Special Issue: Lessons From the Big Quit | Gartner’s Business Quarterly

This new 37-page issue of Gartner’s Business Quarterly is devoted to helping firms get work done while short-staffed, recruit faster and better, protect institutional knowledge and stave off competitors from poaching talent. It includes twelve short and digestible articles, such as “A Framework for Assessing Attrition Risk: Who Wants to Pack Up, and Why?” and “4 Hard Questions to Ask About Your Company’s Fairness Strategy.”  One article, beginning on page 38, is about providing flexibility to frontline workers in where, when, and how much they work, to name a few. As I mentioned in previous posts, much of the focus on workplace flexibility has been on remote and hybrid work. But since more than half of the workforce has little or no opportunity for these types of flexible work arrangements, many frontline workers aren’t afforded these forms of flexibility because of the type of work they perform. The article notes that “contrary to popular belief, executive leaders can, and should, offer more control and opportunity to employees on factory floors, in warehouses, at call centers, behind food counters and at the wheel of delivery trucks. It’s time to help them — or lose them.” For example, regarding “when” they work, these workers can be given flexibility for when to start and end each workday or by trading shifts via a virtual scheduling platform or chat pod. Regarding “where” they work, managers can work with direct reports to decide which activities can be completed off-site (e.g., administrative or digitally-enabled tasks). Other practical ideas are shared for unlocking flexibility for these worker segments. Please note that Gartner requires an email address in order to access this resource.