Call center agents resigning, or in more appropriate terms, staff attrition is a major concern for all call center companies not only in the Philippines but more so in India. Outsourcing companies have to deal with a "revolving door" situation where 15 employees leave and 10 employees come as replacements (although not necessarily in such exact order) in a never ending cycle which raises cost to operate and leaves the operations floor with a considerable void in skills.
It is no secret that call center work, especially at the rank and file level, is very demanding and repetitive. Many aspire for call center work but only a few are qualified. In those few selected, companies would later on find out fewer had the personality to actually keep up with the work demands. This problem roots itself from the actual hiring process. Call center companies have focused on benefits, salary and perks to encourage applicants to apply. However, only a few of these companies will actually focus on and drill down on these applicants to ensure they are fit for repetitive work during the hiring process. Call center agent retention shouldn't be a predominant problem if only call center companies would ensure successful candidates are the right fit for the job not only of skills but also of attitude and personality during the the hiring process from start to finish. It is fairly noticeable in the job ads that call center work are the most enticing because of potentially huge salary, great benefits and programs. All of the these outsourcing companies pay huge sums of money to let job seekers know what a great company they are. Let me ask you a question now. How many of these companies actually spend on even a small space to tell job ad readers know that this work entails repetitive actions, following strict regulations and coping with stress in dealings to actually deliver satisfactory work? ZERO. Better call center agent retention starts at the very beginning of the hiring process. Informing potential applicants of the realities of call center work will allow companies to only reach "targeted" prospects who are already informed of the nature of the job both good and bad. Call center companies may feel they are not getting as much candidates worth their money to post an ad when they do this but at least they can be assured that the candidates who do step in their doorsteps have been informed of the work realities. Targeted hiring is key. Making sure you only sift through applicants with the right skills and mindset can save you the headache of dealing with attrition later on.
How do you best retain the people you have now? In my experience as a team leader, I felt my role was crucial in keeping my subordinates within the company. In this one call center that I worked for two years ago, there were demanding tasks that the management was expecting from my agents. My agents were asked to perform tasks that they had little training for nor inclination to do so.So much so that I felt we were setting them up for failure. However, during my stay I never had anybody quit on me so did my colleague. Today, I came to a conclusion that we had a huge part in keeping our teams intact because I made sure we had good working relationships with our subordinates. In addition, our teams members also had close working relationships with each other and that endearment may have played a role in making them stay. Studies have shown that retention factors like these can always trump reasons to go find "greener pastures". Introspectively, I also realized that my very good working relationship with my boss at that time made me stay and aspire to be better with the work I did. I'm not saying companies need to keep good bosses to keep people inside but rather ensure to foster an environment that encourages open communications, good feedback structure and camaraderie. People may not always get the bosses they would like but companies could at least make sure bosses have the right attitude, mindset and personality to keep the people they already have.
Here is another good call center agent retention article you may find interesting:
Best Practices in Call Center Recruitment: Stop Trying to Understand Why Call Center Representatives Are Quitting
4 comments here!:
Truth be told, many who are not cut out for call center work still make it through the sifting of HR recruitment processes.
Its easier to keep the people that you have already than looking for people to replace them.
The article that was included was a good read but the reality is that if call centers are bunched up in one location, finding and making talent stay is difficult. It has been very costly to retain good people especially if our education system is producing mediocre talent. Some call centers spring up in places where no center would dare put up business. I believe this move is a good one since most of those that I ask on why they stay would simply quip "it is near my house". But again, it dosen't last long sad to say
Hi Anonymous,
Call center's location proximity in the Philippines is a reality organization have to deal with and is an external factor they won't have control over once it sets in. My appeal, however, is for companies to improve on factors they have control over, look introspectively and improve on their hiring system to help them retain good people. Mediocre talents are just that... Mediocre. However, I give kudos to companies who give them a chance as we all want to be equal opportunity employers.
Kidding aside, mediocrity is a different story. One that takes root to a much bigger problem you already mentioned. In my opinion, call centers do a really good job sifting through applicants, getting only the best talent so mediocrity shouldn't even be a factor in call center agent retention.
Thanks for the comment!
Post a Comment
Hi! Thanks for reading this post. I hope this has enlightened you in someway about the call center industry. I appreciate your gesture of wanting to leave a comment for any purpose. However, if you are leaving a question for me, please click to subscribe to the comments feed here or to my blog feed here so my reply along with all the reader comments can be stored on your browser bookmarks for your easy access.
I also encourage you to connect with me through the following popular social networks so we can better interact with one another! :)
1. Call Center Blogger Facebook Page
OR
2. Call Center Blogger Twitter Page
Thank you for reading again and I hope you enjoyed this call center blog as much as I enjoyed writing on it. Feel free to contact me at callcentervet@gmail.com. Godspeed.
Reminder: If you leave a comment with an unrelated link or link designed to promote your website, it gets automatically deleted. Don't waste your time.
For the time being, NO COMMENTS will be published at this time due to idiot spammers who try to comment even with the warning above. For immediate concerns, email me.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.