H&M Event Shines a Light on the Unique Needs of Frontline Employees

One of the things I love most about my new role at Catalyst is our commitment to drill down into the practical, workable aspects of gender equity and inclusion. It’s not just about “advancing women” in a general sense or building awareness. It’s about implementing very specific actions companies can take to make a tangible difference. And what I?really?love is that we’re exploring areas and solutions no one else is talking about.

For example, last week Catalyst Inc. convened an event sponsored by H&M , the world’s second-largest fashion retailer and a committed Catalyst supporter. We hosted more than 35 professionals from 20 companies to share our new insight and supporting products for our Frontline Employee Initiative (FEI), which expands?Catalyst’s impact to a larger spectrum of companies and?employees to include women throughout the workforce, from the C-suite to the front line.?This critical work aims to address the specific needs of women in frontline roles in industries like retail, hospitality, and manufacturing.?This work addresses the needs of a segment of women that gender equity initiatives rarely prioritize: that army of women who are not?in leadership roles in office settings. Women on the front lines have very different workplace needs than those who aren’t.

Our new report done in partnership with 埃森哲 (click?here ?to read) lays out the nearly two years of research on what women in frontline jobs need. The report reveals that companies need to invest in four things to attract and retain women in these roles: their physical well-being, employee-centered scheduling practices, clear growth opportunities, and manager capability to lead empathetically.

Alix Pollack , our Catalyst head of knowledge transformation and solution development, shared the report highlights and implementation imperative. We talked about the role of the organization and managers in creating teams and cultures where frontline workers can thrive. A big part of the goal here is improving retention in general—which is at a crisis point in many industries! H&M’s Dena Battaglia brought the research to life through countless stories and examples of how intentional efforts around creating inclusive cultures in their warehouse have created a sea change in results, like reducing turnover from 125 percent to 25 percent and saving millions in the process! When we support women on the front line, we support everyone on the front line. And, of course, another piece is enriching and growing our pipeline of potential women leaders.

But I also like to look at efforts like this through a broader lens. When we create better working conditions for women, a byproduct is the positive impact we have on their families and communities. Just one example: When single mothers are allowed to work in ways that fit their tough schedules, they can?keep?working. This may not only help lift their families out of difficult financial circumstances, it can impact the well-being of their children and improve the odds that they will thrive in school.

I applaud H&M and other companies that are investing in their frontline workers in this way. By taking steps to improve the lives of ALL employees, they are helping transform the world. It’s a privilege to work with companies that are doing good, and doing well as a result.

Special thank you to the H&M and Catalyst teams who created this extraordinary evening: Joseph Peritore , Donna Dozier Gordon , Shertease Wheeler , and Rita Chhabra, CFA .

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