spent searching for files, and enhance team productivity.

11. Google Workspace

Formerly known as G Suite, Google Workspace is a comprehensive suite of productivity tools that includes Gmail, Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and more. With its cloud-based approach, Google Workspace allows teams to collaborate in real-time, making it an excellent time management tool. Its intuitive interface and easy file sharing capabilities enable seamless collaboration and efficient document management. With features like shared calendars, task management, and video conferencing, Google Workspace helps teams stay organized and focused. Its powerful search functionality and integration with other Google services make finding and accessing files a quick and easy process. Google Workspace keeps teams connected and productive, allowing them to make the most of their working hours.

12. Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 is a comprehensive suite of productivity tools that includes popular apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. With its cloud-based storage and collaboration features, Microsoft 365 enables teams to work together seamlessly, increasing productivity and time management. Teams can share files and collaborate in real-time, eliminating the need for back-and-forth emails and version control issues. Microsoft 365 offers a range of features like task management, shared calendars, and video conferencing, allowing teams to stay organized and focused on their goals. Its integration with other Microsoft tools and services enhances productivity, enabling seamless workflows. With its robust security measures and data protection features, Microsoft 365 ensures that files are safe and secure.

Note-Taking and Brainstorming Tools for Capturing Every Spark of Genius

Note-taking and brainstorming tools allow employees to record meeting discussions, action items, and important information, ensuring that nothing is missed or forgotten. They enable teams to brainstorm and capture ideas in real-time, fostering creativity and innovation. They also allow for easy sharing and collaboration by providing a structured and organized approach to information management.

Let’s look at two popular options:

13. Evernote Business

Evernote Business is a powerful note-taking tool that allows users to capture and organize information in various formats, including text, images, audio, and web clippings. With its search capabilities and easy-to-use interface, teams can quickly find and access important notes, ensuring efficient collaboration and knowledge sharing. Evernote Business also offers features like document scanning, annotation, and integration with other business tools, making it a comprehensive solution for information management. It also provides advanced security and administrative controls so that sensitive business information remains protected.

14. Notion

Notion is a versatile all-in-one workspace that serves as both a note-taking and project management tool. It allows users to create and organize notes, tasks, and databases in a flexible and customizable layout. With its drag-and-drop interface and powerful collaboration features, teams can easily collaborate and share information in real-time. Notion also offers advanced features like kanban boards, calendar views, and integrations with other tools, enabling teams to manage projects and workflows seamlessly. Its ability to handle complex information structures and its intuitive design make it a popular choice for businesses of all sizes.

Document Automation and E-Signature Tools for Streamlining Paperwork

These tools eliminate the need for manual paperwork, allowing businesses to create, manage, and distribute documents electronically. By automating document creation and workflows, businesses can ensure consistency and accuracy in their documentation. E-signature tools enable businesses to obtain legally binding signatures electronically, eliminating the need for physical documents and in-person meetings. This not only saves time but also improves accessibility and enhances the overall customer experience. Moreover, these tools enhance data security by providing encryption and audit trails, ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of important business documents.

Our top two picks are:

15. DocuSign

DocuSign is an e-signature tool that allows businesses to send, sign, and manage documents electronically. It simplifies the process of obtaining signatures, eliminating the need for printing, scanning, and mailing physical documents. DocuSign offers a secure and legally binding platform, ensuring the authenticity and integrity of signed documents. With features like templates and automated workflows, businesses can streamline their document signing processes and improve efficiency. DocuSign also integrates with popular business software, making it easy to incorporate e-signatures into existing workflows.

16. PandaDoc

PandaDoc is a comprehensive document automation platform that goes beyond just e-signatures. It allows businesses to create, send, track, and sign documents all in one place. With PandaDoc, businesses can create professional-looking proposals, contracts, and other documents using pre-built templates and drag-and-drop functionality. The platform also enables collaboration, allowing multiple team members to work on a document simultaneously. PandaDoc offers features like document tracking, analytics, and electronic payments, making it a powerful tool for streamlining the entire document lifecycle. It also integrates with popular CRM and project management software, enhancing workflow efficiency and productivity.

Customer Support and Ticketing Tools for Exceeding Expectations

Customer support and ticketing tools help businesses manage and respond to customer queries, complaints, and requests. They allow businesses to track and prioritize customer issues, assign them to the relevant team members, and ensure timely resolution. These tools also enable businesses to maintain a record of customer interactions, facilitating personalized and targeted support. By using them, businesses can enhance their customer service, build trust, and improve overall customer experiences, leading to increased customer loyalty and retention.

Two great options are:

17. Zendesk

With Zendesk, businesses can create a centralized help desk system to streamline customer support operations. The tool allows businesses to categorize and prioritize customer tickets, assign them to the appropriate team members, and track their progress in resolving them. Zendesk also offers various features like live chat, self-service portals, and knowledge bases, enabling businesses to provide efficient and personalized support to their customers. The reporting and analytics capabilities of Zendesk help businesses gain insights into their support performance and identify areas for improvement.

18. Freshdesk

Freshdesk offers a user-friendly interface that allows businesses to manage customer queries, complaints, and requests efficiently. With Freshdesk, businesses can automate ticket routing, assign tickets to the right agents, and track their progress. The tool also offers a knowledge base feature that allows businesses to create self-service portals, enabling customers to find answers to their queries independently. Freshdesk also provides collaboration tools, allowing team members to collaborate and resolve tickets together. With its reporting and analytics capabilities, Freshdesk helps businesses analyze their support performance, identify bottlenecks, and make informed decisions to improve customer satisfaction.

Marketing Automation Tools for Boosting Your Brand’s Reach

With marketing automation, businesses can automate email campaigns, lead generation, social media management, and customer relationship management. By automating these processes, businesses can nurture leads, build stronger customer relationships, and increase conversions. Marketing automation tools also provide valuable insights and analytics, allowing businesses to track and measure the success of their marketing efforts. These tools help businesses optimize their marketing strategies, improve customer engagement, and drive revenue growth.

Our recommendations are:

19. Mailchimp

With Mailchimp, businesses can design professional-looking email templates, segment their email list, and schedule automated email campaigns. The platform also offers advanced features like A/B testing, personalized recommendations, and tracking and analytics to measure the success of email campaigns. Mailchimp integrates with other marketing tools and platforms, making it easy to manage all marketing efforts in one place. Mailchimp is a user-friendly and powerful tool for businesses of all sizes to engage with their audience through email marketing.

20. HubSpot Marketing Hub

HubSpot Marketing Hub is an all-in-one marketing automation platform that helps businesses attract and engage customers. It offers a wide range of features, including email marketing, lead generation, social media management, content creation, analytics, and more. With HubSpot Marketing Hub, businesses can create personalized and targeted marketing campaigns, automate workflows, and track the success of their marketing efforts. The platform also provides valuable insights and analytics, allowing businesses to make data-driven decisions and optimize their marketing strategies. HubSpot Marketing Hub integrates seamlessly with other HubSpot tools, providing a comprehensive solution for businesses to manage their marketing activities effectively.

Inventory Management Tools for Keeping Your Stock in Check

Inventory management tools provide businesses with real-time visibility into their inventory, allowing them to track stock levels accurately, avoid stockouts or overstocking, and make informed purchasing decisions. By efficiently managing inventory, businesses can reduce carrying costs, minimize wastage, and improve cash flow. Inventory management tools also enable businesses to forecast demand, plan production, and optimize order fulfillment, improving customer satisfaction. These tools help businesses save time, reduce costs, and increase operational efficiency.

21. Zoho Inventory

With Zoho Inventory, businesses can effectively track and manage inventory levels, streamline order fulfillment processes, and automate reordering to ensure optimal stock levels. The tool also integrates seamlessly with other Zoho applications like Zoho CRM and Zoho Books, allowing businesses to have a holistic view of their operations. Zoho Inventory provides detailed reporting and analytics capabilities, enabling businesses to gain valuable insights into their inventory performance and make data-driven decisions. The user-friendly interface makes it easy for businesses to navigate and utilize the tool efficiently.

22. QuickBooks Commerce

QuickBooks Commerce is a cloud-based inventory management tool designed specifically for eCommerce businesses. This tool offers a range of features to help businesses manage their inventory across multiple sales channels and marketplaces. It allows businesses to synchronize stock levels in real-time, automate order fulfillment, and track inventory movements accurately. The tool also provides advanced inventory control features like batch and expiry tracking to ensure efficient inventory management. With its seamless integration with other QuickBooks applications, businesses can easily manage their finances and inventory in one platform, improving efficiency and accuracy. 

Build Your Tech Stack with the Right Productivity Apps

When selecting productivity apps for your tech stack, consider how they can work together seamlessly. For example, project management tools like Trello or Asana can be integrated with communication tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams to ensure efficient collaboration and task management. Similarly, CRM tools like HubSpot can integrate with email marketing tools like Mailchimp to automate customer communication and nurture leads.

One solution that enhances productivity and communication is Beekeeper. Beekeeper enables frontline businesses to centralize and streamline their communication channels with features like real-time messaging, task management, and team collaboration. Though Beekeeper is a comprehensive platform, it can complement other productivity apps in your tech stack to create a more connected and efficient workflow.

By carefully selecting and integrating tools that complement each other, businesses can build a tech stack that maximizes productivity, improves communication, and enhances overall efficiency.

Get the Complete Guide! How To Choose The Best Collaboration Software for Your Frontline. Download Below!

The post Working Smarter Not Harder | 22 Of Our Favorite Productivity Apps appeared first on Beekeeper.

At Beekeeper, we’ve worked with many frontline organizations and see the massive disconnect between what frontline workers need and what upper management leaders think is important. This failure to fully understand the frontline experience and adjust policies accordingly has created long-standing issues like high turnover, burnout, and low levels of engagement.

But don’t take it from us. Here are 25 stats about the impact of frontline disconnect and just how expensive it can be for organizations.

1. 92% of frontline leaders cited the frontline experience as important to achieving their organization’s goals, but only 36% ranked it as one of their top three goals.

Despite how important the frontline experience is to an organization’s success, many leaders do not prioritize it in their goals. This often leads to what we at Beekeeper call the Great Frontline Disconnect between corporate HQ and frontline workers.

2. Almost 3/4 of frontline corporate leaders believe that their organization invests in new tech for frontline employees, yet only 39% of workers agree.

The Frontline Disconnect often shows up when leadership teams overestimate how much effort they’re putting into improving the frontline experience. Employers can work on bridging this gap between perception and reality by not only listening to their workers but adopting technology tools that allow for feedback and bottom-up communication.

3. While 65% of frontline corporate leaders believe their communication strategy is effective, only 35% of workers feel heard.

Leaders may also overestimate the effectiveness of their communication strategy, causing to workers to feel unheard. Organizations can improve communication by implementing mobile-first platforms aligned with the reality of frontline work.

4. Within the retail industry, 73% of decision-makers say that digital transformation initiatives haven’t reached the frontline.

The retail industry may be lagging behind in digital transformation efforts, potentially putting them at a disadvantage compared to competitors. Decision-makers can stay ahead of the curve by prioritizing digital transformation initiatives.

5. A survey of frontline leaders, deskless workers, and managers found that only 39% of frontline workers feel heard.

Feeling unheard is widespread among frontline workers and can have a negative effect on employee engagement, productivity, and retention. Frontline organizations are stepping up when it comes to offering better communication and support from leadership, but there is still work to be done.

6. Support from managers can improve a frontline worker’s likelihood to stay with an organization by 300%. Among workers who say they don’t feel supported by their manager consistently, only 20% are happy in their current role.

Managerial support is crucial to retaining frontline workers, but distributed teams and language barriers can make providing that support more challenging. By prioritizing better communication tools and strategies that connect managers and employees, frontline organizations can improve employee retention and satisfaction.

7. Frontline employees who don’t feel supported are 4X more likely to leave than those who do.

Lack of support from leadership and managers is one of the main reasons for high turnover rates among frontline workers. Organizations that acknowledge the challenges and stressors their workers face on a daily basis and actively create solutions that alleviate them are on their way to a more supported workforce.

8. Frontline workers are speaking up more than ever: 74% of frontline decision-makers say that employees are rejecting conditions that would have gone unchallenged a few years ago.

Frontline workers are becoming more vocal about their concerns and expectations. And that’s a good thing! Employers that use employee feedback to improve the frontline experience can reduce turnover and improve productivity.

9. 42% of frontline workers were considering quitting their job in 2022, up from 36% the previous year.

The number of frontline workers considering leaving their jobs is increasing, highlighting the need for employers to address retention issues. Some ways to improve employee retention include providing growth opportunities, supportive leadership, and open communication channels.

10. While adequate training is among the top three factors affecting employee happiness and success, 43% of frontline managers say that the lack of training affects their day-to-day work.

Lack of training can have a significant impact on frontline workers’ job satisfaction and performance, but in-person training can be time consuming and expensive, especially for a distributed workforce with high turnover. That’s why Beekeeper partnered with MobieTrain to create micro-learning opportunities for frontline workers.

11. 62% of frontline organizations are currently using 4-6 different frontline employee apps, leading to siloed and inefficient distribution of information.

The use of multiple apps can lead to confusion, overwhelm, and inefficiency. Frontline organizations can work to streamline communication by adopting a single, centralized platform.

12. 56% of frontline operations leaders said concern over career path/growth was the top reason employees leave.

The lack of career growth opportunities can cause employees to feel stagnant and unfulfilled in their roles. To help change that, frontline organizations can offer training and development programs, mentorship, and clearly defined career paths.

13. The cost of losing an employee is high and can range anywhere from tens of thousands of dollars to 1.5-2x the employee’s salary.

Recruiting, onboarding, and training new hires all takes money, time, and effort. While employee turnover is inevitable, frontline organizations can avoid unnecessary costs by improving retention. That includes creating a positive work environment, offering competitive compensation and benefits packages, and providing opportunities for career growth.

14. The average cost of losing a frontline worker is $12,876 and can exceed $45,000 for skilled roles.

Retention is crucial for frontline organizations as it reduces the cost of hiring and training new employees, maintains consistency in the quality of service provided, and promotes a positive reputation in the industry. Retaining skilled and experienced employees helps in improving customer satisfaction, which, in turn, leads to higher revenue and profitability.

15. A study of more than 18,000 frontline workers found that the #1 reason for leaving an organization is the lack of opportunity to grow their careers.

Offering performance-based promotions and empowering employees to take on additional responsibilities can provide growth opportunities for frontline workers, leading to increased job satisfaction and retention. Access to training and development resources can also help employees develop new skills and advance their careers within the organization.

16. 55% of frontline workers in the U.S. aren’t satisfied with their professional network, with 69% reporting low mentorship.

Frontline organizations can provide more mentorship to their workers by pairing them with more experienced employees who can guide them and provide valuable feedback. Mentorship programs that pair experienced employees with newer hires during the onboarding process can set new employees up for success, while continued mentorship can improve retention.

17. 89% of frontline workers say they’re more likely to stay with their current employer if they feel like the company they work for listens to their feedback.

Listening to employee feedback is crucial to retaining frontline workers because it helps organizations identify and address issues that may be causing low morale or high turnover. It also shows employees that their opinions and perspectives are valued, which can boost their engagement and motivation to stay with the organization.

18. 41% of frontline workers say that management never seeks feedback, and of the employees that do provide feedback, 70% say that their voices aren’t being heard.

Providing opportunities for employees to share their thoughts and ideas with management can foster a culture of open communication and continuous improvement. By actively listening to and addressing employee feedback, frontline organizations can increase engagement and retention.

19. Lack of employee engagement costs U.S. employers $500 billion in lost productivity.

When employees are disengaged, they are more likely to miss work, make errors, and lack motivation to complete tasks efficiently, which can ultimately affect the bottom line of the organization. Disengaged employees are also more likely to leave their jobs, leading to increased turnover costs and decreased morale among remaining employees.

20. 75% of frontline employees don’t trust that their organization communicates transparently.

Establishing clear and open lines of communication between management and employees is one way to start building that trust. This can be done by providing regular updates on company policies, goals, and performance metrics, as well as encouraging feedback from employees.

21. 45% of more than 7,000 frontline employees surveyed in 2021 said that they were planning on leaving frontline work altogether.

Improving retention rates involves improving the frontline experience at all points during the employee life cycle, from onboarding to long-term employment. Offering opportunities for career advancement, skill development, and training can help to increase job satisfaction and loyalty.

22. While 55% of frontline workers feel connected to HQ, 51% believe that they are perceived as less important than their HQ colleagues.

Frontline organizations can make their workers feel valued and important by recognizing their contributions and achievements regularly. Giving employees autonomy and decision making power in their roles can also help them feel trusted and respected. Providing opportunities for development shows employees that the organization values their skills and is invested in their future success.

23. 1 out of 3 frontline workers feel like they don’t have the right technological tools to do their job effectively.

Giving frontline workers the right technological tools to do their job effectively starts with understanding their needs and workflows. For communication, many technological tools are designed for desk workers and don’t provide adequate support for frontline teams. That’s why, at Beekeeper, we designed our platform to enable mobile-first, real-time communication that’s aligned with the reality of frontline work.

24. 73% of corporate employees believe their company invests in new technology for frontline workers, while only 39% of frontline workers agree.

New tools and technology can help workers perform their tasks more accurately and quickly, reduce errors and delays, and streamline workflows. This can ultimately lead to increased customer satisfaction, better business outcomes, and a competitive advantage for frontline organizations.

25. 87% of frontline workers believe that their employer should do more to listen to the needs of their workforce.

Frontline organizations can listen more to the needs of their workforce by implementing regular feedback mechanisms, as well as fostering open communication and a culture of transparency to encourage employees to express their opinions and share their experiences.

Discover the true cost of frontline disconnect. Download our eBook today

The post 25 Shocking Stats About Frontline Disconnect appeared first on Beekeeper.

In other words, happy and engaged employees equate to greater productivity, stronger retention, and better customer service, all drivers of high revenue. But the frontline has never felt more disconnected, and that disconnect has a negative impact on all of those business outcomes.

Here at Beekeeper, as a company committed to frontline workers and companies, we wanted to take a deeper dive into what’s fueling this disconnect. In our Frontline Future of Work: The Cost of Frontline Disconnect eBook, we look at the numbers that show the extent of this problem. We’ll reveal what it is that frontline workers want. And we’ll share tips on how companies can recalibrate, engage their frontline teams, and change the downward trends.

Download our eBook “The Hidden Cost of Frontline Disconnect” to learn more.

Here are a few of the highlights from our research.

What is Frontline Disconnect?

People engage with frontline workers every single day. They are our wait staff, healthcare workers, sales associates, public safety officers, and hospitality workers. Then there are the workers we don’t see, like manufacturing personnel, construction workers, and facility teams. 

There are two billion frontline workers—that’s 20% of the world’s global population of eight billion. 

But these vital members of the workforce feel disconnected from their jobs. They are often left out of company communications and are not offered the same technology as desk-based colleagues. They are often the last to receive communication, having bulletin boards and word-of-mouth as their only sources of information.

They feel left out, unheard, and disconnected.

What do Frontline Workers Want?

Companies have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to frontline workers. Download the ebook to learn more, but in the meantime, we’re going to leave you with this statistic:

86% of frontline workers want better technology to help them do a better job.

The Cost of Inaction 

Companies often don’t know where to begin, or how to engage their frontline teams. So they often just do nothing. But inaction costs companies more than if they invested in their frontline. 

Disconnected employees are not engaged, not happy, and certainly less productive than they could be. Why give it your all for a company that doesn’t give its all for you? 

Low frontline employee engagement costs organizations a collective $450-$550 billion annually.

But when companies take action and invest in their frontline workers, those numbers begin to go the other way.

Just a 5% increase in employee engagement can bring a 3% increase in revenue growth.

It’s Time to Invest in Frontline Workers

Companies don’t need to look far to find the solutions and strategies to engage the frontline. 

That’s why Beekeeper is here, to help businesses develop the skills and tools to support their frontline teams. 

It’s been proven time and time again that digitally enabling frontline workers delivers positive ROI: retention is higher, the workplace is safer, engagement and productivity rise, and revenues go up.

Companies can’t afford to wait any longer. Every day that goes by with a disengaged frontline means unhappy workers and money lost. It’s time to empower the frontline and bridge the disconnect.

Want to learn more? Download the Frontline Future of Work: The Cost of Frontline Disconnect now.

The post Frontline Future of Work: The Hidden (and Surprisingly High) Cost of Frontline Disconnect appeared first on Beekeeper.

“Every CEO says their business depends on their frontline workers but many of these frontline teams still depend on pen, paper, bulletin boards and in-person huddles to get work done.”

Cris Grossmann, CEO, Beekeeper. 

Often our “competitors” are status-quo systems that don’t meet the real-world needs of frontline workers and managers. To keep your teams achieving their goals, don’t allow status-quo complacency to endanger frontline success! Office work has evolved tremendously in the last decade while frontline work has not. 

We know what’s possible because, in the last 10 years, our Frontline Success System has been used by over a million frontline workers and managers worldwide, by customers like Tyson, Cargill, Marriott, ABB, Hudson, Dominos Pizza, among others in manufacturing, construction, hospitality, retail, logistics, and more.

The Danger of Status-Quo Solutions

Frontline organizations often fail to address the tedious and repetitive nature of frontline work. They don’t digitize paper forms or automate tedious manual tasks. 

“Frontline work is often filled with constant disruptions, and companies expect workers to simply deal with everything from broken equipment to sick employees, using phone calls, group texts, and lots of running around…”

Cris Grossmann, CEO, Beekeeper

Real-world teams are diverse. Workers speak multiple languages and have different cultural perspectives. When information is shared in the corporate language or many languages, it can leave a large part of the team in the dark. That isn’t the right solution for the 21st century.

Status-Quo Complacency Defined

Organizations considering new systems and tools have a tendency or bias towards continuing to use existing systems, even if changing them has clear benefits. 

In these cases, we often see a bias toward thinking that tools designed for desk-bound office workers are equally effective for frontline teams, or that frontline workers already have the right tools.

When status-quo systems meet the requirements of office and knowledge workers and their senior leadership, there is an expectation that frontline workers either don’t need these systems, aren’t impacted by them, or can make do with them. Because of that companies resist adopting tools engineered specifically for frontliners.

The Disconnect Between HQ & Frontliners

Often “HQ” doesn’t fully understand the needs of their frontline teams. We call this “the great frontline disconnect” because our research shows that status-quo solutions negatively affect frontline teams by failing to meet the well-documented needs of frontline workers and team leaders.

The disconnect between frontliners and the companies they work for harms productivity and retention, while negatively impacting worker and manager morale.

Seven Warning Signs Your Organization Needs a Frontline Success System  

1. High turnover rates
2. Low employee engagement
3. Paper-based forms/processes
4. Status-quo complacency
5. Issues with quality or satisfaction
6. Struggling to attract and retain qualified candidates
7. Lack of mobile 1st solutions

The Right Tools For The Right People!

Plan for Frontline Success to ensure that your frontline teams have the tools and resources they need to be successful. Because even though we live our lives on our mobile phones, and we are all hyper-connected, the front line is often left behind. 

“Companies use status-quo tools that are unusable by the Frontline worker, an internet that can’t be accessed over mobile requests and approvals that still need to be processed manually, and communication in a language unfamiliar to some are not suitable to their surroundings…” Kees de Vos, Chief Product Officer, Beekeeper.

We know every organization wants to improve its operations and achieve team-level KPIs with goals to improve effectiveness, team cohesion, employee satisfaction, and engagement. 

Beekeeper makes it easy for teams to stay connected and work together and provides a range of tools and features that can help automate and improve operations.

The Benefits of Beekeeper

Beekeeper’s Frontline Success System offers a range of benefits that can help organizations improve their operations and achieve their goals. These benefits include improved effectiveness, better team cohesion, and increased employee satisfaction. 

Our frontline success tools support three key frontline needs: Employee Services, Communication & Collaboration, and Productivity. 

1. Services that used to take days can happen in minutes: from PTO requests and shift changes to onboarding or offboarding processes 
2. Cross-team collaboration can happen anytime and from anywhere 
3. Critical processes to improve your frontline productivity can be automated

Employee Services

Extend existing HRIS systems so team members can access shifts, pay slips, & training all from one app on their mobile phones. 

• Onboarding & Offboarding
• Training
• Pay Summaries
• Shift Changes
• PTO Requests

Communication & Collaboration

Think chats, streams, surveys, polls, and campaigns that close the loop with your frontline. Communication happens in real time.

• Pulse Surveys
• Daily Stand-up Briefings
• Secure Group Messaging
• Crisis Communications
• Video Updates

Productivity

Replace paper and manual processes with modern ways to get work done. Digitize daily tasks, checklists, and forms to prevent mistakes and save teams time. 

• SOD / EOD Checklists
• Preventative Maintenance
• Health & Safety Checks
• Housekeeping
• Continuous Improvement

Seven Case Studies Demonstrating Our Frontline Success System

1. How Concord Hotels Delivers Consistent Messaging Despite Language Barriers 
2. How Wanzek Construction Generated 500+ Employee Referrals in 3 Months 
3. Bridging The Frontline Communication Gap At Cargill
4. Beekeeper is the best tool we have right now for our crisis communications 
5. Hudson Connects 80+ Retail Locations with Beekeeper 
6. Amsted Rail Fully Automated Daily Employee Health Checks
7. Case Study: German Red Cross

Beekeeper.io delivers a full range of benefits for mission-critical frontline teams that improve effectiveness, team cohesion, and employee satisfaction. 

With over a thousand satisfied customers and more than a million users worldwide, Beekeeper is the most trusted software for Frontline Success. 

Ready to overcome status-quo complacency and improve your operations? Start a free trial or schedule a demo today.

P.S. To see how a Frontline Success System can transform your organization by solving the great frontline disconnect, check out the keynote presentation from our 2022 Frontline Success Summit.

The post <strong>How to Achieve Frontline Success by Avoiding Status-Quo Complacency </strong> appeared first on Beekeeper.

In today’s fast-paced business environment, ineffective communication channels can lead to a lack of employee engagement and make it difficult to ensure that important messages are consistently read and understood. It can be challenging to reach frontline workers with crucial information, especially across multiple locations, teams, or shifts!

Transforming Communications

Beekeeper Campaigns transforms and solves these communications challenges with targeted communication, ensuring that all employees receive the information they need to perform their jobs effectively. Campaigns:

• Facilitate real-time communication and collection of feedback
• Help organizations stay compliant and responsive to employee needs
• Enable anonymous surveys that offer a safe space for employees to provide honest input with accurate data collection

Campaigns bridge the gap between employees and management by keeping everyone “in-the loop” on critical updates and changes in a timely manner. For example, fostering a strong company culture and sense of belonging among a distributed workforce is essential for long-term success.

Campaign Power

With Campaigns, managers and team leaders can send targeted, location or role-specific information, including read confirmation, engagement segmentation, and the option for anonymous replies. This way, employees feel more connected and engaged with their work, ultimately contributing to a healthier and more productive work environment.

10 Game-Changing Ways to Transform Frontline Communications

1. Ensure messages are read and acknowledged: Use Read Requests to confirm critical updates are seen and understood
2. Collect valuable, anonymous employee feedback: Foster open communication with anonymous surveys for honest feedback
3. Customized targeted communication: Deliver relevant content to specific teams, locations, or departments
4. Monitor workforce trends with custom criteria: Analyze user data to identify trends and proactively address workforce issues
5. Reach diverse workforce with multilingual messages: Send updates in multiple languages to connect and engage with all employees
6. Schedule reminders for training and development: Automatically send reminders to ensure staff complete essential training
7. Centralize important company announcements: Keep employees informed by consolidating essential company updates
8. Drive collaboration with role-specific updates: Strengthen teamwork by sharing relevant information tailored to each role
9. Optimize campaigns using performance analytics: Review and adjust campaigns based on analytics for better engagement
10. Streamline onboarding with targeted resources: Provide new hires with tailored information to support their integration

Beekeeper Campaigns In Action

Let’s look at some more specific ways organizations can start using Beekeeper Campaigns:

Reducing Employee Attrition

HR Manager Jordan tackles increasing attrition

Jordan, an HR manager, noticed an alarming increase in attrition within a specific department over the past month. Concerned about this trend, Jordan decides to use Beekeeper Campaigns to send an anonymous survey to the employees in that department, segmented by their length of service. This way, Jordan can gather honest feedback on potential reasons for the high attrition rate and identify areas for improvement to retain the remaining workforce and improve overall satisfaction.

Enhancing Training

Sam the Training Coordinator gathers employee feedback on new training

A new training module has been implemented, and Sam, a training coordinator, wants to ensure it’s effective and engaging for the frontline employees. Using Beekeeper Campaigns, Sam targets employees who have recently completed the module, gathering feedback through a short survey. Sam can then use the responses to identify areas of improvement and make necessary adjustments, ensuring future training sessions are even more impactful and relevant to the employees.

Evaluating Frontline Team Performance

Operations Manager Avery gathers insights from frontline team leaders

Company-wide performance management is undergoing changes, and Avery, an operations manager, wants to evaluate its success among frontline team leaders. Avery creates a Beekeeper Campaign targeting this specific group, sending out a survey to gather their insights on the new system’s effectiveness, ease of use, and impact on their teams’ performance. With this valuable information in hand, Avery can continue refining the performance management system to better support the frontline leaders and their teams.

Improving Employee Wellness Programs

Dana the Wellness Program Coordinator seeks feedback from participating staff

Dana, the employee wellness program coordinator, is constantly seeking ways to improve the offerings and support employees’ well-being. To gather insights from staff members who have participated in the program, Dana launches a Beekeeper Campaign targeting these individuals. By sending out a brief survey, Dana can collect feedback on the program’s effectiveness, identify potential gaps, and implement improvements that will make a real difference in employees’ lives. Dana runs a separate campaign to get feedback from those who didn’t enroll.

Feedback for Pilots and Rollouts

Facility Manager Jesse needs to evaluate the impact of Beekeeper’s Maintenance and Prevention feature

The company has just started a pilot rollout of Beekeeper’s Maintenance and Prevention feature, and Jesse, a facility manager, wants to assess its impact on the staff. Jesse creates a targeted Beekeeper Campaign for employees who have interacted with the Maintenance and Prevention feature, asking for their thoughts on the pre-built checklists, automation, reminders, and analytics. By obtaining this feedback, Jesse can address any issues, enhance the Maintenance and Prevention experience, and ensure a smooth, full-scale implementation across the organization.

Solve the Frontline Disconnect

Engaging frontline employees and addressing their unique needs is essential for organizational success. Help your leadership, managers, and team leaders become frontline communications heroes! Fight frontline disconnect and keep your workforce informed, engaged, and empowered.

Don’t let communication challenges hold your organization back. Embrace the transformative power of Beekeeper Campaigns and enhance your company’s internal communication, ultimately fostering a more connected and engaged workforce.

Experience the magic of Beekeeper Campaigns for frontline communication – read confirmations, precise targeting, anonymous feedback, and custom audience selection. Transform your employee engagement and drive success — Start your free trial today!

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