We'll look at the challenges this presents and the technology solutions that businesses can adopt to be successful in a post pandemic world.
The pandemic has accelerated the need for retailers to create flexible workforces capable of reacting to whatever a volatile business climate throws at them.
To achieve this flexibility, however, retailers can’t afford to compromise on meeting the flexible working demands of their employees – who are looking to improve their own work/life balance.
This can be a difficult circle to square – and creating a solution that can keep everyone happy isn’t without its challenges. To understand how this can be done we spoke to experts in this field – each with a different perspective.
We asked them to highlight the areas where retailers should focus their attention. They also explained how technology is playing a vital role in helping retailers plot a path to success – and what that success will look like once these solutions are in place.
"“Some retailers are a bit hesitant about smart scheduling, but when a rota has been pushed out in 30 seconds versus the 2-3 hours of doing it manually, I think they will be pleasantly surprised.”
Jennifer Handley, Retail Manager at Lush’s flagship store in Birmingham
“Smart scheduling allows retailers to pivot as needed. By using forecasting and labour models, these solutions can tell managers where it would be best to place staff at different points during the day.”
Mark Thomas, VP of Customer Success at Rotageek
“More engaged employees means less turnover - and when people work somewhere for longer they will have more knowledge in what they are doing. As a result, retailers will end up with better people in front of their customers.”
Simon Hedaux, Founder and CEO, ReThink Productivity