Purpose

This article aims to build on the insights from the systematic reviews included in this special issue (SI) on frontline service employees (FLE) by adding practitioner perspectives. Its purpose is to gauge knowledge, awareness and practices from industry and government regarding topics related to frontline workers and to offer critical and, in places, provocative insights on the relevance of scholarly focus in serving the needs of industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Insights were developed through consultation with managers who are responsible for leading frontline employees, who offered insights on the important issues affecting their workforce as well as direct comments on each of the key topics covered in this SI articles. Additional insights were gathered through a review of policy document reviews with relevant government agencies and trade publications, a review of a body of conference topics and speakers and personal reflections developed over decades of consulting work.

Findings

This paper presents insights from industry about looming challenges facing managers of frontline service employees, including a forecasted worsening of labor force availability to perform many frontline jobs; growing competition for workers from other sectors; a relatively shallow understanding by industry of academic research topics on workforce in service; the emerging increased cooperation between industry and governments to address these challenges and a clear deficit in necessary frontline skills.

Originality/value

This paper provides rare and direct insights from industry practitioners about current and critical topics investigated by academic researchers and offers opportunities for further collaboration and collective thought on addressing global challenges faced by frontline service employees.

中文翻译：

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服务一线员工研究：科学-实践视角

目的

本文旨在通过添加从业者的观点，以本期特刊 (SI) 中包含的关于一线服务员工 (FLE) 的系统评价的见解为基础。其目的是衡量行业和政府关于一线工人相关主题的知识、意识和实践，并就学术重点在满足行业需求方面的相关性提供批判性的、在某些地方具有挑衅性的见解。

设计/方法论/途径

这些见解是通过与负责领导一线员工的经理协商而形成的，他们提供了对影响员工队伍的重要问题的见解，并对本 SI 文章中涵盖的每个关键主题提出了直接评论。通过对相关政府机构和贸易出版物的政策文件审查、对会议主题和演讲者的审查以及数十年咨询工作中形成的个人反思，收集了更多见解。

发现

本文介绍了行业对一线服务员工管理者面临的迫在眉睫的挑战的见解，包括预计执行许多一线工作的劳动力可用性将恶化；对其他行业工人的竞争日益激烈；业界对服务业劳动力学术研究主题的理解相对肤浅；行业和政府之间的合作日益加强，以应对这些挑战，但必要的一线技能明显不足。

原创性/价值

本文提供了行业从业者对学术研究人员调查的当前和关键主题的罕见而直接的见解，并为进一步合作和集体思考解决一线服务员工面临的全球挑战提供了机会。