Company News • 17.01.2022

Improving Engagement Among Your Generation Z Retail Employees

Changing Pressures in the Retail Industry

A young employee works in a retail company
Source: iStock-1316447872

Generation Z (Gen Z) is making up more and more of today’s retail workforce, representing around 27 percent of the population, or 72 million Americans. The oldest are in their twenties, and as they continue to come of age, they are taking roles in retail as associates and even managers. Broadly speaking, Gen Z members have a high level of competency with mobile technology and communicate primarily through social media and mobile texts.

The better we understand how these behaviors impact Gen Z employees in the workplace, the better we can find ways to engage them and help them be productive on the sales floor.

Changing Pressures in the Retail Industry

Recently, many variables have radically changed how traditional chains interact with customers:

Omnichannel shopping: Across the board, retailers adopted to changing shopping habits–omnichannel purchasing being a major one. This meant associates in grocery stores and other chains became involved in packing orders, delivering goods, and supporting buy online pickup in store (BOPIS) processes, as well as overseeing self-service kiosks, and more.

Revamping the store and its role: Along with these omnichannel changes, stores themselves changed. In some cases, they are or contain mini-warehouses that support regional chain needs. With BOPIS and related processes, stores also must handle packing shipments and processing returns. All of this demands a new type of highly trained employee, comfortable in a variety of non-traditional retail roles.

Heightened customer service: Those shoppers who do visit stores are demanding nothing less than an efficient and convenient experience. What worked pre-pandemic will no longer succeed in this market. Associates must be as knowledgeable, flexible, and as highly trained as possible, ready to do more than ever to keep the customer returning again and again.

Safety enforcement: The pandemic has forced managers and associates to become virtual public safety specialists. Employees must uphold safety policies (such as masks) and distancing guidelines, deal with uncooperative shoppers, and more. This requires training and access to the latest safety policies, issued from the corporate office–which, in turn, is attempting to comply with ever-changing guidance from state, federal and municipal authorities.

Tight labor market: As we all know, top-notch associates are in high demand, and can command better wages than before the pandemic. It’s more difficult (and costly) perhaps than ever to recruit, train, and retain the sorts of associates most in demand in this very competitive time.

All of these factors have added a great deal of pressure on both stores and the Gen Z employees who must navigate these circumstances.

Solutions to Support Your Generation Z Front-line Employees

Navigating these challenges is an opportunity for retailers to simplify work at their stores, streamlining key execution processes and optimizing their labor spend. With real-time store operations and workforce management solutions, you can foster a more collaborative workplace for your Generation Z employees, improving engagement and retention.

Solution capabilities can include:

  • Real-Time Task Management: Such a solution, accessed via an easy-to-use mobile device, is a natural fit for Gen Z. Ideally, the software should provide a prioritized list of tasks to be done for the day, with the ability for corporate, the store, or third-party devices to send them new tasks in real time. It also should provide associates with automated alerts (to respond to, say, an unfolding customer event) that updates them when a new, high-priority task comes in. These solutions promote accountability by tracking progress and informing your associates if a task remains uncompleted. In doing so, any potential problems are addressed immediately.

  • Real-Time Communication: Those in Generation Z are very familiar with using text messaging and social media to communicate. It’s a great advantage to adopt a real-time communication solution that can be used to send messages from anywhere, at any time. Such a solution should also be able to take feedback from the front line, especially when there are unforeseen situations that require managerial intervention or guidance. Real-time communication solutions also give managers the ability to offer corrections on the fly–or praise and reinforcement, as needed.

  • Intelligent Workforce Management: An AI-powered workforce management solution can automate the scheduling process, ensuring that your front-line associates receive accurate and precise labor schedules that take all of their preferences and needs into consideration. They also ensure that in-store workload is aligned with labor scheduling, creating schedules that have the right amount of employees scheduled to handle all in-store tasks. Employee self-service solutions are also critical to empowering your front-line employees. These solutions give your employees the ability to check their schedules and time cards at any time, as well as the functionality to swap shifts and send sick leave requests – all from their mobile phones. Store managers receive these requests in real time and can approve or reject them as soon as they come in.

To learn more about how to empower your Generation Z front-line employees, check out our white paper, “Increasing Retail Employee Engagement and Retention in Today’s New Normal.”

Supplier
Logo: Reflexis Systems GmbH

Reflexis Systems GmbH

Kokkolastr. 5-7
40882 Ratingen
Germany

related articles:

popular articles:

Thumbnail-Photo: The global state of autonomous stores
18.12.2023   #Tech in Retail #self-checkout systems

The global state of autonomous stores

The stores are located in various retail segments such as food retail, fashion, electronics, convenience stores and fast food.

In a highly competitive global retail landscape, autonomous stores are an emerging force that addresses changing consumer behaviors, reduces operational costs, improves profitability, and powers revenue growth strategies. Advancements in autonomous ...

Thumbnail-Photo: EuroCIS 2024 - technology special
11.12.2023   #online trading #e-commerce

EuroCIS 2024 - technology special

The latest technology solutions and trends for you and the retail sector

At EuroCIS 2022 from February 27 to 29, 2024, the Leading Trade Fair for Retail Technology, we will be looking at all the important and current topics relating to technology in retail: AI and Machine Learning, Payment, Connected Retail, Seamless Store and Smart Energy Management and many more.

Thumbnail-Photo: MPREIS Transforms Operations with Zebra Workcloud Task Management™...
06.11.2023   #customer experience #software developement

MPREIS Transforms Operations with Zebra Workcloud Task Management™ Software Solution

Austrian food retailer to streamline communication in around 300 stores to improve staff engagement, inventory optimisation, and customer satisfaction

MPREIS has around 300 Austrian stores in regions across Tyrol...

Thumbnail-Photo: New German vending partner for ITL
30.11.2023   #Tech in Retail #cash management

New German vending partner for ITL

Innovative Technology (ITL) have recently announced Bernd Boddart as their latest trading partner

Bernd Boddart will be supplying their cash validation and biometric age verification solutions to the German vending market. Bernd Boddart, based in Mönchengladbach, Germany, have 30 years of experience in the field of coffee machines, table ...

Thumbnail-Photo: SES-imagotag becomes VusionGroup
29.01.2024   #software applications #artificial intelligence

SES-imagotag becomes VusionGroup

A new identity highlighting the broader portfolio of innovative solutions
developed by the Group to solve the major challenges of physical commerce

SES-imagotag (Euronext: SESL, FR0010282822), the global leader in digital solutions for physical commerce, today announced that it has changed its name to VusionGroup. This new name embodies the various product lines and solutions that have enhanced ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Unified Commerce Platform in focus
24.10.2023   #omnichannel #software developement

Unified Commerce Platform in focus

Handover at REMIRA: Dirk Bingler supersedes Stephan Unser as CEO

REMIRA is setting the course for future development of the company: On November 1, Dirk Bingler (48) will become the new CEO of the supply chain and omnichannel software expert headquartered in Dortmund. The previous CEO Stephan Unser (62) moves to ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Tesco to introduce new scan-free technology on self-service tills at...
03.01.2024   #brick and mortar retail #Tech in Retail

Tesco to introduce new scan-free technology on self-service tills at GetGo store

Seamless Shopping Revolution: Tesco Tests Scan-Free Technology in London

Tesco is trialling an exciting new technology innovation that means customers don’t need to scan their items ...

Thumbnail-Photo: EuroCIS 2024: Go beyond today!
16.10.2023   #retail #Tech in Retail

EuroCIS 2024: Go beyond today!

27 to 29 February 2024 will see the Who’s Who of Europe’s retail technology sector meet in Düsseldorf

Go beyond today! EuroCIS at the end of February will once again show solutions and products for the retail of the future @Messe DüsseldorfIn late February, numerous companies will again exhibit solutions and products for retailers to shape and ...

Thumbnail-Photo: Out of Stock in Retail and innovative solutions to avoid them...
07.11.2023   #brick and mortar retail #customer satisfaction

Out of Stock in Retail and innovative solutions to avoid them

Due to various events, the availability of goods in retail will be increasingly restricted from 2022, with the result that customers cannot find in food retail the products they wish to buy, because those products are sold out, are temporarily ...

Thumbnail-Photo: First of its kind accessible checkout unveild by Woolworths, creating...
03.01.2024   #Tech in Retail #cashpoints

First of its kind accessible checkout unveild by Woolworths, creating new employment opportunities

Breaking Barriers in Retail: Woolworths' New Checkout Design for Wheelchair Users

In what is believed to be a world first, Woolworths has unveiled an accessible checkout, designed specifically for team members living with a physical disability, including people who use wheelchairs and other mobility aids such as walkers.The first ...

Supplier

REMIRA Group GmbH
REMIRA Group GmbH
Phoenixplatz 2
44263 Dortmund
Zebra Technologies Germany GmbH
Zebra Technologies Germany GmbH
Ernst-Dietrich-Platz 2
40882 Ratingen
VusionGroup SA
VusionGroup SA
55 place Nelson Mandela
90000 Nanterre
Captana GmbH
Captana GmbH
Bundesstraße 16
77955 Ettenheim
Innovative Technology Ltd.
Innovative Technology Ltd.
Innovative Business Park
OL1 4EQ Oldham