The Frontlines with Bersin Company's Nehal Nangia

From The Frontlines · 31:05

Show by Tim Sackett

Your company says it offers flexibility. Your frontline employees say they can’t change a shift. You say the benefits are available. They don’t know how to access them. And while leadership celebrates business results, some of the people delivering those results are borrowing money just to get to their next paycheck.Houston, we have a frontline problem.On this episode of The Frontlines, Tim Sackett and Madeline Laurano welcome Nehal Nangia, who leads talent management and frontline workforce research at The Josh Bersin Company, for a candid, sometimes uncomfortable, and surprisingly hopeful conversation about the gap between what employers promise and what hourly workers actually experience.Using research from DailyPay and Workday featuring responses from more than 2,000 hourly workers, the trio digs into findings that should get every Talent Acquisition leader’s attention. One that hits especially hard: 46% of hourly workers report borrowing money between pay periods. Meanwhile, roughly half don’t expect their workplace experience to improve. These employees aren’t asking for extravagant perks. They want understandable pay, workable schedules, and someone who actually communicates with them.For TA leaders, this conversation goes straight to the promises made during recruiting—and whether those promises survive the employee’s first shift. Madeline shares an example of a worker changing locations only to discover the pay was lower than expected. Tim challenges leaders to confront pay inequities that leave experienced employees earning less than brand-new hires. And Nehal explains why frontline flexibility means much more than convenience: it can determine whether someone can care for a sick child, pick up needed hours, or keep earning a living.You’ll hear hot takes on: Why offering a benefit doesn’t mean employees can use it, and how communication and enrollment can derail a good investment. Who owns the frontline experience gap, including Tim’s direct challenge to CHROs to bring the business case to their CEO and CFO. Why scheduling deserves a place in your recruiting strategy, especially when flexibility can influence whether someone accepts a job or stays. What AI could make possible next, from easier shift changes to understanding team performance and rewarding results closer to the moment they happen.With support from Workday and Paradox, The Frontlines brings these conversations to the leaders responsible for attracting and keeping the people who make businesses run. Workday’s scheduling capabilities also enter the discussion as an example of how technology can help address everyday worker friction.There are laughs, Josh Bersin stories, and plenty of opinions. But the question underneath it all is serious: Are you recruiting people into an experience they’ll want to stay in—or recruiting replacements for problems your organization hasn’t fixed?If you lead frontline hiring, this episode belongs on your listening list.

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