How to Engage Frontline Employees: 7 Best Practices

Frontline employees are the heart and soul of any business. These individuals—whether they are customer service representatives, retail staff, healthcare workers, or manufacturing operatives—are the first point of contact between a company and its customers. Despite their essential role, frontline employees often face challenges that leave them disengaged, underappreciated, and detached from the organization’s larger goals.

Given that disengaged employees are 37% more likely to take leave due to workplace issues, ignoring this critical segment of the workforce can lead to damaging outcomes. 

So how do you keep your frontline employees engaged and motivated to ensure high performance, better customer experiences, and long-term success?

In this blog, we’ll explore the proven strategies for engaging your frontline employees and the crucial role communication plays in this process.

1. Understand what drives frontline employees

Before diving into specific strategies, it’s important to understand the unique challenges frontline employees face. Unlike office-based employees, frontline workers often don’t have the same access to company emails, digital platforms, or real-time communication. 

This communication gap is one of the primary reasons for their disengagement. In fact, a Gallup survey found that only 13% of employees working in non-office environments feel engaged at work.

These employees typically deal with repetitive tasks, unpredictable shifts, and high customer expectations, all while being disconnected from the company’s vision and lacking a sense of belonging in the workplace. To foster engagement, you need to understand these pain points and address them with empathy, relevant tools, and real-time support.

How can you better understand your employees?

Open company culture and transparency in the workplace are critical for encouraging employees to share their voices and opinions and raise their concerns. 

Today, organizations are tasked with creating a psychologically safe and inclusive environment for everyone – an environment in which everyone’s voice is heard, appreciated, and addressed. 

So to better understand your frontline workers, you first need to create a physical and digital environment in which they can easily speak up.

2. Create a culture of recognition and appreciation

Frontline employees are frequently underrecognized, despite their crucial roles. Research shows that employees who feel appreciated are over 4 times more likely to be engaged at work. 

Simple gestures of appreciation—such as acknowledging a job well done or rewarding exceptional performance—can significantly boost employee morale and motivation.

How to implement recognition:

• Regularly acknowledge contributions: Implement a formal recognition program where both small and large accomplishments are recognized on a daily or weekly basis. You can do this through internal communication platforms like Haiilo, allowing employees to congratulate each other and stay connected.
• Public praise: Leverage internal communication tools to broadcast high-performing frontline employees and their successes across the organization, further embedding their value into the company’s culture.

• Incentive programs: Create customized reward programs that offer meaningful rewards to frontline workers—such as extra time off, financial bonuses, or team celebrations—to show that you value their hard work.

3. Enhance internal communication

One of the main culprits for low frontline engagement are poor internal communications and many communication barriers. In fact, 74% of frontline workers report they are missing out on company news, updates, and information that would help them perform their jobs better.

In the era of digital transformation, a robust employee communications platform is not optional—it’s essential. Frontline employees need a direct line to the company’s mission, goals, and changes in real-time.

Solutions to improve communication:

• Mobile-first communication: Since frontline employees are rarely at desks, adopting mobile-friendly communication platforms is crucial. These platforms allow workers to access important updates, training materials, documents, people, and tools instantly, regardless of their location.
• Real-time notifications: Keep frontline employees informed with real-time notifications on schedule changes, customer feedback, or urgent company updates.
• Digital personalization: Frontline employees are often busy with customer-facing situations and don’t have time to consume every single piece of internal content. So it is important that IC professionals are able to segment their internal audiences and use smart targeting to send content that best resonates with their frontline workers. 
• Devoted content: If frontline employees are critical for your organization’s success, you can even take a step further. For example, you can have an internal company podcast or an employee newsletter dedicated to your frontline employees where you can share stories, news, best practices, and updates relevant only to them.  

💡 Learn more about digital personalization in internal communications!

Two-way communication: Engagement thrives in environments where feedback is both given and received. Create channels where frontline employees can voice concerns, offer ideas, and feel heard.

📹 Check out our Masterclass about how to build a proper internal communications strategy!

4. Provide training and growth opportunities

A lack of development opportunities is another major cause of disengagement and a high turnover rate among frontline employees. According to research, a staggering 76% of frontline workers state that they feel undervalued because they lack growth opportunities within their organizations.

To ensure long-term engagement, provide a clear path for professional development. This not only boosts morale but also contributes to employee retention. Research from the Work Institute found that employees who do not see opportunities for development are 12 times more likely to leave their jobs compared to those who do.

How to implement growth opportunities:

• Offer skills-based training: Create accessible, mobile-friendly training modules that allow frontline employees to upskill during downtime or between shifts. By making training available in a user-friendly format, companies can build the capabilities of their workforce without interrupting their schedules.
• Cross-functional learning: Encourage employees to explore roles in other departments to broaden their understanding of the business and develop new skills. This enhances both engagement and retention.
• Clear career paths: Share stories of frontline workers who have progressed within the company to demonstrate the potential for growth. Regularly update employees on internal job postings and new opportunities within the organization.
• Knowledge sharing: Give your best to build and nurture a knowledge-sharing culture in your organization. Encourage your frontline workers to share their knowledge, experiences, and learnings so that others can learn from their success or their mistakes. 

By empowering employees to learn and grow, companies can create a more engaged workforce that feels valued and motivated to achieve long-term success.

5. Foster a sense of belonging and purpose

The best-performing employees feel connected to the company’s overall purpose. In fact, employees who find meaning in their work are 5 times more likely to stay engaged. Unfortunately, many frontline employees feel detached from the broader organizational goals and culture, which can lead to frustration and disengagement.

Creating a sense of purpose for your frontline workforce can have a powerful effect on motivation and performance.

How to create purpose:

• Share the “why”: Communicate how each frontline worker contributes to the company’s success. Employees should understand how their daily actions impact the larger mission and business outcomes.
• Connect through storytelling: Share customer stories that highlight the positive effects of frontline employees’ work. Internal storytelling and regularly sharing these stories helps staff understand the real-world impact of their contributions.
• Celebrate team achievements: When frontline teams hit milestones, publicly celebrate those achievements across the company. This gives employees a greater sense of belonging and helps them see how their work fits into the company’s broader goals.

By fostering a sense of purpose and belonging, employees will be more motivated to not only show up but also deliver their best work.

6. Prioritize employee well-being

Employee well-being is on the the most important factors shaping the overall employee experience in the workplace. 

Frontline workers often face unique physical and mental health challenges due to the demanding nature of their roles. From long hours on their feet to interacting with difficult customers, the toll on their well-being can be immense. According to a 2023 report by the American Psychological Association, 56% of frontline employees report that they experience significant stress on a daily basis, impacting both their mental health and productivity.

Employers who prioritize their employees’ well-being are more likely to cultivate a loyal, engaged workforce. Providing resources to help manage stress, promote work-life balance, and offer support for physical and mental health is essential.

How to prioritize well-being:

• Offer mental health support: Provide access to counseling services, mental health apps, or employee assistance programs to help workers manage stress and maintain emotional well-being.
• Promote work-life balance: Offer flexible schedules or extra days off to allow employees to recharge and prevent burnout.
• Implement health initiatives: Promote wellness initiatives like healthy eating programs, regular breaks, or fitness challenges to support physical well-being.

By investing in your employees’ well-being, you create a healthier, more engaged workforce that feels cared for and appreciated.

7. Leverage technology to empower frontline employees

Lastly, technology can be a game-changer when it comes to engaging frontline employees. Many companies have already invested heavily in tools for remote and office workers, but frontline employees are often left behind. 

Implementing the right workplace technologies can significantly improve communication, streamline operations, improve team collaboration, and foster a more engaged workforce.

How to use technology effectively:

• Digital tools for efficiency: Equip frontline employees with technology that streamlines their daily tasks, such as mobile devices that facilitate communication or apps for tracking schedules and submitting feedback.

• Personalized employee portals: Use platforms like Haiilo to create personalized content and channels for your frontline workers, ensuring they receive the most relevant information and training tailored to their needs.
• Gamification of tasks: Use gamification techniques to make daily tasks more engaging. Incorporating rewards and friendly competition can make otherwise repetitive work more motivating and enjoyable.

With the right tools, frontline employees can feel more connected, empowered, and engaged—resulting in better performance and increased job satisfaction.

Conclusion

Frontline employees are the face of your company and the drivers of its day-to-day success. Engaging this critical workforce requires a thoughtful combination of communication, recognition, opportunities for growth, and a genuine commitment to their well-being. By investing in strategies tailored to frontline workers, businesses can unlock their full potential and create a more motivated, loyal, and productive workforce.

Start transforming your approach to frontline engagement by exploring Haiilo’s employee experience platform and empowering your teams to achieve their best!