How to Retain Millennials in Any Call Center
By Jason Quinn
Millennials are known for
leaving their jobs faster than any other generation, with most staying in roles for about two years before jumping ship. Apply that ratio to a call center, where the very nature of employment is transient, and that number starts to skyrocket.
At 1-800-GOT-JUNK? we rely on our call center agents as the frontline of our sales force: they respond to every incoming customer call, and their professionalism and skill in answering questions is essential to our revenue. Retaining these employees is integral, but most of them view their position as a stop-gap until they find other employment, or as a stepping stone to other opportunities in our corporate culture.
Providing agents with proper onboarding and coaching is of the utmost importance. Throwing too much information at new hires, failing to create a supportive and fun environment, and neglecting to outline the potential for mobility within the organization only adds to poor retention.
With that in mind, these are my tips for turning Millennials into engaged, productive employees in any call center.
Tip 1: Hit them with a culture blast
Before you turn on a firehose of information, remember that new employees only retain about 25 per cent of the information presented on the first day. Instead of facts and figures, teach them about your corporate culture. Ensure day one is about who you are as a company and how you’re working to achieve a common goal.
One of the most powerful ways to reinforce culture on that first day is to share the story of who we are and how we got here. Like most organizations, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? has a memorable rags-to-riches story. If a new hires goes home and explains the genesis story to a friend or relative, they have already taken the first step to being engaged. Help them understand where you came from, so they can be part of where you are going.
Another way we teach aspects of our culture is by immediately pairing new hires with our veterans and star performers. By shadowing them, they hear about how current employees interact with our customers and the expectations are set from the beginning. It also serves to introduce them to their peer group and reinforces that we are building something bigger, together.
Tip 2: The Power of One: One goal, one team
Going home at the end of your first day feeling overwhelmed with technical knowledge can leave new hires feeling anxious about what’s next. Is every day going to be like this? Am I cut out for this? Did I retain any information?!
After showing our great culture, the most important thing we do is help newbies understand how their role contributes to the success of the company. Our Managing Director gives a speech to each class of rookies on the first day to say, “I could go away and this business would run smooth tomorrow, next week and next month. But if you are not here, the business will not exist.” Our sales center agents are the first contact with our customers and the importance of this interaction can not be understated.
One of my all-time favorite moments working for 1-800-GOT-JUNK? came after the first day of one of my training groups. As everyone was filing out of the training room, a new agent came up to me and said, “Wow, you guys really care about the front line employees.”
This is how we want everyone to feel when they leave after their first day - and each day going forward.
Tip 3: Make Everyone a Visionary
Providing new hires with a glimpse into how passionate our call center agents are and sharing success stories of agents who have transitioned from the call center to corporate, helps reinforce how an engaged, supportive culture can benefit everyone.
Vision is the tie that binds our entire company together, working towards a common goal. At most call centers, senior managers and leadership (or CEO Brian Scudamore) would never stop by the sales floor to say hello and share their vision for the business. At 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, most of our department heads pop in at different times and share their appreciation for our frontline workers while explaining how they contribute.
These five-minute check-ins model the passion we expect from our employees, and energize new hires.
Conclusion
If you want to run a successful sales center with high levels of retention for Millennials (and any candidates, really), help new hires understand the company’s history and integrate them into workplace culture. Break down barriers between upper-level management and frontline employees by showing appreciation, sharing goals, and letting them know that most of the ideas that push the company forward come from them.