Taking the Pulse of America’s Grocery Workers

Grocery store workers have been on the front lines of a global crisis for a year, and now we have a better idea of how they’re feeling about their jobs when it comes to support and training.

A new survey conducted by Chicago-based EnsembleIQ Research Solutions – a division of Progressive Grocer’s parent company, EnsembleIQ, and sponsored by Waterloo, Ontario-based software company Axonify finds that nearly 60% of front-line grocery workers said that they experienced a shift in their role or job tasks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the respondents who said that their jobs or roles changed, more than 40% said that they received no training for their new responsibilities.

The survey engaged 754 full- and part-time front-line employees age 18 and older from the grocery, mass, dollar and club channels to learn more about their experiences working (and learning) on the front lines during the pandemic.

Job Satisfaction Is High

Many workers said that they received no training for new pandemic roles, yet nearly half of respondents said that they’re highly satisfied with their employer’s training program, and the proportion jumped to 85% who are, at minimum, somewhat satisfied. Among workers who were hired pre-pandemic, most maintain similar levels of satisfaction with the training and support provided during COVID-19 compared with before the pandemic. Segments more likely to have higher satisfaction were Millennials, full-time workers, those employed at small operators (fewer than 20 stores) and club employees.

At the same time, however, few workers said that they’re highly likely to recommend their employer as a place to work, which resulted in a Net Promoter Score of -4. This low score was driven by specific segments, including women, part-time workers, those working for midsize to large operators, and those working at mass or dollar stores. Despite the low scores, workers said that they trust their capacity to do their jobs despite a lack of training.

Among the workers who said that they’re not highly satisfied with their employer’s training program, key improvements that could change their rating include extending the time devoted to training, offering more guidance and improving communication overall. About 12% said that they need longer training time, 11% said that they had to learn on their own, 7% said that they need better communication during training, and 5% said that more time for training should be allotted by their employer. More workers claimed that when they receive training, it teaches them new things. However, nearly half feel that the support isn’t customized, following a “one size fits all” approach instead.

Training Satisfaction Is Lacking

Opinions were across the board on which attributes make training programs old-fashioned as opposed to cutting-edge, but interestingly, Generation X and Baby Boomers were more likely to say that their employer’s program is old-fashioned. The classroom approach, whether virtual, in-person or mixed-method, was less popular for front-line workers, with around 21% saying that their employer uses it. Most respondents said that they receive on-the-job training from peers, with mobile/self-guided online training being the second most popular method. Around 76% of respondents said that they use computers supplied by an employer for online or virtual training. For mobile experiences, workers said that they rely on personal smartphones slightly more often than employer-provided tablets or smartphones.

A majority of respondents (80%) said that learning from peers is the most effective training method, while just under half expect self-guided to be highly effective. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that only 55% have participated in online self-guided methods, so this is likely due in part to lower familiarity.

When given the opportunity to redesign their employer’s training program, respondents said that retailers should focus on more hands-on and one-on-one support, as well as improved communication and consideration for different methods.

“For my particular position, I would institute more hands-on training,” one respondent said. “I would have a coach – a manager or someone well versed in the position – act out various situations the new employee might have to deal with.”

Communications should also be at the forefront.

“I think there needs to be better communication throughout all departments,” another respondent said. “For example, I work in the coffee shop in my grocery store, and I feel like other departments don’t really understand us or care about us as much. I think managers throughout the grocery store need to have an understanding of how the coffee shop runs and do a better job at staffing us.”

Across nearly all metrics, the subgroups that expressed more negative training perceptions and experiences tend to be female, Generation Z, part-time, work at midsize to large operators, and at mass or dollar stores.

Post-Pandemic Workers

Most respondents agreed that employers have taken steps to keep staff and customers safe during the COVID crisis. Compared with Axonify’s summer 2020 workforce survey, workers agreed slightly more that employers are taking actions to keep customers and staff safe during the pandemic, as well as providing timely information to employees. Around 79% said that their employer has taken action to keep their customers safe through this crisis, 75% said that their employer has taken action to keep staff safe through this crisis, 69% said that their employer has provided timely information about its response to the pandemic, 67% said that they feel safe working for their employer in the current environment, and 65% believe their employer can handle any future crisis/issue because of how it has responded to the pandemic.

There’s even more positive news: More than half of respondents (55%) said that they’re highly likely to continue working for their current employer and will remain in the grocery or retail industry for the foreseeable future, despite uncertainties over what the “new normal” will look like.

This research was derived from a survey conducted by EnsembleIQ Research Solutions and sponsored by Axonify between March 10 and April 1, surveying 754 respondents who work on the front lines at food retail businesses.