Workforce Management Featured Article
What Are the Causes of Call Center Attrition?
Call centers spend a lot of time and money on the rotating flux of new hires. Stress overloads and low salaries contribute to high attrition. Last year, the International Customer Management Institute reported a 33% employee turnover rate at call centers. As employees exit the building en masse, the cost of replacements can lead to bigger spending for companies. Here are some identifiable causes to the issue of high attrition rates at call centers.
Recruitment, Training, and Why It’s Not Working
Getting your foot in the door may come easily. But, if new employees lack customer service finesse and require extensive training, it adds up. Recruitment should be a vetting process for potential employees. Hires with the proper background and experience necessary to handle the job are the safer bet. Taking the time to find the right fit for floor vacancies will save on training in the long run.
If a business is excessively spending on training employees who don’t stick it out, start treating each new hire as just that: individuals. Prepare for recruitment by identifying the key attributes of a call center employee, and hire those with the gumption to get the job done. Rather than treating the next new hire like a number, recognize the individual for their preparedness to handle the workload.
Underpaid, So Why Stay?
Money is a motivating factor that brings in new employees. However, feeling underpaid is a motivating factor of quitting. Businesses may wise up by offering better benefits and cash incentives. It drives new hires to come back each week. Bonuses save the day as well. What’s good for the metaphorical goose is good for the gander: low attrition loosens the spend belt around frequent training costs.
Stress: A Greater Influence Than You Might Suspect
Call centers can improve job stress with the help of employee engagement strategies. Finding engaged workers was the hard part. Keeping them motivated will balance out the stress that comes with customer service. Maintaining a positive work environment will bring employees back to work each day. Establishing a friendly and collaborative team atmosphere improves attrition as well. Cross-training can refresh weathered agents who consider leaving. And rotating responsibilities and assigning team leaders retains workers who crave growth potential.
A Final Word on Attrition
While there is no magic button that drops attrition rates, there are a few methods to keeping call center employees interested in the job. Recruiting skilled individuals and introducing salary incentives are among the ways call centers can retain employees. Incorporating growth through management opportunities can alleviate stress and lower attrition. Make the call center a happy place, and Zen out on a steady improvement in employee retention.
Edited by Mandi Nowitz
