How Potbelly cut frontline turnover by 30+ points.
350 restaurants. Real turnover pressure. Engage [formerly WorkStep] gave Potbelly's General Managers the engagement signals and feedback they needed to take action. The results followed.
frontline staff
point reduction in turnover
better than industry average
The biggest factor in any frontline worker’s experience is the manager directly responsible for them. At Potbelly, that’s the General Manager. When Pat Walsh became Chief People Officer at Potbelly, there was no mechanism to measure General Manager effectiveness as people leaders, and no way to give them meaningful feedback.
When employees in one location began a unionization effort, it confirmed what Pat Walsh already suspected. Lagging metrics like turnover data weren’t enough. To understand what was really happening on the frontline, Potbelly needed real-time feedback from the people living it.
“We found that we just didn’t really have a lot to measure, particularly any kind of leading indicators from the people side. We looked at turnover, but we didn’t have a way to gauge what was working, what wasn’t, in a more systematic and objective way”
Pat Walsh, Chief People Officer, Potbelly
Engagement signals that managers could act on
After a full vendor evaluation, Potbelly chose Engage [formerly WorkStep] and launched Potbelly Pulse. A continuous listening program with two goals – surface issues before they became turnover risk, and give General Managers the consistent feedback they needed to lead better.
“Engage [formerly WorkStep] felt like a tool built for the frontline. It was clear the team was continually innovating and building a product that could grow with us”
Pat Walsh, Chief People Officer, Potbelly
When managers get feedback, things change
At first, it was uncomfortable. Systematic feedback wasn’t something managers were used to.
Within months, it was part of how the business ran.
Engage [formerly WorkStep] data sits inside every people review. District managers present results, identify focus areas and track improvement. Positive signals are surfaced and celebrated – reinforcing what good frontline leadership looks like, not just flagging what needs to change.
The results
Frontline turnover dropped by more than 30 points. Potbelly now sits more than 15 points better than the fast-casual industry average for retention.
Engage [formerly WorkStep] insights are embedded in how the business runs. Engagement signals turn into manager action. Manager action reduces turnover risk.
Engage [formerly WorkStep] has helped us save hundreds of thousands – if not millions – in reduced turnover costs, and more importantly, we've created a better work environment for our teams.
Pat Walsh, Chief People Officer, Potbelly
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