Desk-free workers are a crucial element of successful organisational management. They are found across many sectors including manufacturing, distribution and logistics, retail and wholesale, health and care, facilities management, and many more. What unites them is a lack of access to a desk and a computer. And in many cases the roles are poorly paid, often seen as low value, and subject to erratic shift patterns.

Managing the desk-free worker is the day-to-day responsibility of managers who also operate within the same desk-free environment. Caught in the middle between the demands of senior managers and leaders in the office, and the desk-free workforce they work alongside on the frontline every day, the ‘sandwich’ managers are treading a thin line.

A foot in both camps

The challenge for many sandwich managers is trying to appease the very different needs of their teams and senior management. Leaders are focused on the bigger picture of running their organisation from a strategic level, seeking ways to reduce costs and increase productivity. For some leaders, desk-free workers perhaps serve as a means to an end, and they are often ‘invisible’ due to being in a different location. They may also expect and accept a high churn rate among this group of low-paid employees.

Sandwich managers work alongside the desk-free teams and understand firsthand the everyday challenges and problems they must overcome. One of the biggest and most frequent challenges is getting paid accurately and on time. The nature of shift allocations, often arranged at the last minute to cover absence and short staffing, can mean some time is not remunerated until a later pay packet.

Another challenge for sandwich managers is ensuring fair, up-to-date, and equitable communications for their workers, as they are often the principal funnel for this information. In the absence of computer-based employee communications, desk-free workers rely on sandwich managers for onboarding, training, and verbal company updates.

Not surprisingly, market research suggests that 37% of desk-free workers feel less valued than their office-based colleagues, which may be down to feeling marginalised and out of the loop. When low pay is a feature of the role, any opportunities to progress and potentially increase income are sought after. Yet many organisations with desk-free workers have no way to communicate opportunities for promotions and training besides verbal recommendations from the sandwich manager.

Additionally, there is no such thing as the ‘typical’ desk-free worker. The roles attract students and others who perhaps use the job as a stepping stone, but also individuals who have come straight from school and might be seeking a long-term career with career progression opportunities. Some desk-free workers will have come out of retirement to seek extra income, perhaps with no progression expectations, while others provide for families and other dependents, so they’re actively seeking progression and better pay.

Sandwich managers need to be able to empathise with, guide, and motivate this diverse set of people. At the same time, they are dealing with the day-to-day pressures of organising rotas and shift allocation, which can be frequently complicated by ‘no-shows’ and sickness absence. They might be helping to handle customer complaints, while dealing with requirements for higher productivity from leadership.

Implementing support strategies

Employers can implement strategies that support their sandwich managers, helping them, in turn, support the desk-free workforce to enable more seamless processes and higher productivity. With understaffed shifts being a primary stressor for many frontline workers, providing sandwich managers with access to effective rostering and scheduling can transform the experience for everyone. Modern digital solutions can automate this process while providing accurate, real-time updates that enable prompt remediation as required.

Some sandwich managers may have risen through the ranks having had no intention of becoming a manager, being promoted as a result of sticking at the job the longest and having the best knowledge. They are therefore not necessarily always the best equipped to manage and supervise others.

It is consequently crucial to support sandwich managers with the appropriate learning & development (L&D) to help them manage their teams more effectively. Many of the skills needed, such as dealing with employee engagement, motivation, empathy and support, as well as other HR issues (like ensuring DE&I and compliance), do not come naturally and need to be taught and developed.

Organisations can implement digital solutions that enable easy communications with desk-free workers via their phones and other devices, negating the need for a computer and helping reduce the stress on sandwich managers of being the constant ‘information funnel’.

More strategically, an organisation’s HR team can support these managers by helping gain a better understanding of the desk-free workforce using questionnaires and regular face-to-face consultations. Exit interviews are also essential in an area that is subject to high employee turnover in order to drive increased retention, reducing hiring and onboarding costs as well as disruptions to productivity.

When the sandwich manager has access to improved insights and understands each of the desk-free worker’s expectations around their job, they are better placed to help them achieve their personal goals. These insights are also important for leaders as they develop strategies for growth and increased productivity, guiding them to implement strategies that make their workers’ lives easier, meet their needs and aspirations, and boost engagement for higher retention.

Empower with digital tools

To summarise, sandwich managers are the vital link between an organisation and its desk-free workforce. Their role includes ensuring everyone is kept up to date, feels integrated into the culture, is engaged with the business, and knows about career opportunities (such as promotions and training).

By implementing the appropriate digital tools that help them do this more effectively, organisations can drive higher productivity from their essential desk-free workers. Giving sandwich managers the right digital solutions such as automated scheduling and rostering, frees up their time to focus on better management of their teams and getting their own jobs done more effectively, while enabling more effective communications across teams.

Digital tools can also help organisations improve training for desk-free managers, who must be equipped to build better employee engagement, increase motivation and productivity, and reduce stress and churn across the desk-free workforce. Driving higher productivity is key to a higher return on investment, lower hiring costs, and overall increased profitability to help the organisation achieve its objectives.