Post-Holiday Survey: Retail Employees Blow the Whistle on Ineffective Scheduling

The “Holiday Aftermath” survey of nearly 600 retail employees uncovered that only 20 percent of respondents strongly agree that their employer was able to provide great customer service while ensuring their employees’ work/life preferences were satisfied. When asked what their employer can do next holiday season to meet the needs of their employees and customers, the number one response was to schedule employees to better meet customer demand.

This survey is a wake-up call for retailers. Approximately 57 percent of retail employees said their employer was unable to effectively match employee scheduling to customer demand this past holiday season. Of those respondents, 90 percent explained there were not enough employees scheduled to meet customer demand.

Workforce Institute’s opinion

Optimized employee scheduling can help retailers improve employee satisfaction, leading to reduced turnover and improved productivity and better customer service. Ideally, employers should elicit and seek to accommodate employee preferences in developing schedules.

To learn more about the survey findings and methodology, see our Post-Holiday Survey press release.