According to a new study, more than half of UK retail managers say that repetitive administrative tasks prevent them from focusing on coaching and developing teams.
Based on research by workforce management provider Legion Technologies and the 2025 State of the UK’s Hourly Worker Report, 52 percent of retail manager feel that they do not have the time to develop their teams. The report also found that 27 percent of respondents did not believe they were set up to succeed in their role.
Administrative Overload
The study found that administrative tasks, such as scheduling employees and managing attendance, take a lot of time away from leadership and customer-facing activities.
Sixty five percent of retail managers report spending over three hours a week on scheduling. Meanwhile, 52 percent say they spend more than three hour a week managing time and attendance.
Manual processes exacerbate the problem. 42 percent of managers still use Excel spreadsheets or paper for scheduling, and 46 percent manually contact staff by phone, email or text to fill in rota gaps.
Impact on productivity
This report shows that frontline teams miss out on important mentoring and coaching because retail managers are so busy with these tasks. The sector faces an extra PS5.6 billion of post-Budget expenses for the current year, which is a result of this stagnation.
Legion Technologies’ research suggests that retailers cannot ignore the operational impact of inefficient process. The company claims that technology-driven solutions for workforce management are becoming more necessary in order to reduce administrative tasks, allowing managers to concentrate on strategic activities, employee satisfaction and customer experience.
Eoin Hulihan, Vice President of Europe for Legion Technologies, stated that retailers are facing an epidemic of paralysis in productivity.
Houlian continued, “Engaged employees are more productive and resilient. By relieving managers of administrative tasks and investing into the employee experience, retailers will be able to drive operational efficiencies and mitigate rising costs while improving workforce morale and increasing performance.”
