Trying to Recruit Frontline Workers? Look Beyond the Paycheck. It's not all about the money. Workers are burned out, plain and simple.

Restaurants and retail stores are reducing hours again, but it's not because of the pandemic — at least not directly. Instead, many businesses in service industries have reduced hours or limited services because of staffing shortages.

And as businesses scramble to hire and keep employees, many frontline workers have quit. But contrary to popular belief, the exodus isn't so much about pay as it is about burnout. Our recently released research report, The State of Frontline Work Experience in 2021, found that 45% of frontline workers are getting ready to leave their jobs, with 58% saying burnout is the main reason.

In addition to quitting because of burnout, 53% of employees said they planned to quit because they are not appreciated by management and peers, and 52% said they are quitting because they are not interested in daily work. Dissatisfaction with compensation came in fourth.