Frontline workers feel so disconnected, nearly half don’t know who their CEO is

Frontline workers, those non-desk workers who do some of the most demanding jobs, don’t always feel connected to the company they work for. In fact, many say their team has an entirely distinct culture of its own and that communication with their company leaves a lot to be desired.

According to a new global survey of 7,550 workers from Workvivo by Zoom, while frontline workers make up 80% of the global workforce, many say they don’t get the recognition they deserve. Frontline workers know how essential their duties are. In fact, 49% say they feel their impact is greater than that of their office colleagues. They just don’t feel recognized for it. Likewise, 40% say their company doesn’t care about them as a person.

A separate corporate culture

Overall, according to the new findings, frontline workers feel largely disconnected to in-office culture. A staggering 87% said that their company’s culture doesn’t apply to frontline workers. Half of frontline workers feel that their team has its own specific culture that doesn’t mirror that of the company’s overall vibe. And a huge chunk of frontline workers feel so disconnected from their company they don’t even know who runs it. Nearly half (46%) said they don’t know who their CEO is.

One glaring reason why frontline workers feel so disconnected from in-office culture seems to be a lack of communication. According to the report, 38% say they have feedback for higher-ups, but no way of communicating it. Forty-two percent say that the leaders at their company aren’t good at reaching out to their team. Forty-eight percent say their company’s communication feels irrelevant to frontline workers.

Connecting with frontline staff

Another recent report by Staffbase similarly found a communication disconnect among frontline workers. The research found only 9% of non-desk workers were very satisfied with internal communication. And it seems to be an issue that leads to overall workplace unhappiness and drives turnover. Sixty-three percent of employees who are considering leaving their position say poor internal communication is a factor.

Meanwhile, most frontline workers aren’t checked out. In fact, they want more communication. The latest report found that 69% of frontline workers want to better understand their company’s decisions. Essentially, those on the frontlines want clear communication, to feel connected, and to be heard by the company they represent.

“Our research shows that frontline employees feel disconnected not because they care less, but because they are engaged less,” said Gideon Pridor, CMO & chief storyteller at Workvivo, by Zoom in a press release. “To close this critical gap, organizations need to recognize frontline contributions in real time, communicate in ways that are relevant and accessible, and provide clear and visible paths for growth.”