Valuing our Front of House
One of our core purposes as FoHMuseums was to create data that demonstrated issues facing FoH within the sector. Our survey demonstrated consistently over both years that workers in Front of House roles are more likely to feel undervalued than their Back of House counterparts. Not only was this unsustainable when first published in 2018, front of house have been proven to be valuable to the recovery of museums following the various lockdowns and reopenings throughout the UK due to Covid19. The circumstances of this year have thrown into sharp relief how vital FoHMuseum teams are to the sector, and how we all consider the valuable contribution that front of house workers make. Our sector needs to change to reflect this.
Factors of Value: Training
One recurring theme we would see as a matter of commentary for not feeling valued was a lack of access to training. The training that FoH tends to receive pertains to the role- such as customer service training. Although this training is indeed important, FoH workers deal with the public daily, and are therefore experienced in customer service. Whilst the odd refresher course might be useful, in truth having the opportunity to gain deeper experiences within a museum specialism of interest, would be more beneficial to not only the individual but also the organisation as a whole. We also found most of the workforce begin their museum career in FoH with 10.6% of all surveyed participants (2019) having never worked Front of House. We can see therefore that there’s a great many of those entering FoH roles with career ambitions in the sector. Working in Front of House museums provides valuable experience no matter what field of interest an individual has. As the face of every museum you are being given feedback directly and constantly. FoH are the people who know when signage is not working, what the most frequently asked question is, the most popular display. This experience can inform future good practice, but how easy is it to have access to further training in a field of interest? Is there enough being done to assist Front of House in their own career aspirations?
Access to 1:1
We ran a poll on twitter to confirm how likely FoH museum workers were to have conversations regarding their own professional development. Although the sample size was relatively small at 51 votes, we found that results are variable with 35% having no access to 1:1 at all. We would like to explore this with further research in the future.
Even on this small scale, the lack of consistency does speak volumes. Essentially it is the prerogative of the individual organisations as to whether FoH receive 1:1 meetings or other general access to CPD opportunities in house.This is consistent with previous commentary we have received as a network over our years of research. This leaves the success of the individual to the luck of the structure of the organisation, or an encouraging line manager. Many are left with no other option than to look externally for experience, this can be gained in volunteering, attending training courses provided by sector bodies or joining a mentorship programme.These are great options that can lead to other benefits such as networking or learning from a new environment, however they come at an outlying cost to the individual. Travel expenses, the use of holiday or securing cover at work, they may even need to work additional hours unpaid. FoH is traditionally seen as an entry level position into the sector, this is reflected in the pay structure, this presents a significant barrier of progression for many.The far more accessible option for FoH to gain experience would be to have access to opportunities in house and built into the role.
The context of Covid19
The first national lockdown gave FoH staff an unprecedented opportunity to attend training that would have otherwise been extremely difficult.Training opportunities that are usually held during opening hours of the museum has been a long standing barrier to access for FoH. As FoH were furloughed and at home they were able to access training opportunities and attend Webinars. We are still seeking to understand what impact covid has had on the sector. As we look to rebuild we need to consider what was working well, and what can be improved. Museums that have reopened following the national lockdown have required a great deal of flexibility from their FoH teams. Providing a safe and welcome experience in buildings that were not designed for one way systems is an unprecedented pressure. Recognising FoH Museum staff as a skilled part of the workforce is imperative to move forward.
The Future for FoH
As we move forward into the future, we are met with uncertainty; the impact of Covid 19 is still ongoing, the job market is looking scarce, museums are facing various restructures. We know that at the moment, working Front of House is the most common way of entering the sector for the majority of people we have surveyed, supporting the career goals of FoH is vital to the future of the sector. A report published this month increasing in-work training and progression for frontline workers highlights the benefits of investing in frontline staff including social mobility and staff retention. Museums can only seek to gain positive outcomes by backing their frontline staff to achieve career goals.Importantly, we need to provide this in a financially accessible way, the expectation for FoH to use their own disposable income to invest in personal CPD is a significant barrier. What talent are we missing out as a sector as a result? FoH museums are the face of every museum, we need to be safeguarding their future and investing in them now.
Front of House in Museums 