Corporate Learning and the Frontline: How Changing Lives is Good for Business

My most shocking observation from more than 25 years in corporate training is how much time and energy is spent on solving complicated development challenges for delivering training to knowledge workers (LXPs, LMSs, learning analytics, content libraries, digital credentials, tuition reimbursement, training conferences, etc.), and yet how so little is spent developing frontline workers.

During the pandemic, the frontline was universally praised and recognized as "essential." So why aren't they considered essential from a corporate learning and development perspective?

7 out of 10 Workers are Frontline

According to SHRM, about 112 million workers, or 70 percent of the entire working population of the U.S., hold frontline jobs that involve tasks such as waiting tables, folding clothes or stocking shelves.

Josh Bersin warned HR directors back in 2021 in an interview with HRmagazine about the importance of not leaving frontline workers behind, but change has remained slow.

In an era where frontline hiring and retention continues to garner so much attention, it is surprising how few companies are radically re-thinking their corporate learning priorities and investments. Especially when, according to McKinsey & Company , career development opportunities (32%) outweighs compensation (29%) when it comes to frontline employees jumping ship.

Golden Opportunity for Learning Leaders

The frontline offers a golden opportunity for CLOs and other learning leaders who want to make a dual difference: in changing people's lives and in driving measurable business impact.

Aspects of existing investment in content and platforms for training knowledge workers may be adaptable, but the frontline has unique challenges ranging from how to deliver training to a workforce with no corporate email address to how to sustain the training for individuals who may have a limited structured learning history. But it can be done.

Amazon, Walmart, and Tyson Foods, for example, all have invested in widely reported programs to open career development opportunities to the frontline. While they differ in approach and specifics, they share a common foundation: English language training.

#1 Building Block for Frontline Development

There is no more fundamental building block for a frontline development program than offering a structured program for employees to learn or improve English.

One simple reason is that 66.8 million workers in America (more than half the frontline population) -- report speaking a language other than English at home. Before your frontline can take advantage of development opportunities such as a high school diploma, a skilled trade, or even a college degree, an A2+/B1 level of English is essential.

In a recent survey of nearly 500 frontline employees, goFLUENT found that 88.3% opted to enroll in a formal English training for "professional reasons," which included getting a promotion or a future college program, compared to 11.7% who did so for "personal reasons" such as obtaining citizenship, communicating better at home, or handling basic interactions (at the bank, at church, etc) more easily.

Key Benefits of Frontline English Training

Five key business benefits of investing in English language training for the frontline include:

Retention - Turnover is costly and frontline turnover rates are dramatically higher than corporate staff. CLOs can fund expanded developmental programs at the frontline from significant hard and soft cost savings as a result of improved retention alone.

Customer Satisfaction - Frontline employees are your company's connection to the end customer. Studies show that customer satisfaction is highly correlated to quality of communication.

Safety and Compliance - It is not economically viable to translate safety and compliance training materials into all of the global languages spoken natively by frontline employees. Upskilling English reduces ambiguity, improves comprehension and leads to reduced workplace accidents.

Team Collaboration - Ability to communicate using a common language drives higher engagement, fosters collaboration, and builds comradery.

Talent Pipeline - Your frontline is an underutilized talent pool. An employee earning $22.50/hour today may be an avid gamer with sharp technical skills and a penchant for numbers. It is entirely feasible this person could become a data analyst with six-figure earning potential with the right access to training. And this is happening in a few pioneering companies!

It's Not Just About Business

Perhaps the most important benefit of all is the impact on changing lives.

It's been said that many things people work hard for in life are transitory, meaning they can be lost. For example, a house can burn down, a car wrecked, a job lost, etc.

But education is the one asset that can never be taken away. An investment in your frontline creates immeasurable goodwill with those individuals who participate and is a direct investment in your community. It changes lives forever and has an unseen ripple effect that can change the trajectory of entire families.

It is not only the right thing to do, it is truly "essential."

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I would love to hear form you and continue the conversation. Please share your thoughts in the comments section.