We know that happy employees = happy customers. When we partnered with Coyle Hospitality Group to conduct a study to explore the experience of shoppers and employees in today’s retail environment, we weren’t surprised about the correlation between engagement and execution.

We’ve seen first-hand how companies that have strengthened their messaging and communications see increased engagement, better store execution, and increased cost savings. Bringing your retail brand to life means aligning the organization, from HQ to the storefront. Since we know that employee happiness drives better store engagement, Zipline customers prioritize people-first communication that promotes engagement across entire teams.

Here are a few ways that you can empower your employees and align your team.

Connect the Dots

When we understand how the work we do impacts a greater mission, we are empowered and motivated to contribute. Effective retail leaders give meaning to the work that individuals do for the company. Specifically, by combining communications and task management, employees can connect to the brand. Your employees want to know how their workload is part of a bigger picture, and how their tasks are critical to the vision of the brand.

That’s why we believe that it’s important for retailers to provide the information people need to make good decisions and help them understand how those decisions affect the overall vision of the organization. Employees will feel motivated to know that their work can make an impact and implement change.

This feedback loop can be pivotal in connecting the dots and helping employees feel empowered. Associates feed information to marketing collaterals who speak to district managers who discuss with corporate. If that loop is followed full circle, people will feel like their voice is valuable and their opinions can help advance the organization.

In turn, this feedback loop boosts employee morale, and each individual who works for an organization is empowered to represent the brand. Inspiration isn’t something money can buy, but it is infinitely valuable for retail employees to feel proud to be part of a company.

Listen to the Front Lines

Never underestimate the importance of listening. If the teams in your stores have something to say, it’s crucial that you hear it. Your frontline workers will feel empowered when they feel that their input is felt, heard, and understood by their leaders.

Not only is it crucial to use communication to create a bridge between your employees and your HQ, but store associates and managers also are your best resource for understanding local guidelines and customer sentiment. In the wake of a pandemic, it is more crucial than ever to connect with frontline workers who are your ears and eyes on a local level. Remember to ask them what they’re seeing and what the company can be doing better to drive loyalty, particularly as health and safety guidelines vary from region to region.

Retail Zipline users collect feedback through Surveys, but the communication doesn’t end there. Once team executives have considered employee opinions, it is important to circle back to their team about how their insights have changed the course of the company or impacted business decisions.

By empowering employees through reassurance that their voice matters, your store teams and frontline employees will be more engaged, and HQ can make future decisions with the help of valuable input.

Equip Employees with the Right Tools

Today, only 29% of direction sent from HQ to stores is executed correctly. We know it’s not the fault of store teams and frontline workers. Most of them haven’t been given the tools and information they need to be successful.

Equipping your team with the right tools means giving them enough information to know how they can feel helpful when it comes to interacting with customers. Help them become educators, making each customer experience more than a transaction.

It comes down to having technology that is built with a real understanding of the challenges and inner workings of retail. Retail Zipline is the only operations platform for brick-and-mortar retail brands that combines store communications and task management to drive flawless store execution.

Zipline was built to solve the unique challenges of communication in retail organizations. Reach out and let’s explore how you can stop communicating with your stores and start communicating with your people today.