It’s been over a year since the pandemic first turned the convenience-store industry on its head, and for retailers, the road to recovery largely involves recruiting and retaining skilled employees amid the ever-changing landscape.
This, however, has come with its challenges: According to Technomic’s Nov. 2020 Ready for Recovery report, 51% of surveyed retailers said one of the top challenges facing their businesses today was hiring and retaining employees—making it the No. 1 challenge cited following COVID-19 safety—and 34% cited high employee turnover as another big challenge.
Many retailers are continuing to expand the services they offer, such as home deliveries and elevated foodservice offerings, which adds an extra level of importance to keeping employees on board. Not only does hiring new talent come with costs, but training has become more extensive to suit workers’ new responsibilities.
A number of factors contribute to a company’s ability to recruit and retain top talent, and company culture plays a major role in determining job satisfaction. Positive relationships between coworkers are key, especially for younger employees. According to research from Robert Half, more than one-third of workers in the U.S. (35%) say they wouldn’t accept a job if they clashed with the company culture—even if the position was otherwise a great fit. And according to Technomic’s 2019 Hiring and Retention Strategies report, this is an even higher priority among younger employees: Among employees ages 18-34, a vast majority (84%) cite work culture and environment as a job priority.
The importance of breakroom atmosphere
For retailers, creating a breakroom environment that encourages employees to relax and socialize with their coworkers can be a key strategy. Breakroom TVs can be an effective addition; they not only give employees a chance to decompress while taking a break from work, but they also encourage socialization as workers can watch a program together and use it as a conversation starter.
Sports programming, in particular, can offer a common ground for employees to bond over. Robert Half reports that 55% of employees ages 18-35 and 64% of male employees say they love keeping up with sports in the workplace and bonding with coworkers over them. Even more, playing sports broadcasts may help prevent employees from spending time checking scores on their phones during their shift.
In addition to recreational uses, breakroom TVs can boost the efficiency and efficacy of video training courses. For onboarding employees and ongoing corporate communication alike, TVs can be a great way of keeping employees engaged throughout the process.
The first step to creating a great TV experience in the break room is to work with a top-quality provider. Industry leader DIRECTV for BUSINESS offers premium service and reliable technologies, offering world-class entertainment solutions in a streamlined design. With hundreds of available channels, retailers can be sure to provide programming their employees will enjoy.
To learn more about how solutions from DIRECTV for BUSINESS can help boost employee morale and engagement, click here.
This post is sponsored by DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS℠