One of the major themes at the 2018 Contact Center Week (CCW) Executive Exchange was the importance of decreasing the average speed of answer (ASA) times at contact centers. 4 Free Team Building Ideas for Call Centres Call Centres are typically full of lots of people and whilst not a revolving door, it’s not uncommon to have high employee turnover . And, as we outlined above, that can be especially difficult when it comes to call center agents. How can we help? comes to a close. In most instances, the engagement of employees differs because of the nature of their job. Others will want to live these core values as well, once they see they can reap the rewards for doing so. The best managers know that modern workers want more than just a paycheck. 8.5x more likely to stay than leave within a year 4x more likely to stay than dissatisfied colleagues 16x more likely to refer friends to their company 3.3x more likely to feel extremely empowered to resolve customer issues Boosting contact-center performance through employee engagement Promote these core values in various ways—through your automated platform, with in-person events, signage to keep the initiatives top of mind in work spaces, ongoing trainings, and the inclusion of both individual and team contests. If you notice an uptick in absenteeism, it’s time to act quickly to re-engage your staff. Provide referral bonuses to employees who refer call center reps who stay for a certain amount of time. Make up a bingo card for each agent. Copyright © 2019 ITA Group. They had made it through training but then gotten burnt out and left. A disengaged workforce can cripple your contact center’s ability to provide quality customer service and will ultimately raise recruiting and staffing costs which will impact your bottom line. Call Center Olympics. A practical way to bring WFH call center staff closer together virtually is to invest in quality video conferencing and collaboration tools Other effective remote employee engagement technologies include instant messaging apps and in-house social networks. Can’t wait to talk to us?Contact us today. If attrition is high at your organization, you may be placing massive stress on call center employees who remain loyal to your team. – Increase Employee Engagement. Make the party days “Hawaiian Dress-Up Day,” for an added fun call center idea. Although you may be thinking that employee happiness seems a little too ‘touchy-feely’ to be a major concern, research shows that happy employees are more productive.This is where call center incentive ideas come into play, at the juncture of happiness and productivity. Once hired, provide them information they can digest prior to their first day, and start to reward for that behavior. Thank you for reading and sharing your comment, Denver! Contact centers and call centers alike are notorious for their high turnover rates, with numbers ranging from 30% to 45% depending on which resource you consult. Callers stuck in waiting queues for long periods of time may be irritated, annoyed, or emotional when their call is finally answered. It starts early on—even prior to their start date. Look at how you’re recruiting for your Reps. Will they enhance the culture you currently have in place? Your email address will not be published. Among other promotions, include a customer service week to highlight best practices and reward for contests. 28. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, one-third of all employees are distracted by personal financial issues while at work. Each KPI is considered a sport. Consider also promoting innovation awards for thinking out the box. Is this something they can envision doing longer than a few months? Show your employees not only will you reward for helping to identify great new hires, but also for their desire to contribute to the overall success of the organization. One of the greatest ways that we can encourage employee engagement in the call center is to allow contact center employees the ability to be part of the creative process in designing and evaluating contact center processes. Now that you’re signed up, you’ll be among the first to hear the latest tips and trends to engage and retain your people and customers. Employees who churn after 90 days or less from their hire date are a common problem in the contact center industry. Show them that their hard work isn’t going unnoticed—either publicly or privately. Plus, […] Employee engagement is a gauge of employee commitment hence, should be taken into consideration in evaluating employee performance. Choose several metrics to compete in and set the time period for the games. At CCW, one contact center executive was asked, “What can you do to bring your ASA down to one minute?”  The response was simple enough, “Get five more people on board.”. One of the challenges is that call center reps usually feel isolated even when in a room with tens (even hundreds) of people. That’s why any good contact center employee engagement strategyin 2019 needs to understand the root of the cause and develop employee engagement plans designed to alleviate the problem (or fix it altogether). Rates can reach as high as 70% at contact centers who outsource call center employees. Thanks to a record low unemployment rate and a plethora of job openings, your employees are always looking for the next best thing. Your call center should have core values … Validate comments or posts that call for positive change by responding in the comments section, but then also by making moves to better the situation offline. Tell us how it goes! The rigors of this work can lead to increased employee frustration and disengagement. A long-term, customized employee engagement strategy should be the ultimate goal for any call center. Contact Center Survey results revealed that larger call centers tend to lose a substantial percentage of their new hires within the first six months. Related: In another call center post, we wrote about the cost of disengaged employees, which can be significant over time. Employee engagement scores in staff surveys have improved greatly this year, which Dillon attributes to a high level of in-house expertise following a leadership development programme. ... 11 Team Engagement Ideas to Inspire Your Remote Workers . You should aim to enable them to do their tasks with a personal touch, without compromising quality. This will have a domino effect. To learn more about how to engage your employees, check out Achievers’ e-book, “Engage or Die: How Companies that Act Fast on Engagement Outpace the Competition.”. Agents who have more on-the-job experience have more skills to complete their jobs better. According to Gallup polls, only one in three workers in the U.S. strongly agree that they received recognition or praise for doing good work in the past seven days. It’s never too late to start leveraging employee surveys and feedback tools to gauge employee engagement levels, and take immediate action to address any disengagement right away. Q: What are employee engagement activities? The average absence rate at contact centers is currently 9.1%. Thus, the workspace must be optimised for employee productivity and convenience. #1 Distinguish lagging motivation from true burnout Supervisors must recognize there are other factors at play that could be interfering with an agent’s performance. Read and download "The Ultimate Guide to Improve Employee Engagement in the Contact Center". Team … There is little interaction within the workplace. And on it went as we toured the building. Further, Michael Tremblay of Air Canada claims 85% of contact at call centers is considered “bad contact," according to his discourse at CCW. What are the top values to recognize? Make an impact early on with onboarding, ongoing communications and training, a mentor to go to with questions, daily team huddles, celebration of successes, and ability for peers and supervisors to give both non-monetary and monetary recognition through an automated platform. Only by recognizing the need and following through can you recruit the best talent and keep employees happy. 4. The ability to bid for a better shift time in the employee portal; Being allowed to leave 15 minutes early one day; Having a manager take an agent’s calls for one-hour They want meaningful connections, to both their work and the people they work with. So, make the workforce more productive. How can you inspire engagement at your organization? 2. Prioritize (virtual) team connection and relationship-building . Why Is Employee Engagement Important Topic Today? All Rights Reserved. So, how do you build creativity into your call center training? 1,776. 2,478. By focusing on employee engagement, you can keep your employees from burning out and turning over. Quality Assurance and Training Connection (QATC), 2018 TalentLMS Gamification at Work Survey, Immerse your employees in the company culture, 5 Remote Employee Engagement Secrets That Work, How to Engage Mobile Employees: Define Your Culture, Employee Events: Creating a Space for Connections, Addressing the Reality Slump: How to Best Keep New Employees Engaged, Spreading Cheer: The Motivating Power of Goodwill, How to Improve Sales Effectiveness Using a Disciplined Autonomy Approach. There is one thing that I know from experience—both as a call center representative and an executive call center leader—your call center representatives want to feel valued (as much as they may work our nerves). If you can consistently recognize for positive behaviors, your call center reps will be engaged and your customers will be thankful. Management should identify factors which prevent some employees from engaging. Appreciation is fundamental—yet it’s largely ignored in the workplace. We've seen great results by designing motivating and engaging programs, weaving in team-based incentives, surrounding with relevant signage, creating an engaging and social platform, organizing an events calendar including team parties, and recognizing teams as well as individuals instantaneously through technology. The current job market is the employee’s market. You take a break and have some fun by introducing training games. Enlighten them to develop a service-focused mindset. ENGAGE EMPLOYEES with core values through events, activities and gamification. Rather than knowing how to fix the issue, the supervisors simply turned off the screens. Gather feedback from customers with surveys, and be open to making adjustments based upon this feedback (none of this—“I have to score a 5 out of 5 to get recognized”). Break the Ice The 20 best employee engagement survey questions. Thought leaders in business management like Robert Half and Dale Carnegie both provide lists of engagement ideas, and resources like LinkedIn can also be good places to find ideas. What a vicious cycle! According to Gallup, “Routine feedback is better than none, but meaningful feedback—the kind that helps individuals learn, grow, and do their jobs better—is how you improve productivity and performance.” Celebrate those who make ongoing improvements, as that recognition will have an impact on your customers. Are you setting them up for success with onboarding processes and training programs? If your team is lagging and you want to really boost all your metrics, go for the gold! The other 70% of workers identify as “disengaged” and fall into two categories: The employees who fall into the disengaged category are at risk of fleeing your contact center and bringing others with them. I designed the above remote employee engagement ideas with a clear intention. They are your greatest asset in the call center. Real feedback is the only way to make actual improvements and learn from mistakes. Furthermore, 85% of employees say they would spend more time on gamified software. According to Gallup polls, only one in three workers in the U.S. strongly agree that they received recognition or praise for doing good work in the past seven days. . 8 employee engagement ideas for your team 1. Tell us a little about yourself and let’s get the conversation going! While the goal is to recognize your employees as often as possible, be sure to call out a specific “employee appreciation day” as well. Provide your call center representatives a consolidated view of initiatives on an automated platform, with office signage, and via frequently updated monitor screens. 3. The same study shows that employees who do not feel adequately recognized are twice as likely to say they'll quit in the next year. Offering on-demand payments means your employees have access to their earned but unpaid wages at the click of a button; no more waiting for their next paycheck. Rep turnover—broken out based on time since hire—showed that 6.2% left within the first 30 days; 5% left between 21–60 days on the job; 5.6% quit within 61–90 days; and another 8.2% left within three to six months. Shorten ASA times Use open and collaborative spaces for training and meeting … Taking steps to decrease ASA times can help soften the tone of a call, which ultimately protects your employees from excessive stress, and improves the atmosphere of their job. They are problem solvers, and they are the keys to driving innovation, knowledge, and revenue throughout your organization. Make sure to bring new Reps into your company culture quickly with daily one-on-ones with their managers. A great way to gather employee feedback is through pulse surveys. And, to top it off, all of the pictures with the graduating training classes had call center reps who were no longer with the company. Now, let’s look at ways to minimize those costs while creating a great place to work for your call center representatives with these seven engagement recommendations: Mercer’s U.S. Engaged and satisfied call-center employees are. A: Employee engagement activities aim to boost participation, strengthen relationships, and help employees feel more comfortable communicating with their teammates. Your email address will not be published. Learn all about employee engagement. Our team of organizational psychologists, data scientists and engineers keep our platform up-to-date with findings from … In fact, many call center employees site the narrow grading metrics contact centers generally adhere to as a key cause of in-office stress and lack of productivity. Change connected to feedback is a great way to keep valuable call center employees engaged and happy in the workplace. When you are pressed for time or want to avoid all ideas. Also so they can choose awards they’ve always dreamed of—a once-in-a-lifetime experience that truly resonates with and motivates them. When your call center representatives live your core values, encourage their supervisors and colleagues to recognize them for it. Consider having additional focus on certain months such as, “high call volume support month” or “employee health and fitness month.” While the goal is to recognize your employees as often as possible, be sure to call out a specific “employee appreciation day” as well. Employee engagement is no longer an afterthought. 10 Fun Call Center Training Games 1. Sometimes your call center agents won’t feel valued enough to facilitate high-quality customer interactions and end up spending their time on useless activities or taking longer breaks. Study it. Join our mailing list so you never miss a post. According to Gallup, only 30% of the current American workforce say they’re engaged and inspired at work. Your call center employees are very often the first employees your customers interact with. This was causing call center representatives to have decreased attendance at work as it was so discouraging. 2. According to Contact Babel’s 2017 study on U.S. contact centers, employee turnover at call centers is the highest it’s been since the recession — currently at 30%. The classic Gallup Q12 survey item, “I have a best friend at work” illustrates the power of workplace friendships on employee engagement. Contact Center Week (CCW) Executive Exchange, reduce turnover and absenteeism while simultaneously boosting engagement, Engage or Die: How Companies that Act Fast on Engagement Outpace the Competition, https://www.achievers.com/blog/celebrate-customer-service-week/, How to Engage Employees During the Holidays, 5 Ways to Engage Employees Through Learning and Development (L&D), https://www.achievers.com/blog/7-ways-to-keep-call-center-employees-engaged/, Those who do the bare minimum: show up, do their work, then go home (50%), Those who are actively seeding discontent (20%). In the meantime, check out the latest tips and trends to help engage and retain your people and customers. Read more... 15 Great Ideas to Make Remote Working Fun ... 10 Great Ideas for Successful Call Centre Coaching Sessions . With so many ‘learners’ on staff, it is difficult to provide quality customer service. Try comprehensive call center contest ideas like Call Center Olympics. Paula is a content strategist with a big passion for life and the pursuit of happiness. Give employees another outlet for sharing employee engagement ideas. For example, while the building was state-of-the-art, the flat screens were not on because their metrics were so poor—only 1% of their call center representatives were available to take a call because their cue was so full and the reps weren’t able to answer questions quickly. You can save a manager in need of some inspiration. The issue was still at large though! It has to be realistic—if you only have 1% of your call center representatives available to answer calls, this needs to be addressed; not turned off. Focusing on these metrics would drive … Your call center should have core values that align with your company’s overall values and goals. Some successes you may want to recognize: milestones to reward for hard work and commitment, retention awards that recognize managers with the highest employee retention month-to-month, and anniversary awards (start early on, prior to year one—you don’t have time to wait). We’ve got 10 tips to help you do it, and fast. Employee Engagement Techniques to Reduce Turnover. Overbooking or spreading your employees too thin leads to resentment, increasing both attrition and absence rates, which is often a telltale sign of disengagement. An Aon Hewitt study showed that a five percent increase in employee engagement can … Join our email alert list so you never miss a post. Recognition in the workplace confirms your employee’s presence —and work —is valued by others. According to the 2018 TalentLMS Gamification at Work Survey, gamification makes employees feel more productive (87%), more engaged (84%) and happier (82%) at work. Install a lounge where they can socialise during downtime. Give them the ability to earn non-monetary and monetary reward so they can have bragging rights. The fantastic ideas about employee engagement are here. On average, call centers in the US have turnover of 30–45% according to the Quality Assurance and Training Connection (QATC).This is well above what is considered to be a normal turnover rate. Thus, call center representatives should be encouraged to be creative in their everyday tasks. When a contact center is plagued by 90-day turnover issues, it automatically decreases the average agent competency in an organization. Rather than forcing them to “stick to the script,” allow them to have flexibility in handling their customers. 7 Ways to Drive Employee Engagement in the Call Center. This is even made worse by rigid structures that limit the amount of power and decision-making they have. These emotions are naturally pushed to the agent who answers the call. If not, think about who you are as a company culturally. A growing trend, perpetuated by major contact centers like DialAmerica and CaLLogix is on-demand pay. As mentioned earlier, it takes a unique individual to be successful working in a call center environment. Employee Engagement Ideas Modern American employees vary in their interests and in what they want from a company, and there are many employee engagement ideas out there. With surveys, you’re able to analyze employee feedback and then implement changes that show your team you are listening to them. And you can’t judge a culture by its environment. Shortening ASA improves both the quality of customer service as well as your call center employees’ overall perception of their job. Favorable FCRs create a better experience for the customer and decrease the volume of follow-up calls that burden your workforce. For example, pulse survey allow you to ask more granular questions about what you could be doing better, or how you can support your team more. . It is really nice way to keep your employees motivated and they are always ready to put in the extra effort why not find a way to give them back. Employee engagement is getting a lot of consideration right now. Add a barrel or tub full of tennis balls, each labeled with a number and the name of a bingo prize. It’s never too late to start leveraging employee surveys and feedback tools to gauge employee engagement levels, and take immediate action to address any disengagement right away. This is like a breakthrough. We launched Culture Amp five years ago to help make the world a better place to work. As a result, recognition keeps your employees motivated and engaged, which elevates productivity. The call centre environment can be toxic and intense. Call centers are one of the industries most affected by high turnover rates. Recognizing the connection between employee engagement and the bottom line, however, is the easy part. Next 4 Ways Tablets Can Boost Employee Productivity. Check out seven ways to keep call center employees engaged. Struggling with ideas on how to engage and motivate your call center representatives? It is a must in every business, including the contact center. Promote the core values you want all of your employees to live into with each other as well as with your customers. Share your comments below. Both disengagement and turnover have been historically difficult issues to tackle within contact centers. 10 Low-Cost Rewards to Engage Your Agents. While fun and enjoyment is definitely a cherry on the top, each of these ideas is carefully selected to address a specific issue. When they do, they get a personal connection to their task and they are drawn to the customer service they are providing. The same study shows that employees who do not feel adequately recognized are twice as likely to say they'll quit in the next year. Call centers in particular suffer from poor employee retention as a result of employee disengagement. Twenty-five percent (25%) of turnover was voluntary at the median. It may be common knowledge, but you can’t judge a book by its cover. Many organizations recognize the issues financial stress can cause, and have begun to unroll wellness programs which provide multiple benefits to workers and the corporation alike. Megan it is an amazing article and thanks for introducing me to on-demand payments i will check out DialAmerica and CaLLogix and see if we can add it to our current system. Put the reps’ names in lights online and at their desk for all to see. So, what are some tactics to improve these stats and increase retention? Use this mega-list of employee engagement ideas to help your team get back on track: 1. Find unique benefits that your staff will continue to find useful over their time with your company — something that differentiates you from the crowd. With Customer Service Week around the corner, check out 12 ways to celebrate and motivate your call center employees: https://www.achievers.com/blog/celebrate-customer-service-week/. While turnover may be a persistent issue for any company in every industry, there are also many ways to effectively address and improve employee retention. If low employee engagement comes from a lack of personal investment in daily activities, gamification may be a uniquely effective way to address this issue. Recognition confirms your employee’s presence—and work—is valued by others. Required fields are marked *. And, happy employees will stay with your organization longer. These staffing gaps can quickly run down employees who are weighed down by additional responsibilities. Volunteer together. Surveys drill down on how your employees feel about their working situation and your organization. Call center employees also spend a lot of time talking to customers who are less than happy. As a result, recognition keeps your employees motivated and engaged, which elevates productivity. The more stress your employees absorb, the more likely they are to become disengaged from work— a high volume of stressful calls is taxing on your staff. From a revenue standpoint, this distraction can cost employers $7,000 per employee, per year or about 20 hours of lost productivity each month, per employee.