Boost Productivity and Employee Retention by Digitally Transforming the Management Process

The average turnover rate in the retail industry is slightly above 60 percent, according to the National Retail Federation. What does this high turnover rate mean for retailers? Not only do employers have a hard time retaining employees, but employees often have reduced morale and lack motivation to get tasks done accurately and efficiently, resulting in lowered productivity.

So, how can retailers optimize employee efficiency and improve retention and productivity? By digitally transforming management processes, improving communication, streamlining accountability on task execution and providing more accessibility, retailers can help mitigate some of these common people management pain points.

Improve Communication Across All Departments

Communication is key to efficient retail operations. Communication is the glue that connects the organization, and retailers must find a way to use communication to solve specific needs and challenges. Poor communication can lead to employees feeling less valued and unconfident performing their tasks in the workplace, ultimately decreasing productivity and accuracy. By making sure everyone on a team understands the organization's vision and how their work contributes to it, retailers can ensure that all employees are confident, motivated and have high morale.

Some retail operations teams use outdated manual tools to stay on top of store execution and communication. These methods give the head office and management zero visibility unless they're physically in-store. With digital management processes, all departments can communicate and express any feedback or questions in real time, and the brand can quickly talk with associates at any location.

Feedback from employees is vital in giving them the space to have their voices heard. With easily accessible online communications, retailers can engage associates, increase efficiency, and give employees, from headquarters to front-facing store associates, a 360-degree view of the entire enterprise.

Hold Employees Accountable

Outdated processes can also make it hard for managers to keep track of tasks. By going digital, headquarters, district managers and in-store associates can stay up-to-date on the management and execution of tasks. Employers can hold team members accountable by having a one-stop spot to show that tasks are completed in a timely manner. Furthermore, employers can easily onboard, train and test store associates with digital management processes. This improves productivity for all store employees by helping them to facilitate tasks accurately and efficiently. 

Make it Easier for Associates to Access Information

Giving store associates digital access to information not only benefits the retailer, but also improves the customer experience. For example, with older management processes, employees often had to dig for information. By automating task management processes, all employees have one source of truth for all resources and task updates.

If a shopper enquires about a specific product, for example, a store associate can quickly use their mobile device to search for the answer or send their manager a question. This way, associates can easily access important information, making them feel more valued and knowledgeable while also helping shoppers have an improved and more convenient experience.

Improve Retention and Productivity by Going Digital

A recent Boston Consulting Group global study found that as many as 37 percent of employees who operate in a nonoffice setting, such as retail, are looking to quit their jobs within the next six months. When it comes to staying or leaving a job, 69 percent of respondents listed the importance of job fulfillment.

It's essential for retailers to create a better experience for employees by optimizing communication, accountability and accessibility. This also boosts retention because employees feel more successful and knowledgeable in their roles and, ultimately, more fulfilled by their job. Furthermore, by improving employee morale, retailers can achieve increased efficiency and productivity.

Gary Stonell is senior vice president of sales and operations at Opterus, the leading provider of cost-effective, cloud store communications and task management solutions.