A Microsoft survey finds employees looking for a greater say when it comes to new technology investments and initiatives driving digital transformation efforts. Should employees have more say when it comes to digital initiatives?

Hy-Vee has suspended its employee discount program after discovering a significant increase in the number of people using it that did not share the same household or even the same city. Is it common for retail employees to misuse store discount perks?

Shopify’s New Year commitment to cut down on the number of meetings it holds for more than two people is being touted as a successful productivity hack by the company. What do you see as the keys to raising productivity among corporate workers at retail?

Walmart is closing three technology hubs and requiring workers to relocate to primary office locations in San Bruno, CA, and at the retailer’s headquarters in Bentonville, AR. Will Walmart’s decision to close three tech hubs, relocate workers and require them to report to the office at least twice a week increase productivity within its IT group?

California recently passed a law requiring employers with at least 15 workers to include pay ranges in job postings following calls for increased visibility to reduce gender and racial wage gaps. Will greater pay transparency force retailers to make major adjustments in how they manage their workforces?

Lowe’s is the official home improvement retailer of the National Football League. It will also be one place where some customers can go on Sunday to listen to the Super Bowl broadcast. What will Lowe’s in-store broadcast of the Super Bowl mean to customers and associates in the chain’s stores in Kansas City, Philadelphia and Phoenix?

Grocery delivery workers were hailed as heroes during the pandemic. However, Instacart’s experience shows how the sudden moralization of work, which is often used to control workers, can backfire, according to a university study. What effect did the moralization of grocery delivery and other retail jobs during the pandemic have on employee morale?

In today’s fast-paced and often remote workplace, the question typically asked is whether or not brainstorming is still an effective approach to ideation and innovation. What do you see as the benefits and drawbacks of electronic versus in-person brainstorming?

The business models of many retail businesses have been unsustainable for years and all it took was the pandemic to make that undeniably clear. Is there strategic value in retailers and restaurants reassessing their business models on an ongoing basis?

In an employment landscape with a lot of turnover, PepsiCo has begun investing in technology and automation and operational changes to keep its workers happy, fulfilled and on-board. What processes do you see companies streamlining with technology to make for better employee experiences?

Target had a lot to say about the importance of company culture in a keynote presentation at the 2023 NRF Big Show. Target CEO Brian Cornell led a discussion on the value of the company’s culture in successfully navigating the pandemic and the chain’s ongoing success. Has “culture,” as Target defines it, been as important to the retailer’s success throughout the pandemic as the people on the panel believe?

Marvin Ellison, CEO at Lowe’s, speaking at the NRF Big Show, said he learned early on that, to get ahead in his career, his best approach was to “just take tough assignments.” Every job he’s taken over the last 25 years has involved succeeding someone who was fired or pushed out. Do you agree with Marvin Ellison’s advice for individuals trying to advance their retail careers?

A recent study from U.S. News & World Report ranked 190 jobs in order to identify the best jobs in the U.S. today. Front-line retail employment did not land high up on the list. What must retailers do to improve their employee recruitment and retention efforts?

“Quiet hiring,” defined as when an organization acquires new skills without actually hiring new full-time employees, may become the next big trend affecting labor just as the “great resignation” and “quiet quitting” did before it? Do you see the “quiet hiring” trend doing more to take advantage of or offer opportunities for existing employees?

According to a recent McKinsey survey of U.S. retail workers, a lack of supportive colleagues was the leading cause of attrition for those 45 and older while ranking as the eighth most important factor for those under 35. Should retention efforts differ significantly for older retail workers versus younger ones?

Shoppers planning to visit Macy’s Union Square flagship store in San Francisco for last-minute gifts on Christmas weekend were met with a picket line, as the store’s union went on strike for the two days before the holiday. Do you see the recent labor activism taking another step forward or retreating in 2023?

Laid-off workers from Meta, Google, Twitter and other tech hubs are creating a rare opportunity for old-school sectors such as retail to snag skilled talent and accelerate digital plans. Do you see the layoffs in the tech sector creating a near-term or long-term recruiting opportunity for retailers?

According to Harvard business administration professor Raffaella Sadun, the collapses of FTX and Theranos and the recent turmoil at Twitter prove “boring management matters” as well as the importance of context-specific skills and the ability to influence employees. Do you see more potential benefits than risks in having a charismatic retail CEO?

Lesley Salmon, SVP, global chief information officer at Kellogg Company, says that she spends a lot of time thinking about her team and how to engage its members in ways that deliver continually improving results for the consumer packaged goods giant’s stakeholders. What do you think are the pillars upon which positive corporate cultures are built?

Justin Lindsey, a Chick-fil-A operator, has been getting a lot of press attention for designing a full-time three-day-a-week work schedule that has eliminated turnover at the restaurant and made it a magnet for job seekers. What do you think are the biggest challenges for retailers looking to recruit and retain frontline associates and managers?

Walgreens is eliminating task-based metrics for pharmacy staff as part of performance reviews in order to place an “even greater focus on patient care and outcomes.” Do you think task-based metrics do more to incentivize or stress out retail workers?

Mimicking on-demand working, Schnucks has introduced a “Schnucks Flexforce” option at select St. Louis-area stores that lets associates select both their shifts and preferred store locations. What do you think of Schnucks Flexforce and the potential to bring more of an on-demand working option to retail selling floors?

Nordstrom last week announced that Edmond Mesrobian, its chief technology and information officer since 2018, is stepping down, adding credence to the perception that turnover remains high for information technology executives. What’s the reason for the apparent high turnover rates for CTOs, CIOs and other IT executives?

Amazon.com yesterday said it will invest $1 billion over the next year to raise the pay of frontline workers and that it was introducing a new perk that would give these employees early access to a portion of their paychecks.  What do you see as the biggest challenges facing Amazon.com when it comes to recruiting and retaining frontline employees?

BrainTrust panelist Ron Margulis says, “Pardon my cynicism, but if I had a dollar every time I heard some variant of the phrase ‘the customer must be at the center of every retail decision’ at Groceryshop last week, I’d be able to buy a nice meal at one of the many overpriced restaurants in Las Vegas.” Does the customer really need to be the primary focus of every retail decision?

In its report, Microsoft revealed that 85 percent of managers “have a hard time knowing for sure that their people are being productive” away from the office. The effect this “productivity paranoia” has on leaders risks making hybrid work unsustainable. What solutions do you see for overcoming “productivity paranoia” developing out of remote and hybrid work environments?

A global trend dubbed “quiet quitting” has replaced “The Great Resignation” as the latest development among disgruntled workers arising from the pandemic. Has the quiet quitting movement been caused by employees or employers?

Apple has ordered its employees back to the office, and many are not happy about it. Will companies with either full-time remote or hybrid work schedules have an advantage in recruiting and retaining white collar staff versus those with office-only policies?

GameStop is planning on giving pay raises and awarding stock to thousands of employees in an effort to retain valued workers and recruit talent to the video gaming chain. How likely are stock awards and pay raises for store leaders to spur stronger frontline performance at GameStop?

Lowe’s is spending a total of $55 million on bonuses for hourly store associates to help them offset the sting of inflation, which has remained near 40-year highs for much of summer. Has inflation made retailing jobs more or less attractive to those seeking work?

Nike has closed its corporate and Air MI offices this week to give its employees time off to recharge their batteries. Does giving corporate offices vacation at the same time have advantages or disadvantages compared to traditional individual times off?

It turns out that 2021 was a good year, financially, to be a truck driver in the U.S. Driver wages rose significantly as large trucking companies, retailers and others vied for talent in a field where there are more jobs than bodies to fill them, according to a new report. What will it take to make truck driving more appealing as a career choice?

Instacart has introduced a three-pronged tiered-rewards program, Cart Star, to drive loyalty among its shoppers (delivery personnel). Will Instacart’s Cart Star rewards program lead to greater retention of its independent contractor workforce?

Lowe’s is giving full-time workers in its stores the choice to schedule four-day work weeks. The home improvement made the decision after its five-day schedule left many associates complaining about an inability to find a balance between their personal and work lives. How popular do you think a four-day work week will be for full-time associates working in stores?

Managers, in order to reduce turnover, need to shift the focus of career conversations from promotion to progression and developing in different directions, according to a new article. Is offering store associates a path to career advancement a particular challenge for retail managers?

On July 19, Canada will celebrate its third annual Grocery Heroes Day, an industry-backed holiday meant to honor frontline grocery workers. Should the U.S. grocery industry adopt its own version of a heroes day for frontline workers?

Rite Aid yesterday officially opened its new “remote” headquarters building (AKA collaboration center) in Philadelphia’s Navy Yard district. What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of a remote-first corporate workforce?

Workers still have the upper hand, generally speaking, in the current job market despite speculation that the economy may slow to a point where employers need fewer workers or begin laying off employees in significant numbers. Is it still a workers’ job market in retail? How might that situation change in coming months?

Paraphrasing from John Maxwell’s leadership mantras, valuing people is foundational to changing your company, your community and the world. What traits are common to successful companies with missions to help their employees thrive?

Amazon.com’s size and huge rate of employee turnover appear to be setting up the retail juggernaut for a strange hiring problem — it is on the way to running out of people who are willing to work at its warehouses.  Do you see Amazon averting this looming labor crisis, and how?

Businesses believe they are much more trusted than they actually are by both consumers and employees because executives are misreading what moves the needle on trust, according to a new survey. What do you think builds trust in companies among consumers and employees?

Instacart has overhauled its customer ratings system to dilute the impact of hard-to-please customers and deliver a more “fair experience” to shoppers (independently-contracted delivery drivers). Do think the adjustments to Instacart’s customer ratings are fairer to its shoppers as well as the end customer?

Apple said last week that it will increase starting wages for its U.S. retail to $22 per hour, up from $20 and representing a 45 percent hike from 2018 levels. Is Apple’s move to raise retail starting pay likely more about the hot job market or fighting unionization?

Walmart has created a series of career path programs designed to let associates pursue advancement opportunities throughout the organization, from store-level to its headquarters in Bentonville. How do Walmart’s store and corporate recruitment and training programs stack up against other large retailers?

Without the typical in-person social interaction, virtually selling tends to be transactional and lonely, not only impacting morale, but sales effectiveness, according to a new article. What’s your take on the pros, cons and hurdles around virtual selling?

Google last week shifted to a new system for “employee development, learning and progression” it calls GRAD, designed to streamline the process and reduce tensions around employee reviews and career development.  Did Google make the right moves in overhauling its employee review and promotions process?

Howard Schultz is looking to play the FOMO card with baristas who are thinking about voting to join the Starbucks United union.  Is Starbucks taking the proper approach in its attempt to fend off unionizing activity in the chain’s stores?

Walmart announced that it is increasing pay for its fleet drivers and has launched a new program that will enable people working in its supply chain operations to become drivers themselves. Will higher pay coupled with Walmart’s Private Fleet Development Program give the retailer an edge over retail rivals in addressing trucker shortages?

Last week’s jobs report contained both good news and bad for retailers. It was a sign of a stronger-than-expected economy. But retailers understand the increased challenges the positive numbers mean for attracting and retaining good help. Would grocery retailers benefit from doing a bottom to top analysis of wages and benefits?

He’s back. Howard Schultz has started his third turn at leading Starbucks and it didn’t take him long to get the attention of the coffee giant’s stakeholders. Do you agree with Howard Schultz that investing more of Starbucks’ profits into people and stores is “the only way to create long-term value” for the chain?