Attracting and Retaining Hourly Employees and Their Managers

The media is full of stories about how businesses are suffering because of the post-pandemic labor shortage. But is the pandemic the real root cause? We’ve seen that today’s hourly workforce is evolving – Millennials and Gen Zers now make up 60% of the hourly workforce, and employees have new expectations for how they work. Many managers are trying to find the answer to this question: “how do I attract and retain the employees I need?” 

We recently surveyed 1,000 employees and managers to uncover answers to these questions:

• What do employees value the most? And what would make them stay with a company longer? 
• Are there hidden reasons why employees leave their jobs?
• What can businesses do to help their managers? 

The survey provided clear and actionable insights into what businesses must do to attract and retain today’s hourly employees and managers. Key findings showed that businesses must invest in their hourly employees the same way they jump-started new omnichannel offerings for customers during the pandemic. For example, companies accelerated their five-year operations plans to make it possible to buy online and choose several options for delivery, including curbside pickup, which allayed customers’ health concerns.

Businesses must focus on the needs of their employees too. Survey results show more than 83% of employees and managers reported feeling just as stressed in 2021 as they did in 2020 during the height of the pandemic. These stress levels can result in increased levels of attrition if businesses don’t take action. And, as our survey uncovered, keeping employees and managers happy is about more than just pay.

Survey results showed that employees want businesses to give them more scheduling input and flexibility and better communication tools. 59% of employees who responded cited scheduling issues as a reason they would quit a job. Some businesses have started to make technology investments that enable them to give employees more schedule empowerment. Companies that use technology to offer perks like schedule flexibility and empowerment to attract and retain hourly employees are more successful. For example, Philz Coffee promotes flexible scheduling as a career perk on their hiring web page.

Download the full report, Hour by Hour: Attracting and Retaining Hourly Employees and Their Managers, to learn what they value most and the three actions you can take to create the employee experience that will help you build a strong, happy, and loyal workforce.