Change is hard for everyone, but this no-checkout stores isn’t a transformation so much as a reorganization.
As no-checkout payment systems are phased in, associates will train in customer experience positions like stocking and assistance. It’s these sorts of positions that are going to become more and more crucial as cashierless retail continues to grow.
This won’t be a sudden shift, but it is a massive one. What we will see is mass reorganization; ten years down the line, the tasks associates will be doing will look totally different.
We work best when our roles are well-defined. We want to know what our responsibilities are, when our hours are, who we’re in charge of and to whom we answer.
Challenges arise when roles aren’t clearly conveyed, or if people are juggling multiple roles. During this transition, associates will be holding multiple positions and different responsibilities, they’ll have to switch tasks, switch supervisors, change hours, change jobs. Employers have to find a way to keep associates productive and satisfied while this transition in payments experience is underway.
The key is to keep employees informed and engaged, so the transition process is as seamless and as transparent as possible.
Employers can assist their associates in handling these changes through clear communication, and even training specifically designed for change management. Employer-associate communication can be made clear and exciting.
Employers can also create assessments and surveys to measure how their associates are responding to change. Associates can then respond with pictures and surveys of their own to show how they’re adapting to new roles and new challenges in the workplace. Retailers and their front-line workforce will need to prepare for the store of the future, which we expect to become more widespread in the months and years to come.
