A majority of Americans are introduced to the workforce through frontline jobs. In fact, approximately “70 percent of the current US workforce is concentrated in frontline positions.” Experts define frontline workers as hourly and salaried roles such as retail salespeople, cooks, and store managers (filled by 95 million workers) who earn an average annual income of $33,000.
Too often, however, frontline jobs are both a starting point and an end point for workers. This research report from McKinsey found this is especially true for frontline workers of color, who face “an array of impediments to moving up the ladder.” And while their research clearly demonstrates that this demographic wants to develop and progress, it often feels impossible.
At Kantola, we know that when people believe they have a fair chance of succeeding, they feel like they are truly a part of the organization. To that end, there are opportunities for companies to mobilize and develop their front line, creating benefits for workers and organizational culture alike. McKinsey’s research offers some facts that help to illuminate the situation in the hope of bettering the future.
In that regard, there’s opportunity for companies to mobilize and develop their front line, creating benefits for workers and organizational culture alike. But how? McKinsey’s research starts by pointing out the facts, in hopes of bettering the future.
45 percent of hourly employees don’t believe their company encourages them to take advantage of work-life policies without jeopardizing their employment or career advancement
As a result, more employees of color are in roles with lower job quality (for example, jobs that lack healthcare benefits or don’t pay a living wage)
The study introduces a concept of “gateway occupations” that are especially effective at transforming job progressions into an employee’s goal position. These roles are designed to “effectively help workers develop new skills (for example, a customer service representative moving into an IT role) or broaden existing skills gained through work experience (such as a medical assistant moving into a more advanced role in healthcare).”
These roles are broken down through the lens and needs of experience. For example, the study discusses the Black frontline experience as overcoming a trust deficit, the complicated Asian stereotype, and a lack of support for Latino workers. Each section presents first person discussion and startling statistics meant to validate the need for change.
Plus, in order to enact these pathway positions, McKinsey’s study points out that companies must provide more support to frontline workers to enable this type of advancement. This will require organizations to “reassess their traditional approach to the front line and directly address previous bias.”
Reassessing the traditional approach when it comes to your frontline workers
McKinsey’s experts point out multiple steps organizations can take to debunk myths and provide a clearer path for their frontline workers.
- Formalize paths for advancement from the front line to higher-paying roles
- Overhaul the frontline talent management system
- Establish a talent market program
- Define the skills frontline workers need for higher-level roles
- Reward experience rather than relying on credentials
- Identify Gateway jobs within the organization and remove artificial barriers to promotion
- Give a voice to frontline workers
- “Raise the floor” on the frontline experience
- Invest in frontline managers
For tens of millions of workers of color, frontline jobs have the potential to be far more than just a livelihood. Companies that truly invest in the front line can make these roles a starting point for a fruitful career, a clear path to the middle class, and a way to transition to interesting new jobs across industries. Much work remains to fulfill this aspiration. But for workers who have been traditionally overlooked, the time is long past due for companies to provide more opportunities and support.
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