In 2022, Qualtrics concluded that the frontline labor shortage would force organizations to closely examine the intersection of their employee and customer experience, saying employees wanted “customer grade” experiences. The 2024 Employee Experience Trends report suggests many businesses are still missing the mark when it comes to their employees, particularly those on the front line, highlighting three woes:

  • basic needs unmet;
  • lack of support to do a great job and a voice to drive improvement; and
  • less trusting of leadership.

They’re “crying out for help” and “if they’re struggling, so is your organization,” according to Qualtrics.

If close to half of frontline employees lack trust in leadership, that can result in reduced engagement, lower job satisfaction, higher turnover rates and decreased loyalty, all of which can and will lower an employee’s likelihood to stay and to recommend your organization/brand. When frontline employees witness the lengths to which you go to delight customers, do they trust that you’re doing the same for them?

The pandemic was difficult, if not devastating, for many frontline workers. However, one important outcome was a much-needed focus on employee wellbeing, which is tracked by Indeed. The 2024 Global Work Wellbeing Report shares over 250,000 data points on wellbeing from more than 25,000 survey participants around the globe and across multiple industries.

As with the woes identified by Qualtrics, which found employees “crying out for help,” Indeed found a “minority of respondents, just one in five” thriving at work, revealing “widespread struggles across all four work wellbeing indicators”: Happiness (enjoyable), Purpose (meaningful), Stress-Free (manageable), and Satisfaction (content). The top five influencers of wellbeing at work globally, as tracked by Indeed, were Belonging, Energized, Inclusion, Manager, and Trust. Trust, or lack thereof, has emerged as a common theme across studies, and in this one, leadership is called out.

Indeed’s top 100 companies for work wellbeing, which include travel and hospitality giants Delta Airlines, Disney, IHG, Marriott, Hilton, and American Airlines, “recognize the multifaceted nature of wellbeing — encompassing human health, work-life balance, purpose and personal development,” many of which often rank very low or are nonexistent for frontline employees. Indeed suggests, “through innovative practices incorporating artificial intelligence and skills-first hiring, and policies rooted in DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging),” successful companies have recognized the “intrinsic value of a flourishing workforce.” These companies are reaping “the tangible benefits of increased productivity, enhanced creativity, and greater employee satisfaction.”

Wellbeing grows when people have a choice, voice, purpose and trust in leadership; they want to be heard, understood, included and connected to the organization in a more meaningful way. A culture isn’t genuinely inclusive if people don’t feel they belong or are valued. If you want raving fans who stay with your company and attract others, then get an understanding of how your employees are doing and feeling about the work, environment, culture, leadership and their coworkers. A good place to start may be to review the questions asked by indeed.com and see what your employees are saying.

While recruiting and retaining your employees has a lot to do with compensation and benefits, the front line is saying leaders need to do more to make a real and tangible difference in their lives and work experience. They alone can tell you, so start by asking, actively listening, then acting on their input. Frontline workers’ priorities have shifted post-pandemic, but many of those priorities aren’t new. Just like customers, workers respond by walking away and finding organizations with leaders at every level who genuinely focus on them and their needs. Let’s keep the work wellbeing indicators in mind — happiness, purpose, stress-free and satisfaction — as we explore the following priorities.

Competitive Pay and Benefits

Many workers now prioritize competitive pay and meaningful benefits like healthcare and paid time off. Travel benefits are also wonderful but for many they’re not always practical given the high priority workers place on financial stability, especially in traditionally low-paying hospitality roles.

Supportive and Respectful Work Culture

Frontline workers seek community, inclusion, career development, advancement, mobility, training and stability. We know from the research that trust in management has eroded. Key to their happiness and satisfaction is a culture that respects, values and acknowledges their contributions as well as leaders who build community and opportunity.

Work/Life Balance, Healthy and Safe Working Conditions

The demanding schedules and long hours typical of hospitality are increasingly at odds with frontline employees’ expectations for balance and flexibility. Many workers are prioritizing roles with stable shifts or schedules they can count on to avoid burnout and manage their personal lives. Based on how they work, whether physically interacting with customers or within a call center, leaders should continuously assess the psychological and physical safety needs of their teams.

Purpose

Sustainability is of critical importance to travel, tourism and hospitality. Engage your teams by including them in efforts locally or globally, targeted at respecting and prioritizing the wellbeing of destinations where they, and others, work. This can serve to energize and connect them to your goals as an organization and to those of the industry.

Customer-Grade Experiences

The employee journey is often charted from onboarding to exit, while the customer journey focuses on loyalty, retention and advocacy. While organizations employ numerous employee retention efforts, the front line, whose role is inextricably tied to customer loyalty and retention, suffers the highest levels of attrition. These employees view themselves as expendable, which the pandemic proved, and many question their value more so now with the rise of AI. If employee satisfaction, loyalty, retention and advocacy are important to you, then be reliable, build trust by developing emotional connections with these “essential” workers, and create positive experiences that they want to share.