Frontline workers are the backbone of an organization—and leaders can help create a better employee experience.
Article
From hire to inspire: Getting—and keeping—Gen Z in manufacturing
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Gen Z workers say they’re open to jobs in manufacturing. But getting them to take these jobs, engage, and stay will mean changing a work environment long optimized for machines, not people.
Blog Post
Empower the front line for a thriving organization
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The trend to underinvest in the front line continues, but rethinking the frontline talent lifecycle can help build a competitive advantage.
Blog Post
Three actions to boost frontline engagement and retention
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Frontline employees are struggling to build and maintain their networks at work. Leaders who support them are likely to see an impact on retention.
Article
Will a labor crunch derail plans to upgrade US infrastructure?
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There’s a historic and widening labor shortfall in the US construction sector. Yet it extends far beyond jobsites and varies by location, demanding tailored solutions.
Blog Post
Tearing the ‘paper ceiling’: McKinsey supports effort driving upward mobility for millions of workers
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Bachelor’s degree requirements, the default for most middle and high-wage jobs, exclude many skilled workers. A new nationwide campaign is encouraging employers to change hiring practices.
Report
Race in the workplace: The frontline experience
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Three of four frontline workers want to be promoted, but less than one in four achieves it. Companies can take targeted actions to better support these workers.
Podcast
The Great Attrition in frontline retail—and what retailers can do about it
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New research reveals which aspects of the employee experience matter most to US frontline retail workers. Retailers must pay attention and act quickly or risk losing more than half their store staff.
Article
Bridging the advancement gap: What frontline employees want—and what employers think they want
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Improving opportunities for low-wage hourly employees to advance their careers can raise US workforce skill levels and give a powerful boost to inclusion.
Article
For many Americans, economic opportunity seems increasingly out of reach
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Low unemployment doesn’t seem to dispel the gloom about inflation, the McKinsey American Opportunity Survey shows.
Essential workers are more essential than ever.
Article
Taking a skills-based approach to building the future workforce
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Our work with the Rework America Alliance highlights how a skills-based approach can help US employers expand talent pools and retain great workers—even through economic uncertainty.
Article
Network effects: How to rebuild social capital and improve corporate performance
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People’s professional networks have shrunk since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, while companies’ attrition and hiring challenges are growing. To help reverse these trends, people and organizations will need to manage workplace interactions more intentionally. Here’s how.
Interview
Capability building for frontline workers: A conversation with Kevin Carmody
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Effective capability building programs enable organizations to develop the mindsets, behaviors, and skills needed to power a transformation and achieve their full potential. McKinsey senior partner Kevin Carmody talks about the importance of building capabilities in frontline workers and their role in the success of a company’s transformation.
Article - McKinsey Quarterly
Meet the psychological needs of your people—all your people
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Too many employers pay too little heed to the needs of the lower earners in their company. Here’s why—and how—they should shift gears.
Blog Post
When the grass is truly greener: How companies are retaining frontline talent
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Our research suggests that nearly half of employers are not experiencing higher turnover than in previous years. What are they doing differently to better retain their talent?
Blog Post
The Great Attrition: Same turnover, but the “why” differs by industry
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In the Great Attrition, specific drivers of attrition vary by sector. Employers must address their industry’s unique circumstances to turn attrition into attraction.
Meet McKinsey’s frontline experts
Arne Gast
Senior PartnerAmsterdam
Offers extensive global expertise in people and organizational performance, including organizational design, transformational...
John C. W. Parsons
Senior PartnerCalgary
Transforms large industrial sites and organizations by implementing the latest performance-based approaches and leveraging the...
Michael Park
Senior PartnerNew York
Coleads the People & Organizational Performance Practice and partners with leaders to shape strategy, improve performance, and...
Bryan Hancock
PartnerWashington DC
Supports private, public, and social sector clients through expertise in talent management, organizational design, and workforce...
Neel Gandhi
PartnerNew York
Advises leading organizations on how to strengthen their talent-management capabilities and build an HR function that operates...