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What's The Best Way To Build An Engaged Workforce In The Call Center

by Maureen Szlemp, Marketing Director, CallMiner - January 2, 2017

What’s the Best Way to Build an Engaged Workforce in the Call Center?

 
By Maureen Szlemp
 
When it comes to call center absenteeism, the statistics are pretty alarming. Some figures point to agent attrition rates as high as 50% annually, while others show turnover at 10–15%.
 
Whatever the percentage at your particular organization, the fact of the matter is that call center turnover is a real problem. But the solution isn’t always easy to come by.
 
Call Centre Helper notes that “employees who find their work highly stimulating and rewarding still leave their jobs” due to a variety of reasons: failure to acknowledge excellent work, strict working environments, etc.
 
So what can call centers do to retain staff and improve morale around the office?  The answer lies in building an engaged workforce.
 
Let’s take a look at a few ways to do it:
 
Motivate Agents with Automated, Direct Feedback
 
While not every call center representative will be motivated by a competitive spirit, performance feedback is still a critical component of establishing agent job satisfaction. The logic is sound: If an agent isn’t engaged in and informed about his or her performance, what’s the motivation for success?
 
Speech analytics solutions help drive agent performance improvements that can lead to better quality work as well as an improved experience for the customer. With real-time call center agent performance management software, agents receive immediate feedback, allowing them to take action to improve their performance while the call is still ongoing.
 
Performance ranking data and instant feedback for agents from speech analytics can keep agents motivated and engaged while fostering a competitive spirit within the contact center.
 
Connect with Employees (and Encourage Them to Connect with One Another)
 
Direct agent feedback is just one way to promote engagement in the call center – another is to simply make the time to connect with employees and establish a workplace culture that will be attractive and welcoming to employees.
 
As noted by iMedia Connection, there is a direct correlation between agent engagement and the customer experience. “If your employees are losing their enthusiasm or are just going through the motions, your customer experience will suffer,” says iMedia. “Sometimes all it takes is a simple ‘how are you?’ to begin reinforcing a culture where both customers and employees are actively engaged.”
 
Gamification can enable workplace collaboration, as noted by a My Customer article. “If you want to drive employee engagement and unlock the potential of your people, get in the game. Gamification is not just entertainment; it is a powerful way to measure and motivate your people.”
 
Make Agents Feel Valued & Appreciated
 
Let’s face it: It would be extremely difficult for any employee to remain upbeat about his or her work if the person wasn’t ever praised for work performance or provided with any feedback. What it comes down to, according to an inContact blog, is rewarding and recognizing agents in meaningful ways.
 
“Top contact centers provide praise and incentives that truly inspire agents and drive the kind of behaviors that positively impact the customer. Such centers perpetuate lasting agent engagement and high performance by providing individual agents and teams with things like: public recognition, nominations for external rewards recognizing outstanding agents, etc.”
 
At the end of the day, the idea is to make agents feel appreciated for the work they’re doing. This could come in the form of not just rewards and recognition but additional responsibilities such as coaching other agents, putting together workflow processes/best practices, and so on.
 
Final Thoughts
 
While there may not be a one-size-fits-all approach to agent engagement in the call center, the above tactics should get you started in the right direction. By motivating agents with feedback, praise, and a comfortable working environment, you can not only boost morale around the office but also drive customer loyalty, retention, and appreciation. And, in today’s customer-centric marketplace, having your customers on your side is always in your best interest.
 
 
 
 
©iStockphoto.com/monkeybusinessimages
 
Maureen Szlemp, Marketing Director at CallMiner, has extensive expertise in strategic planning and program execution to meet or exceed corporate growth goals; leading marketing communications disciplines on a global basis including brand research, visual identity system development and management, public and media relations, web and online marketing, events and trade shows, lead management, database marketing, new product introduction, internal communications, field marketing and channel communications.
 
 

 
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