WorkJam on Flexible Scheduling and Frontline Communication

Store associates are being asked to serve customers, prepare online orders and respond to changing demand within the same shift. In this 2023 Retail Refined conversation from Shoptalk, Melissa Gonzalez and WorkJam VP of Sales Andy Nicholas discuss the tools and flexibility those responsibilities require.

Nicholas describes WorkJam as a digital frontline workplace for hourly employees. His examples connect scheduling choices with store operations: filling a gap in coverage, shifting work between locations and helping associates understand what to do with new technology. Two-way communication and clearer expectations are recurring themes throughout the interview.

A digital “one-stop shop” aimed at hourly reality

Nicholas positions WorkJam as a single platform intended to centralize what hourly employees need for day-to-day work. His rationale is rooted in the widening gap between what corporate teams can access at desks—multiple systems, HR assets, and broader context—and what frontline associates can realistically use while moving on the floor, often with only a shared or personal mobile device.

Gonzalez connects this to a broader Shoptalk theme: retailers are adding more in-store technology to better understand customers and operations, and the payoff increases when those insights reach the employee who can act on them. The episode treats frontline enablement as a practical bridge between digital data and physical execution, rather than as a purely “tech” initiative.

Supporting a wider range of store responsibilities

A key context point is how much broader the associate role has become. Nicholas contrasts older store models centered on ringing transactions with today’s expectations: more customer interaction, and more complex tasks such as assembling e-commerce orders. He also references the industry push to move shoppers from curbside interactions back into stores, arguing that people—not just processes—shape whether that happens.

Flexibility: associate “currency,” retailer agility

Nicholas says frontline flexibility is coming up repeatedly, describing it as a new form of currency in the labor market. He links the pressure to the visible alternatives associates have, including gig-economy work. At the same time, he notes an important constraint: people may want flexible options while still staying loyal to the brand they chose—if the retailer can accommodate that need.

He then translates flexibility into concrete operating mechanisms: enabling associates to pick up shifts quickly when coverage is needed, adapting to e-commerce demand spikes, and repurposing hours already scheduled when foot traffic dips. In his examples, flexibility is not framed as “less structure,” but as a faster way to rebalance labor against changing store conditions.

Communication and context: making store tech usable

As the discussion turns “future-forward,” Nicholas argues that communication is a missing layer in many tech programs. He contrasts one-way broadcasting (leaders pushing information down) with a bi-directional model where frontline observations travel back up to leadership. The implication is that stores already generate critical operational signals, but systems and habits often prevent those signals from informing decisions.

Both speakers emphasize that adopting technology is not just a rollout. Nicholas says people need context: what a tool changes in their job, how it helps them perform, and what’s expected of them. He connects this to a familiar failure mode—retailers investing in innovations and insights, but not getting full value because associates were never clearly guided on what actions to take.

A near-term “future of work” bet: expertise, retention, and experience

Asked to look ahead a few years, Nicholas frames the challenge as the changing nature of frontline work itself and ties it to ongoing staffing strain, including stores modifying hours when they can’t fully staff. In his view, this isn’t a temporary disruption; it raises the stakes on doing more with the team available while also attracting additional talent through better working conditions.

Nicholas closes by arguing that retail employers can bring some of the choice and self-determination associated with gig work into traditional jobs while also offering career development. He links that approach to retention and, in turn, customer experience: experienced associates can give customers more informed help. His proposed direction combines flexibility, empowerment and opportunities to build expertise.