Idea in Brief
The Myth
Companies have long treated frontline workers as commodities that can be easily replaced and have assumed that high turnover and low morale are inevitable in the low-wage workforce.
The Reality
Most low-wage workers want to stay and grow with the organizations that employ them. By underinvesting in them, companies harm not only the workers but also their own strategic interests.
The Way Forward
Many companies already have a well-developed playbook for attracting and retaining high-level talent. It’s time they used that same playbook to boost the prospects of those at the bottom of the organizational pyramid.
Despite all their efforts since the summer of 2021 to bring frontline workers back into the fold, companies are struggling to rehire and return operations to a prepandemic normal. As a result they have failed to deliver products and services, lost revenue, and disappointed their customers. Supply chains remain snarled, with warehouse and delivery operations woefully understaffed. Grocery stores and pharmacies are unable to keep their shelves stocked. Restaurants can’t find enough cooks, cleaners, and waiters. Hotel chains can’t book to their full capacity, because they don’t have enough housekeeping staff. Airlines have been forced to ground hundreds of flights.
