Workforce Management Featured Article
Employee Morale Slipping? Implement These Fun Changes
With any job, it can be difficult to keep employee morale high. Whether a company is on its last legs and only employing a skeleton crew of workers, or the workplace has simply grown tiresome and tedious, there are plenty of reasons why employees may lose interest in coming to work. An employee that dreads coming to work every day isn’t going to be very effective at doing their job, but that’s practically unavoidable if they’re going through the same old routine every day.
Letting employee morale slip can be especially dangerous in a call center. Although customers may be interacting with agents through the phone or via Web chat instead of face to face, it’s still not difficult to ascertain when an agent isn’t invested in the conversation. Most people already become frustrated when something goes wrong and they have to call a contact center in the first place, so talking to an agent that seems to be checked out isn’t going to help the situation. For a place that’s No. 1 purpose is to provide customers with great experiences, call centers need to start focusing more on boosting employee morale to ensure that every interaction is great.
Recently, Call Centre Helper polled several call center managers to see how they keep their workforce engaged. Some organizations suggested having team leaders walk around to deliver snacks midway through the day. Apparently, it’s a great way to show agents that they’re appreciated—there’s nothing like a little snack break to rejuvenate you after a long day.
Other companies have found that creating a team dedicated to social events is another great way to keep agents engaged. Agents can plan events and socials that bring everyone together. Whether it’s a barbeque after work one day or a collective birthday celebration at the beginning of the month, these events should boost morale and encourage camaraderie in the workplace.
Finally, theme days are another fun way to keep agents smiling. Ugly sweater contests—or even ugly cubicle contests—around the holidays are a guaranteed way to make agents laugh. Other themes, such as crazy hair or bad tie day, can prove to be a lot of fun for agents if everyone gets involved.
Some of these suggestions may sound silly or obvious, but you’d be surprised how many call centers simply allow their agents to lose interest in work. Answering calls all day can be tiring, but it’s worth it if agents enjoy their workplace environment.
