Defining frontline workers: Who are they and what do they do?

A frontline worker is any individual—regardless of education or industry—who works directly with customers, clients, or other recipients of services. Whether they help shoppers find groceries, tutor kids in math, perform life-saving surgeries, repair HVAC units, or deliver packages, frontline workers are often the first human connection the public makes with a company. Frontline workers put a face to the brand of their respective organizations; they often fulfill roles that are recognized as vital for the well-being of entire communities and economies.

The global events around COVID-19 brought some of these unsung frontline heroes into sharper focus—nurses, teachers, childcare providers, delivery drivers, and grocery workers. In the aftermath, pressure on frontline workers has only intensified across industries. The impact of the frontline worker has become more critical than ever—whether their employers are small businesses or global enterprises.

According to a Work Trend Index Special Report from Microsoft, 80 percent of the world’s workforce is made up of frontline workers—that’s 2 billion workers worldwide. And despite the stressors of COVID-19 seemingly on the decline, this report indicated that 58 percent of frontline workers surveyed believe that their work stress would either stay the same—or get worse—in the coming years. This finding underscores the importance of the perspective of public-facing workers when making technology decisions. Choosing the right digital tools not only boosts the bottom line—but when frontline workers’ well-being and productivity are prioritized, it sets up the entire organization for long-term success.

This article will take a look at a few examples of frontline workers and discuss some of the technology challenges that they face. Then, it’ll explore recommendations to empower frontline workers when you’re making technology decisions for your org.

Learn strategies and solutions to reimagine frontline work >

Frontline workers—the face of your organization

Frontline workers provide the first human connection with an organization—they’re the public face of a company and its brand or mission. Even small businesses and may have the majority of their workforce on the frontline.

Here’s a list of frontline workers in fields beyond police, fire, and primary healthcare that are sometimes overlooked:

Education: Teachers, counselors, nutrition and support staff, school nurses, and administrators.

Retail: Cashiers, sales associates, grocery stockers, sales reps, buyers, and delivery drivers.

Transportation: Bus and train drivers, rideshare and taxi drivers, flight crews, ticket agents, baggage handlers, and transport security.

Financial services: Bank tellers, customer service representatives, financial advisors, couriers, and security personnel.

Hospitality: Housekeepers, front desk agents, restaurant servers, physical plant maintenance, and repair workers

Manufacturing and construction: Assembly line workers, quality control inspectors, warehouse workers, supply chain managers, machine repair technicians, site managers, and construction workers.

What technology challenges do frontline workers face?

While the digital age has ushered in many improvements, frontline workers still experience a range of challenges as they access and use technology in their daily work.

Elevate Experiences for Frontline Workers

Frontline workers must often rely on outdated digital tools, manual processes, fragmented communications, and information silos.

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Some of these challenges include:

Limited access to technology: Many frontline workers must function in environments where technology is not readily available or easily accessible.

Lack of training: Even when technology is provided, workers may not receive adequate training on how to use it effectively, leading to errors and frustration.

Complex systems: Some frontline environments have complex systems that make it difficult to navigate and complete tasks quickly and accurately.

Time constraints: Learning how to use new tech or devices takes time and may not be feasible to prioritize in fast-paced frontline environments.

Security concerns: The responsibility to protect privacy, ensure security, and meet compliance requirements with technology creates an extra challenge on the frontline.

Cost: Some organizations have cost constraints that limit the adoption of the latest tools and systems for frontline workers

Ten areas where technology improves frontline work

It can be daunting for decision makers to identify which technology investments are right for their company. Prioritizing the wellbeing and productivity of the frontline—and addressing workers’ needs and pain points—can clarify and simplify the decision-making process and help the entire organization realize the benefits.

Here are ten areas where digital tools can help address pain points for frontline workers:

Communication: Instant messaging, video conferencing, and other
Training: Online training modules, simulations, and training tools such as mixed-reality devices to help workers learn new skills.
Safety: Up-to-date safety equipment, monitoring systems, and other tools to help workers stay safe in jobs with hazardous or risky environments.
Efficiency: Tools for automating routine tasks, reducing errors, and streamlining workflows help frontline workers to complete tasks quickly and accurately.
Customer service: Tools to compile customer data, analyze customer interactions, and provide personalized service help to improve productivity.
Data collection: Helping workers capture data accurately and efficiently improves workers’ decision-making ability in the field and yields deeper business insights
Mobility and flexibility: Mobile devices and apps to help workers stay connected and productive while on the go. help to retain frontline staff.
Collaboration: Technology for sharing files, tracking progress, and working together remotely improves collaboration and outcomes for the whole org.
Knowledge management: Access to centralized knowledge management systems give frontline workers the resources they need, when they need them.
Time management: Frontline workers particularly appreciate tools to track time, manage schedules, and prioritize tasks.

Recommendations to empower your frontline workers

For business leaders looking to support frontline workers, here are four key tips to keep in mind:

Listen to feedback from frontline workers. Seek out and consider their thoughts and ideas—and follow through with changes based on their input. Create channels for two-way communication with apps to connect workers to company leadership—sharing messages, updates, and kudos with workers while encouraging them to share experiences and insights back from the frontline.
Equip frontline workers with the tech they need to do their jobs. Having the latest digital tools does more than just save money and time, it can save lives. For example, rescue workers using drones and cell phone GPS coordinates can reduce search and rescue times from hours or days to minutes.
Invest in digital technologies to transform the physical workspace. Technology—such as mixed reality headsets and hardhats, or digital walkie-talkies—not only helps to speed up adoption of new skills for frontline workers, but can improve safety and security in the workplace.
Create a culture of caring and communication. Technology that bridges communication gaps, provides training, and improves employee engagement and wellbeing will make frontline employees feel respected and valued.

Conclusion

Even with COVID-19 in the rearview mirror, the current economic landscape still creates intense pressures for businesses and their frontline workers. But—there’s a silver lining for businesses and workers. It’s become conventional wisdom that a happier frontline means a better bottom line—and technology stress uniquely impacts a frontline worker’s ability to provide quality services and care.

Here’s where a great win-win opportunity presents itself—to consider the perspectives of the frontline workers when making technology investment decisions. The right digital tools not only maximize productivity, but also help boost employee retention, improve morale and customer service, and increase frontline workers’ commitment to the mission of your organization.

To sum up the benefits, technology improvements to support frontline workers can help:

Enhance productivity, operational efficiency, and quality of work. Learn more.
Enable collaboration, communication, and innovation among teams. Learn more.
Improve customer satisfaction, increase loyalty, and support retaining frontline workers. Learn more.

The Microsoft 365 team is focused on sharing resources to help you start, run, and grow your business.

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