But companies can encourage them to stay by creating a respectful and rewarding frontline work experience that centers their well-being.

At our recent webinar, How to Create a Respectful and Rewarding Frontline Experience – New Catalyst Data Shows How, Joy Ohm, Vice President, Knowledge Architect & Writer, moderated a conversation on how to create healthy workplaces where frontline employees can thrive with Judy Fennimore, Vice President, Benefits, Marriott International; Caitlin Kevins, Senior Director, Implementation Partner, Catalyst; and Em Rowney, Head of Product Management, Catalyst.

Spotlight: Marriott “Puts People First”

Marriott International has embedded associate well-being into its culture. Fennimore said, “Our culture is built on putting people first. It’s in our DNA. We’re constantly thinking about how best to help our associates [on the front line]. Following the pandemic, we reenergized TakeCare, our associate well-being program, and focused on providing associates with tools and resources to support their physical, mental, and financial well-being.”

She added, “Nearly 13,000 TakeCare champions volunteer to promote associate well-being in 139 countries around the globe. Central to the program are associate storytelling, manager resources, and improved access to care, including counselling at no cost during weekends and evenings so that our associates—regardless of schedule—can access it.”

“Leadership involvement is critical to the program’s success,” Fennimore noted. When the program was relaunched in 2023, the company’s CEO and President hosted engaging fireside chat with a number of leaders, who discussed the importance of destigmatizing conversations around mental health. “It was powerful to hear leaders share their personal stories, reinforcing our culture of well-being,” Fennimore said. When leaders demonstrate they care, it helps to build a workplace culture of trust.

Kevins added, “When leaders authentically communicate their personal and organizational reasons for getting involved and caring about an issue, it has a huge impact. It’s a powerful driver for engagement of others and commitment to actions when leaders model it first.”

Ensuring Men Access Mental Health Resources

Men often face societal pressures that lead them to dismiss or ignore their mental health needs. Catalyst research demonstrates that 94% of men experience masculine anxiety, defined as the distress men feel when they do not think they are living up to society’s rigid standards of masculinity. This pressure can make men less likely to seek out mental health resources.

Kevins explained, “Men experiencing high levels of masculine anxiety are five times less likely to interrupt exclusionary behaviors in the workplace. It impacts their health, how they show up in the workplace, and as gender partners.”

Workplaces perceived as fair have reduced masculine anxiety. “Managers play a pivotal role in setting the team culture. Organizations should involve people of all levels and genders in creating psychologically safe and fair environments so everyone can thrive,” Kevins said.

Other Key Takeaways From the Webinar

• Involve everyone when building a workplace that prioritizes well-being, regardless of position or gender. Start conversations with people you don’t normally interact with, especially those with different experiences. Every individual contributes to the workplace culture.
• Men play a pivotal role on the front line and across all areas. They can be an untapped resource for driving equity and implementing meaningful changes.
• Listen with humility and empathy to all voices, be open to learning and evolving personally, and find ways to benefit your teams.
• Well-being is more than just a benefit, tech platform, or program. It is essential first and foremost to build trust within your organization.

The Catalyst Solution: Resources to Create Inclusive Work Environments

Catalyst’s Men Advocating Real Change (MARC) program invites employees of all genders and levels to co-create an equitable workplace. “When male leaders show they are utilizing benefits offered, or taking time off,” said Kevins, “it tells others that it’s okay, helping to reduce the stigma.”

Other Catalyst resources that support frontline employees, their managers, and executives are Window to the Front Line, a digital toolkit for corporate leaders to enhance the frontline experience by improving physical wellbeing, scheduling, growth pathways, and empathic leadership; and Moments That Matter, which offers frontline managers printable cards featuring scenarios to bolster their readiness, confidence, and effectiveness in handling challenging situations with empathy.

The stakes are high with billions of dollars lost to vacancies, and the message to companies could not be more clear: It is essential to care for all your employees, starting with those on the front line.

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The post What Companies Can Do to Retain Frontline Employees (Blog Post) appeared first on Catalyst.

Over half (55%) of frontline employees are considering leaving their jobs.

Frontline employees are facing a mental health crisis. They are suffering from burnout, sleep problems, and lack of psychological safety.

Backed by Catalyst research and data from over 4,500 employees across sectors, Half of Frontline Employees at Risk of Leaving: What You Can Do About It highlights the core issues affecting industries with frontline workforces.
The stakes are high with billions of dollars lost to turnover alone.

Business leaders and HR leaders can revolutionize their approach to frontline talent retention, creating healthy workplaces where frontline employees can thrive, with three actions:

1. Aim for Partnership, Not Perfection: Cultivate a culture of empathy, inclusion, and diversity. Our actionable strategies empower managers and teams to foster a workplace where every voice matters.
2. Break the Silence: Combat barriers to speaking up and dismantle harmful gender norms. Create an environment where employees feel valued, heard, and respected.
3. Help Managers Help Employees: Equip frontline supervisors with the tools and skills they need to support their teams effectively. From leadership training to flexible management approaches, empower managers to create environments that inspire and motivate.

Want to go further?

Read our reports, produced in partnership with Accenture, on frontline workforce issues:

• Women on the Front Line: Enabling Them to Thrive, Stay, and Perform
• Team Dynamics on the Front Line: How Managers and Organizations Impact This Overlooked Key to Retention

Supporter-only perks include:

• Window to the Front Line: A comprehensive toolkit for corporate leaders to help them attract, develop, and retain frontline talent, featuring actionable worksheets and leading practices.
• Moments That Matter: Elevate frontline managers skills with scenario-based learning cards and micro-learnings designed to create rewarding environments for all employees.

The post Half of Frontline Employees at Risk of Leaving: What You Can Do About It (E-book) appeared first on Catalyst.

We found that companies have a clear opportunity to attract and retain more women. When they address the needs of women in frontline roles, they position themselves to increase employee satisfaction, morale, and engagement—leading to improved retention and stronger performance.

Some of the hardest-working women are found in the hospitality industry, and women occupy the majority of hospitality frontline roles. Erica Pollard, Vice President of Human Resources at Marriott International, knows that firsthand. Pollard worked as a frontline leader early in her career and that experience has not only shaped her but also helped her empathize as a leader who supports the needs of associates at Marriott.

We spoke with Pollard about Marriott International’s commitment to the women working on the frontlines at hotels across the globe.

At Marriott, our commitment to putting people first has shaped our inclusive culture for nearly a century. With over 400,000 plus employees at our managed hotels, we prioritize creating a welcoming and equitable workplace where every individual feels valued and respected.

As a global company, women perform countless critical roles in areas such as front office, spa, finance, human resources, housekeeping, and sales at Marriott. Central to our mission is creating a safe and supportive environment for our frontline associates within our portfolio of managed hotels. We recognize that by nurturing such an environment, we foster opportunities for associates to thrive both professionally and personally.

We are passionate about investing in associates and value their different ideas and perspectives. Engaging with individuals from different backgrounds and experiences positions us for greater innovation and creativity in the workplace. In addition, when frontline associates feel they belong, they are more inclined to bring their authentic selves to work and better equipped to deliver exceptional service to our guests. This directly enhances the overall customer experience, fostering loyalty to our brands.

Marriott serves on the Catalyst Frontline Employees Initiative Board Task Force. Why did the Company sign on?

Our partnership with Catalyst presents an exciting opportunity for Marriott and we understand the importance of employers prioritizing the well-being of employees with unique backgrounds and perspectives.

The Catalyst Frontline Employees Initiative serves as a valuable reminder for us to remain forward-thinking and to invest in the future of our workforce.

At Marriott, we’ve leaned into three signature elements as part of our people strategy—Growing Great Leaders, Investing in Associates and providing Access to Opportunity. Over the past few years, we’ve made significant progress against our signature elements, implementing innovative leadership programs, and placing a renewed emphasis on holistic support for associates. Our newly launched people brand, Be™, underscores our commitment to associates that they can begin their career in hospitality, belong to an amazing global community, and become the best version of themselves.

We’ve also adapted to the evolving needs of the workforce, prioritized flexibility and choice, enabling us to tap into a larger talent pool while enhancing retention among longstanding team members.

The Catalyst Frontline Employees Initiative Board Task Force offers yet another avenue for us to focus on women in leadership. We’re truly excited to be part of this transformative task force.

What are some of the specific things Marriott is doing to make working conditions respectful and rewarding for women in frontline roles?

At Marriott, we value associates’ commitment when they choose to work at our hotels. Recognizing this, we are dedicated to providing them with the utmost care and support. Central to our approach is fostering an environment where every associate, particularly women in frontline roles, feels respected and rewarded.

Our commitment to dignity and respect extends beyond mere rhetoric; it’s infused within Marriott’s culture. At our Marriott managed properties, we actively encourage open communication through our open-door policy, empowering associates to address any challenges they encounter with guests or colleagues.

We are also investing in initiatives to support our frontline workers. One such initiative involves leveraging technology to enhance the efficiency of housekeeping operations. By introducing state-of-the-art housekeeping carts designed for optimal maneuverability, we’re easing the physical strain of the job and empowering our associates in housekeeping, many of whom are women, to work more effectively.

In addition, we recognize the importance of holistic well-being and have a comprehensive wellness program called TakeCare, which supports physical, financial, and mental wellness. Our hotel-based champions continually look for ways to bring wellness into the workplace, and we regularly incorporate activities like yoga and stretching exercises into our daily routines. These practices promote physical health, enhance mobility, and alleviate the physical demands of frontline roles.

Finally, our Women’s Associate Resource Group has an active membership at our managed properties of both women and allies, celebrating cultural observances, hosting networking events, and nurturing a sense of belonging and mutual respect among our associates.

By prioritizing respect, support, and inclusivity, we’re creating a workplace where all frontline workers can thrive, realizing their full potential within Marriott International.

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The post Making Work More Respectful and Rewarding for Frontline Women in Hospitality appeared first on Catalyst.

Men play an essential role in improving workplaces and opportunities for people of all genders, as Chevron CEO Mike Wirth knows firsthand. A longtime supporter of Catalyst’s MARC (Men Advocating Real Change) initiative, which engages men in creating positive culture change and gender equity at all levels of workplaces and organizations, Wirth has been a key leader in advancing gender partnership. At the 2024 Catalyst Awards, Wirth sat down with Catalyst’s outgoing President and CEO Lorraine Hariton to chat about gender partnership and MARC by Catalyst, which Chevron committed significant funding to under Wirth’s leadership.

As a child, adolescent, and teen, Wirth was lucky to have exposure to powerful women , and as time went on, he realized he could proactively create the circumstances in which inspiring women would always be in his personal orbit. “I always wanted to be in the on the project teams with some of the women students because they were the best students that would give you the best grade,” he said. “When I started at Chevron, my first three supervisors were women and they were still, to this day, three of the very best bosses that I’ve ever had, and relatively early on.”

Those early experiences showed him the value of women’s perspectives, ideas, and experiences that some of his colleagues weren’t getting. “As my career progressed, I realized I had a series of unusual experiences…. I was at a meeting with much of our senior women executives, and I was the only man in the room. And after we went around for introductions and it was my opportunity to speak, my palms were sweaty, I had butterflies, and I realized what everybody in that room had felt many times being the only one.”

That revelation was a pivotal learning moment for Wirth, and it set him on the course that would eventually change the minds and lives of a lot of people at Chevron. Wirth knew that the othering experience women frequently have at work was antithetical to his values and that for things to change, the other men at Chevron would have to learn about what he had learned.

Enter MARC. “We created MARC’s discussion groups, and initially it was to enroll men,” Wirth said. “This is our company. We need to understand more and we need to engage more. And so, this began as single gender discussion groups to begin to explore some of these concepts. And very quickly and very naturally, they evolved to say, ‘We need women here to tell us, what do they really experience, what do they really feel?’”

Today, MARC programming at Chevron is flourishing, with over 5,000 employees participating across all six continents of operations. And women make up over 30% over senior executives and half of the board.

So, what’s next? Last year, Catalyst unveiled the Frontline Employees Initiative, the importance of which was not lost on Wirth. “Without a front line,” he said, “we don’t have a bottom line.” To that end, Chevron is supporting Catalyst’s work to bring MARC to the front line. Wirth said, “Most of the things I described earlier have gone on with office-based workers.” In frontline work, “You don’t have the same flexibility or the same capability, but we’ve got to have the same conversations.”

And Chevron has already hit the ground running. “We’ve got a pilot now in North America with onshore facilities, offshore facilities, refineries, chemical plants…. We’re trying to bring some of these tools into that work environment, see how they work, get feedback from our people, and find a way to reach that part of our workforce where we still do have an opportunity to increase both representation and I also think inclusion,” Wirth said.

The work on gender partnership and inclusion at work is ongoing for Wirth and for Chevron. The journey continues. “Our industry faces one of the biggest challenges mankind has ever faced, right? How do we go through an energy transition to get to a lower carbon economy, to deal with the challenges of climate change? I need people from every country, every background, every racial and ethnic group, every way of thinking. And I need them to be able to bring their whole selves to work so we can solve these big challenges. I can’t afford to not have a workforce that represents all of the people and all of the ideas, all of the creativity, all the passion. It’s really so core to our purpose.”

MARC by Catalyst has grown into a robust suite of programs, including MARC Executive Dialogue for C-suite leaders and a thriving community of alums of MARC programs.

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The post Gender Partnership Can Change Workplaces, Industries, and the World. Just Ask Mike Wirth of Chevron. (Video) appeared first on Catalyst.

Learn how you can revolutionize your frontline workplace dynamics with 4 Ways Companies Can Improve Frontline Dynamics (e-Book).

Whether you’re an HR professional, manager, or organizational leader, this e-book highlights four actions you can take to create positive frontline team dynamics based on Catalyst research.

Explore how your organization can get started today.

• Implement Fair Rewards Systems: Learn how fair compensation and benefits can enhance employee satisfaction and teamwork.
• Ensure Fair Decision-Making Systems: Discover the importance of fair decision-making processes in cultivating a cohesive work environment.
• Support Employees as Individuals: Explore the correlation between organizational support and employee performance, and uncover practical approaches to increase flexibility and improve working conditions.
• Counter a Climate of Silence: Address the detrimental effects of workplace silence on employee relationships, and uncover strategies to encourage open communication at all levels.

Want to go further? This e-book cites insights from Team Dynamics on the Front Line: How Managers and Organizations Impact This Overlooked Key to Retention, our report produced in partnership with Accenture, which delves into how companies with frontline employees can differentiate themselves by investing in strong team dynamics.

Download the e-Book

Start improving your frontline workplace culture today. Fill out the form below to get your copy of the e-book.

The post 4 Ways Companies Can Improve Frontline Dynamics (E-book) appeared first on Catalyst.

New York, March 21, 2024 — Frontline employers are in a race to attract and retain valuable talent. After the pandemic kickstarted a paradigm shift that has raised enduring questions about the employee experience, building respectful, supportive, and connected teams and work environments has been increasingly recognized as key for office workers. It is also critical in attracting and retaining frontline employees and one that employers must intentionally implement, according to new research released last week at the 2024 Catalyst Awards Conference and Dinner by Catalyst—a global nonprofit promoting gender equity and workplace inclusion—in partnership with Accenture.

Surveying 1,800 frontline employees working in retail, hospitality, and manufacturing in the United States, the report, Team Dynamics on the Front Line: How Managers and Organizations Impact This Overlooked Key to Retention, found that as the quality of working relationships improves, employees are two and a half times more likely to report high job satisfaction and three times more likely to report high engagement in their work. They are also less likely to want to leave their current organization and role or report burnout.

But the data indicate that the type of team building that promotes these positive dynamics is not happening enough and that companies may be overlooking the importance of team dynamics in their recruitment and retention efforts. With frontline employers in a race to attract and retain valuable talent, creating a workplace where employees want to stay and actively contribute and reducing turnover can annually save each industry $4-8 billion.

“Meeting the needs of frontline employees, including women, by building respectful and rewarding workplaces is fundamental to retaining and attracting talent that is essential to the daily operations of so many companies worldwide,” said Heather Foust-Cummings, Chief Research & Development Officer at Catalyst. “We’ve heard the calls for a better employee experience from office-based workers. Frontline employees deserve the same. Companies that intentionally foster positive team dynamics where coworkers are able to trust, support, and uplift one another will attract and retain the employees they need.”

To help create these positive work environments, managers must make decisions that are fair and unbiased, respond to employee needs, and be open to their feedback. Likewise, organizations must implement fair and impartial processes for pay, benefits, bonuses, and other rewards; ensure decision-making systems are consistent and transparent; recognize employee contributions and value their well-being; and promote organization-wide conditions that allow employees to constructively speak up about problems, concerns, or challenges.

Frontline employees, regardless of gender, want to work for organizations that foster positive team dynamics. Yet Catalyst found a gender gap between how women and men experience some of the factors that contribute to strong working relationships.

Adding to scholarship on women in frontline roles, an often-understudied group, the report found that women in retail, hospitality, and manufacturing perceive organizations’ rewards (such as pay, benefits, bonuses, and verbal appreciation) and decision-making systems to be less fair compared to men in the same industries. They also see managers as less open to employee feedback and less fair and unbiased in their decision making.

Women are the majority of employees in frontline roles in hospitality, a substantial share of frontline employees in the retail industry, and a target recruitment demographic for the manufacturing sector. For these industries that continue to see labor shortages and high burnout and attrition rates among the frontline workforce, attracting and retaining women in frontline roles is essential.

To help frontline women reap the benefits of positive team dynamics, managers and organizations must ensure they close fairness gaps, including different treatment in terms of growth opportunities, workload, or scheduling. Managers should check assumptions and potential biases. Organizations should, among other key actions, audit hiring, development, and compensation processes to eliminate bias and systemic inequities, and conduct pay equity reviews to ensure everyone is paid equally in the same roles.

This report is the second from Catalyst’s Frontline Employees Initiative, which seeks to understand the unique workplace challenges faced by women in frontline jobs and provide research and tools to shed light on their specific experiences and needs. The Frontline Employees Initiative is a new pillar of work in Catalyst’s more than 60-year history creating workplaces that work for women, driving equity at all levels. Building on findings in the first report in this initiative, Team Dynamics on the Front Line demonstrates the impact of team dynamics, manager behaviors, and organizational conditions in creating an engaging and satisfying work experience for frontline employees.

The report was completed in partnership with Accenture, a leading global professional services company that provides consulting, technology, and managed services solutions to help clients build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth, and enhance citizen services.

Methodology

Catalyst recruited 1,800 frontline employees in the United States via online panel services for this survey. Participants were employed in the hospitality, manufacturing, or retail industries, were required to be physically present at their work location, and routinely interacted with coworkers. Respondents viewed one of two possible job descriptions and then indicated their perceptions about the job and the organization. They were also asked a series of questions about their experiences in their current jobs. Through statistical analysis methods, we investigated the impact of participants’ relationships with their coworkers on workplace outcomes and the role of managerial and organizational factors in driving the development of coworker relationships.

Contacts

Mariana Vanin
Director, Global Communications
Catalyst
mvanin@catalyst.org

Stephanie Wolf
US Communications Consultant to Catalyst
stephanie@stephaniewolfpr.com

The post Companies Need to Invest in Strong Workplace Relationships and Rewarding Work Environments to Attract and Retain Frontline Employees. New Report Shows How. (Media Release) appeared first on Catalyst.