Attracting and retaining frontline/entry level workers

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January 04, 2026

by a searcher in Denver, CO, USA

I’m looking at a number of businesses that rely heavily on frontline workers (in entry-level positions), and for which attracting and retaining people seems to be the limit to growth. Curious how others in industries with similar dynamics have had success in recruiting and retaining folks. Would be interested to hear what has (or hasn’t!) worked. Thinking of things like ensuring market-competitive comp, improving culture, offering benefits folks actually care about, building strong recruiting pipelines (e.g., local schools, ‘second-chance’ programs…), hiring a full-time recruiter, etc…
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from University of California, Los Angeles in Los Angeles, CA, USA
Offer good healthcare(low premium), 401K match, and competitive (but not above market) pay. Make reasonable policies, and be consistent in application. Give people a chance (whether fresh to market or someone who's been out of work). But, most importantly, set up a performance sharing program where people can actually make a significant boost to their pay by working as a team. I saw the before and after at an employer where the performance sharing program got nerfed... the effort before the change was way better.
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from Rice University in Los Angeles, CA, USA
In addition to Louis Carlson’s great ideas, I’ve heard that creating a culture of appreciation is key. Some non-monetary ways to build loyalty I’ve heard are: putting the workers’ photos on the office wall, calling them out on social media as “employee of the month,” having the office staff and schedulers treat them like customers, not widgets, etc.
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