Frontline workers are optimistic about the opportunities created by technology. However, there is a need to bridge the tech-equity and training gap among workers.

According to the Work Trend Index report focusing on frontline workers released by Microsoft, 88 per cent of frontline workers in India are excited about the job opportunities that technology creates. 

The aspects of work with which they believe tech can help “a lot” include team usage of VR/AR (52 per cent), real-time updates (51 per cent), scheduling of team members (51 per cent), managing schedules (51 per cent), and outside communication (51 per cent). Tech also ranks high (64 per cent) on the list of factors that could help reduce work-related stress, following better pay (67 per cent) but ahead of flexible schedules (60 per cent). And 64 per cent of respondents say they even value technological tools over mental health support and wellness benefits.

There has been a 400 per cent spike in monthly Microsoft Teams usage globally among frontline workers from March 2020 to November 2021. Monthly use of Teams globally increased by 560 per cent for the healthcare industry, and by nearly as much in financial services and media and communications.

However, “There is still more that can be done to help ensure frontline workers are as well-equipped as workers who sit behind a desk,” the report said.

Lack of digital tools

21 per cent of Indian frontline workers said that they do not have the right technological tools to do their job effectively while 63 per cent of frontline workers worry that they could lose their jobs if they don’t adapt to new tech. 

“Even among those workers who do receive the latest digital tools, many of them haven’t been properly trained in how to use them,” the report said adding that 56 per cent have had to adapt to using digital tools on the fly.

“Over the last two years, our frontline workers have borne the burden of the pandemic like no other segment of the workforce. Even as we continue to endure pandemic uncertainty right now, frontline workers are standing up to the challenge of keeping the wheels of the economy running,” said Rajiv Sodhi, COO, Microsoft India. 

“Across our research in the Work Trend Index, there are clear signals about the opportunity to align business outcomes with the wellbeing and growth of frontline employees. It’s encouraging to see that technology can help at this inflection point,” Sodhi said.

“There is an urgent need to focus more squarely on supporting frontline workers. Workplace culture is built upon a strong connection to company mission and purpose, transparency, strong lines of communication, recognition of great work, and positive workplace relationships. Companies should create avenues for two-way communication, so frontline workers are empowered with the information they need to both succeed and feel like they are being heard,” Sodhi further addedm 

Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella had previously talked about the importance of strengthening the connections between employees, a company’s mission, and their managers. 

“The research shows that the pandemic has strengthened some of these ties, while fraying others,” as per the report.

Weak company culture

86 per cent of frontline workers in India reported that they “feel very bonded to co-workers” because of shared stresses brought on by the pandemic. However, their connections to leadership and company culture are weak with 66 per cent of frontline workers stating that leadership does not prioritise building workplace cultures. This number increased to 69 per cent for those in management positions on the frontline such as department heads, store managers, and shop-floor supervisors.

Furthermore, 65 per cent of frontline workers said that messages from leadership don’t make it to them while 67 per cent of frontline managers said that their higher-ups are not effectively communicating with them either. 17 per cent of frontline workers feel their voice is not being heard when communicating workplace issues.

“As companies balance pandemic realities with employee needs, the research shows an opportunity to focus more on the wellbeing of frontline workers,” the report added.

23 per cent of frontline workers in non-management positions don’t feel valued as employees, and many workers (65 per cent) wish more was being done to help with physical exhaustion or to support mental health (64 per cent).

A majority of workers surveyed felt that more could be done to help supply chain issues (62 per cent) and that labor shortages are making their jobs especially difficult (64 per cent). 

Work stress

Additionally, 41 per cent of frontline workers believed that work stress will either stay the same or worsen in the coming year. In addition to economic challenges, frontline workers in India cited Covid protocols (44 per cent), high workload (42 per cent), managing the needs of customers (38 per cent), long workdays (38 per cent), and having a fixed work schedule (36 per cent) as the top five reasons for their work-related stress.

“Frontline workers in India cited the following top three reasons for considering a job change: to make more money, to look for a position to develop new skills, and for better employee benefits,” as per the report.

“When it comes to frontline managers—the glue between corporate and the frontline—the data suggests they are especially feeling the strain of bridging the culture and communications gap. As more frontline workers rethink the role that work plays in their lives and engage in the Great Reshuffle, organisations have a massive opportunity to create an operating model and culture that attracts the best managers and employees to their ranks,” it added.

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