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Would you like to reimagine how call centers function and improve their productivity and efficiency by increasing employee engagement? Read on to learn more about it.
Many organizations rely on call centers to provide first-level customer service. Providing excellent customer service and building trusting customer relationships are two of the most critical functions of call centers.
Stress and volume often plague call centers, resulting in disengaged and demotivated employees who cannot provide the high level of customer service that makes them successful. Call centers are increasingly improving performance and customer service by boosting employee engagement.
Engaged employees feel enthusiastic and dedicated to their work and the organization's goals. Engaged employees are generally connected to their work emotionally or personally rather than showing up for pay alone. Employee engagement in your company impacts many aspects of your business, such as profitability, revenue, customer experience, and employee retention.
Read on to learn how you can boost employee engagement in call centers.
Importance of employee engagement in call center
Customer service agents serve as the face of your company in call centers, which is why employee engagement is critical. As brand ambassadors, agents must remain positive, even when confronted with customer issues.
As a result, engaged agents are more likely to go the extra mile for their customers since they understand how valuable customers are to the company's success. A call center's unique culture must be fed and nurtured by a robust employee engagement program that fosters employee motivation. It is evident from the below facts.
A call center with highly engaged employees has 2.3 times more significant revenue growth over the next three years than one with average engagement. (UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School)
Absenteeism is reduced when employees are engaged. Gallup study shows that highly engaged workplaces experience 41% lower absenteeism.
What factors affect employee engagement?
Listed below are some factors that affect the call center employee engagement.
1. Monotonous work cultures in call centers
Eighty percent of the time, agents speak with customers on the phone. By following rigid telemarketing scripts and doing the same thing daily, they feel like robots and are denied the opportunity to be creative and innovative. They need to have a diverse workday as doing the same thing day after day can get quite monotonous for them.
2. Lack of recognition
Call center agents feel unsatisfied and unmotivated without recognition and appreciation for their hard work and good performance. Their motivation to work harder is often reduced when their managers do not provide adequate feedback. The more unclear the career path, the more likely they will burn out and eventually leave the company.
3. Low employee satisfaction
A call center representative's job satisfaction affects their performance. High-stress levels, a high turnover rate, and emotional burnout are other factors associated with call centers. These factors negatively affect job satisfaction.
According to a 2023 Gallup report, 65 percent of call center employees are disengaged. A low level of engagement can lead to a low level of job satisfaction.
How can you boost call center employee engagement ?
The following section explains how to improve call center employee engagement.
Nurture the core values of the call center culture
Ensure your team's behavior aligns with your organization's values and goals. Motivate team members to commit to the brand's core values if there is a gap between values and behaviors. You can promote core values in various ways, such as:
- Acknowledgment
- Team-building activities
- Maintaining cultural awareness through signage
- Ongoing training
- Organize individual and team contests
Gamification could be an effective way to re-engage call center employees who are disengaged due to a lack of interest in their daily tasks.
-> While only 30 percent of workers identify with their company's values, 47 percent of executives do.
-> The leaders of a company set an example by living that company's purpose, according to 44 percent of executives. Only 25 percent of employees agree;
-> Compared with 28 percent of employees, 41 percent of executives believe a company's purpose is essential when making important decisions;
-> Only 31 percent of employees believe their company's purpose is communicated clearly and openly by their leaders.
1. Improve the call center’s workspace efficiency
Cultivating and maintaining a highly efficient, positive, and productive call center environment and workplace culture takes much time and effort. Stress and demands are inherent to call center jobs. Some of the most common challenges call center agents face in the workplace include:
- Managing large volumes of incoming calls.
- Handling customer complaints.
- Responding to frustrated customers.
- Sending cold calls to prospects.
It would help to address these challenges adequately by improving your call center workspace environment to avoid agent burnout and reduced productivity.
A study shows that Florida agents performed better than Minnesota agents because of workspace efficiency. A Customer Service Representative performance study was conducted using a statistical approach called Predictive Modeling. The Minnesota Call Center employs approximately 1,150 people, primarily CSRs, management, and administrative staff. The CSRs sit in 42" high workstations with traditional systems furniture, which offers privacy.
Approximately 950 employees, primarily CSRs, work at the Florida Call Center. Compared to Minnesota, this facility has a higher population density (about 10 percent greater). The CSRs are seated at workstations where they can see each other's monitors. Each workstation has 42" high screens to reduce visual distractions while seated.
540 surveys were completed, yielding a 32 percent response rate. Minnesota had a 47 percent response rate, and Florida had a 53 percent response rate. Florida agents outperformed Minnesota agents on three out of four metrics.
2. Cultivate creativity and flexibility in a service-focused mindset
It is common for call center agents to feel isolated, especially after a pandemic when many of them work from home. Stress can also be a part of the job, exacerbating the situation.
It is essential to encourage call center representatives to be creative in their daily activities. Encourage flexibility in assisting customers instead of forcing them to "stick to the script." Assist them in completing their tasks with a personal touch, without compromising quality, so they can connect with their customers and feel the impact of the customer service they are providing.
Negative engagement is often caused by the lack of workplace interaction, rigid structures, and full call queues that limit power and decision-making.
3. Encourage your employee interaction
Relationship-building is an effective method for improving communication throughout your company, both inside and outside the workplace. Like-minded employees can create bonds with others from different departments by organizing events or creating communities within their workplace.
4. Make your employees feel valued
When your employees deserve a reward, give them one. Give them the feeling that their contributions matter. Your employees will enjoy being valued, whether company-wide recognition or a personal compliment.
Only by showing them will they know this. It would help if you weren't afraid to express your appreciation for their work.
According to Gallup's employee engagement statistics, 53 percent of US workers are disengaged. So, 37 percent of employees value recognition for their hard work.
Despite these facts, 65 percent of employees did not receive any recognition for their excellent work last year, according to the same survey.
5. Focus on feedback
In addition to communication, employers should consider giving feedback, one of the manager's most essential skills. Feedback influences employee engagement, and employees crave it. To improve employee engagement, schedule check-ins with each employee's manager and encourage middle management to hold regular review sessions with their team.
A company-wide feedback schedule may seem appealing, but each team is different, and frequent touchpoints may not be comfortable for all. To engage employees meaningfully, managers should ask their direct reports what method they prefer for receiving feedback.
More than 65% of employees want to receive more feedback. Feedback in the call center industry also leads to 85% of employees taking more initiative.
6. Prioritize employee wellbeing
Customer, manager, and peer pressure often puts a lot of pressure on call center staff. Mental and physical stress can negatively affect their performance, satisfaction, and retention. As a call center administrator, your primary responsibility is ensuring your staff's well-being and creating a supportive environment for their work. You can do that by following these tips.
- Recognize and provide regular feedback
- Encourage self-care of your employees
- Promote collaboration and communication
- Address complaints and conflicts
- Provide adequate training
7. Recognize and reward top performers call center’s employees loudly
Rewards and recognition can increase engagement. Organizations should communicate clearly how their work fits the company's mission and how people will be rewarded for their efforts. For instance, Disney workers understand the importance of creating a magical atmosphere for their customers. As a result, he says, they feel more connected to their jobs.
Gifts and bonuses should be handed out with more fanfare. Every month, a company head can lead an employee band around the building, playing "music" in honor of six or so people chosen for recognition.
8. Enhance employee onboarding and recruitment for call centers
An organization's recruitment and onboarding process is often crucial in high-churn fields like customer support. Since current employees know your culture, they can be accommodating when seeking potential talent. Give referral bonuses to employees who refer long-term call center representatives. Referrals are essential to show employees that you'll reward them for finding great new hires and contributing to your company's success.
You should provide a smooth and pleasant onboarding and information about the new position before the rep's first day. Think about both formal training and cultural onboarding when preparing leaders. .
9. Provide working flexibility
What if you allowed your employees to adjust their work hours according to their personal needs? You are showing your team members that you value them personally.
10. Perform regular surveys to increase employee satisfaction in call centers
Agent satisfaction is usually tracked by surveying employees. Staff members at many contact centers are asked to complete anonymous surveys regularly. Businesses circulate questionnaires at different intervals, depending on their needs. Each month, quarter, or year, they may be sent out.
Employee surveys help identify issues or problems that are common to many employees. Patterns and trends can also be determined by repeating surveys periodically. Therefore, you can track the effectiveness of measures you introduce to improve morale and engagement.
Conclusion
Boosting call center employee engagement is necessary as the employees are often expected to handle high volumes of calls and interact with many different types of customers. Improving customer service, creating a positive work environment, and achieving better performance can all be achieved by fostering employee engagement. Using the tips above, you can reimagine your call center and increase employee engagement.
