Recently, employers have acknowledged the importance of employee wellbeing, putting it at the forefront of their business operations. Dramatic changes in working and living conditions alike have significantly impacted the state of employee wellbeing. Retail, in particular, has seen many challenges in this area due to the pandemic, which has had prolonged consequences, such as supply chain issues, problems with employee recruitment and retention, as well as skill gaps in the workplace, to name a few. Furthermore, abuse from customers has been on the rise in the retail sector, which is a significant factor that heavily impacts workforce wellbeing, leading to a major deterioration in mental health. There’s also workplace pressure that comes from cost-cutting strategies, which many retailers have started putting in place, which inevitably leads to mistakes and affects employees’ confidence in fulfilling their roles.
These challenges in the wellbeing of retail workers have a major impact on retail businesses, preventing their growth and profitability and leading to high costs in terms of training and recruitment associated with high employee turnover. To address these issues, it’s essential to focus on employee wellbeing, and promote a retail business culture where your staff feels seen and heard. Let’s explore some practical ways you can achieve that goal!
Prioritise employee health and safety
If business owners have learned something from the pandemic, it’s the fact that the health and safety of employees should never be taken for granted, and it’s essential to find ways to keep them safe and let them know they are supported and valued. A few ways to prioritise the wellbeing of employees include supplying them with the necessary PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) such as masks, gloves and hand sanitizer, and offer multiple breaks during the day so that employees can de-stress in a quiet area. Another thing you can do is to provide healthcare benefits – for instance, Starbucks, although it is part of the hospitality and food sector, is an excellent example of a business that has put their staff’s wellbeing above all else, giving them access to different benefits to alleviate stress and show them that their health matters.
Also, remember to eliminate any hazards that could lead to work accidents or slips, trips and falls and harm employees. Not only could such incidents impact the financial health of your retail business, but they could also affect your reputation and lead to legal issues, as employees can claim compensation for their injuries. Now, plenty of resources are available, such as https://www.how-to-sue.co.uk, which allows them to learn more about their rights when they face a distressing experience like an accident, so be sure to take employees’ health and safety seriously and avoid such consequences.
Enhance communication by leveraging technology
Undoubtedly, technology can bring great benefits to consumers – and the popularity of hybrid shopping experiences is a testament to that. Consumers’ shopping behaviour has shifted significantly due to the rise of innovative technologies that make the entire experience a lot more convenient, but retail employees should also reap the benefits that modern devices offer.
To this end, businesses can increase communication at all levels, from corporate to store, in different ways, such as introducing headsets equipped with AI, which employees can wear while engaging with customers, ask questions to AI and receive a response right away to help them improve the shopper’s experience. Adopting such technologies can also benefit retail business owners because it allows them to gather the necessary information to understand shoppers’ requests.
Provide support from management
No matter how great your policy is, it won’t matter if leaders and line managers don’t create a culture where employees feel understood and empowered. A supportive management team can make all the difference in the world in how your staff perceives roles and how they feel at work.
Leaders should be approachable and empathetic, address the needs of employees, and be well-equipped to talk about wellbeing, so it’s essential to invest in them through training and different resources. Equipping leaders with adequate skills to role model a wellbeing culture and foster trust will help create a significant ripple effect, impacting employees’ daily experiences.
Offload repetitive tasks
Repetitive tasks can feel like a burden to employees, so you should tackle this area to ensure they can do their work in a way that’s more aligned with their unique talents and skills. This not only elevates their role but also provides them with a greater sense of importance. For instance, floor cleaning can be time-consuming, but at the same time, it’s an essential task because it upholds the product’s value and building occupants’ health.
The good news is that there are solutions for this, such as using an autonomous floor scrubber. This device can work in complex environments such as retail stores, cleaning the floors properly while employees focus on other essential tasks that can contribute to the company’s long-term growth.
Show appreciation to your staff often
There are different ways to show appreciation to employees, and one of the best places to start is reviewing your compensation plan to ensure you are in line with other retail businesses. Wage compensation is a sore spot, so tackling this area can be truly effective when it comes to showing appreciation to your staff, and chances are they will be very happy that you do it!
But this isn’t the only way to show appreciation: you can also offer free meals, extra time off and goal-related bonuses and incentives, to name a few. You can get as creative as you want here – all that matters is to make the workplace a fun place where everyone feels appreciated, as this will make a great difference in the health and wellbeing of your employees.
The bottom line
Employees have an important role in retail companies, as they are there to serve customers as best as they can. However, if they don’t feel supported, it’s unlikely that they will be able to perform to their fullest potential, so it’s essential to address the most common challenges they face and set your business up for success by investing in the wellbeing of your workforce.
