How to Make Frontline Workers Feel Included

One of the most striking things I see when I work with engineering organisations is the divide between those who sit behind desks and those who work on the frontline.

I’m talking about the people who are in the workshop, on the manufacturing shop floor, maintaining assets in the field, driving to remote locations, working in power stations, on rigs, or on refineries. The ones who are there at 3 a.m. when something goes wrong. The ones working shift rotations that keep 24/7 operations running while the rest of the business sleeps.

In other words – the beating heart of your organisation.

And yet, in many workplaces, this group can feel like the least heard and least included.

The Divide We Don’t Talk About Enough

We often talk about diversity and inclusion in terms of identity groups: gender, ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, neurodiversity, and so on. But there’s another layer that is just as powerful, and just as impactful on how included people feel: the divide between white-collar and blue-collar roles, between 9-to-5 office staff and those who work nights, weekends, and holidays to keep things running.

This divide shows up in many ways:

• Timing. Most engagement activities, meetings, and townhalls are scheduled for the convenience of office workers. If you’re on night shift or a compressed week, you either miss out or join exhausted.

• Location. Townhalls and training sessions are held in head offices or city hotels: far away from the plant, depot, or rig.

• Demographics. Frontline teams often have a different demographic profile - sometimes older, sometimes more male-dominated, sometimes with more apprentices and early-career workers, creating a different cultural mix and value set.

• Tenure. Many have “time served” – decades of institutional knowledge – and can feel dismissed when their way of doing things is questioned by those who have never “done the job.”

And all of this is happening in a workplace where we now have five generations working side-by-side, each with different expectations of communication, safety, work-life balance, and respect.

More Unites Us Than Divides Us

When these differences are left unaddressed, they create an “us and them” mindset.

I’ve seen it manifest in bias (“head office doesn’t care what we think”), resentment (“they get bonuses and free lunches while we get pressure”), and even silence (“no point speaking up, nothing changes”).

And when silence sets in, it is a safety issue.

• Things go unsaid. Near misses are not reported.

• Outdated norms persist. “That’s just how we do things here” becomes the default.

• Psychological safety suffers. People don’t feel safe enough to challenge, to ask questions, or to stop the job when they see risk.

This is not good for anyone – not for the workforce, not for managers, and certainly not for the business.

But here’s the thing: when you make even a small effort to close the gap, you unlock something powerful.

A Personal Example

On one consulting project, I adjusted the timing of my workshops so that I could catch the night shift before they went home. It meant I had to stay up late and catch up on sleep the next day, but the difference it made was extraordinary.

The team felt seen. They felt heard.

They told me that this was the first time someone had made the effort to come to them (on their schedule) to listen to what they had to say.

That simple act built trust. It made them part of the process. And the ideas and feedback we got from those sessions were some of the most valuable contributions to the entire project.

Five Practical Tips to Close the Gap

If you want to build a workplace culture where everyone feels included, from the C-suite to the control room, here are five practical tips you can start applying today:

1. Meet People Where They Are

This sounds simple, but it is transformative.

Hold listening sessions at the start or end of shifts. Visit the plant, depot, or rig (not just once for a photo op), but regularly enough that it becomes normal to see leaders walking the floor.

If you want feedback, go to where the work happens. It signals respect, shows that you value their time, and helps you understand the realities they face.

2. Flex Your Timing

Most engagement activities are designed for a 9-to-5 audience. To engage shift workers, adjust your timing.

This might mean running multiple sessions to catch all rotations, recording townhalls so they can be watched later, or offering asynchronous ways for people to give input.

The message this sends is: your voice matters enough for us to make this work for you.

3. Acknowledge Expertise and Experience

One of the biggest sources of disengagement is when “head office” is seen to impose change without recognising the knowledge of those on the ground.

Invite frontline workers into problem-solving sessions. Ask them what they’ve tried before. Acknowledge that some practices exist for good reasons.

People are far more likely to engage with change when they feel respected as experts in their own work.

4. Make Inclusion Visible

Representation matters, and not just in corporate brochures.

Use real stories and real faces from the frontline when sharing internal comms. Celebrate the contribution of night shift crews and maintenance teams in safety briefings.

(And no, that doesn’t mean asking the only woman or Black person in your organisation to be the poster child of your diversity campaigns.)

The goal is to show that inclusion is not an abstract HR initiative – it is about valuing their work and their wellbeing.

5. Create Channels for Two-Way Feedback

Frontline workers often have fewer opportunities to speak up – or fear that if they do, it won’t make a difference.

Put systems in place where people can share concerns safely, anonymously if needed, and know they will be acted upon.

Better still, close the loop by reporting back: “Here’s what we heard, and here’s what we’re doing about it.”

This builds trust and reinforces the idea that speaking up is worth it.

The Bigger Picture

Bridging the gap between office staff and frontline workers isn’t just a “nice to have.” It is fundamental to building a safe, resilient, and high-performing organisation.

Because when people feel included, they don’t just comply...they engage. They share their ideas. They stop unsafe work. They look out for each other.

And that is how you create a culture where safety and inclusion go hand in hand.

A Call to Action

If you’re reading this and thinking, we could be doing more to engage our frontline teams, you are not alone.

Many organisations struggle with this challenge. Many leaders underestimate how powerful small, intentional actions can be in closing the gap.

I’ve seen firsthand how simple adjustments (like shifting the timing of a session, showing up on the night shift, or inviting operators into problem-solving conversations) can transform engagement and build trust.

If you want to explore how to do this in your organisation, I’d love to help.

Get in touch and let’s talk about how we can bring your frontline teams into the conversation and build a safer, more inclusive workplace together.

See Mark in Action!