A new survey sponsored by Kronos Inc. gives retailers valuable information on ways they can increase employee engagement and reduce turnover during the holiday season. Learn how retail employees really feel about working this holiday season, and what you can do to make things merrier.
The Retail Employee’s Holiday Wish List survey sponsor reveals that most retail employees don’t mind working extra-long hours during the busy holiday season. However, many are worried about getting burned out, a concern reinforced by 40 percent of respondents who said their employer did not have enough staff in previous years to account for the number of shoppers they received at the store.
Retailers who ignore this feedback do so at their own peril. Tired, frustrated employees are less productive, more likely to make mistakes, and may contribute to poor customer service. Worst of all, they may leave, compounding the challenge for employees who remain.
All of this leads to the question: How can retailer employers make things merrier for their employees during the holiday season?
Results from the Retail Employees’ Holiday Wish List survey identified many best practices and strategies retailers can implement to increase employee engagement and satisfaction. These include:
- Letting employees choose their own schedules (57 percent)
- Enabling employees to take time off around the holidays (51 percent)
- Providing a more stable schedule (44 percent)
- Giving employees access to their schedule via mobile device (22 percent)
Additionally, when it comes to reducing employee turnover, survey respondents reported that their employers could prevent them from leaving during the holiday season by:
- Enabling more work-life balances with employee schedules (57 percent)
- Hiring more staff (55 percent)
- Allowing employees to switch their days with others (47 percent)
Ideas such as giving employees more input into their schedules, making schedules available via mobile devices, and giving them time off to spend with their families are not “nice to have” items on a retailer’s list. Instead, they are critical to increasing employee engagement and productivity, minimizing turnover, and maximizing results this holiday season.
