Working as a call center agent is one of the most stressful jobs. No surprise it also has one of the highest turnover rates. And it makes sense because contact center services generally have a fast-paced environment with day-to-day challenges. But motivating your agents and ensuring their engagement can make a difference.
Motivated employees can perform better and make the environment more productive. Therefore, it is important for contact centers to take steps and make arrangements for employee engagement. Not only it increases productivity but also boosts employee satisfaction. The following effective tips can increase employee motivation:
A Positive Working Environment
The job of call center agents is already very stressful and if the working environment is toxic, it adds to the woes of agents. Also, a lot of people leave their jobs just to leave the toxic environment. It is advisable for you to put yourself in the shoes of agents and avoid any type of toxicity.
Appreciate your agents when they are delivering quality work on the team and agent levels. But appreciate them on their good days, and support them on their bad ones too. Engage yourself in creating a strategy to resolve the problems.
Lastly, ensure everyone feels safe at work regardless of their ethnicity or differences. Also, encourage the team to report such instances to HR. Building a positive work environment can significantly reduce the external stress on your call center agents.
Avoid Monotonous Routine
One of the things that make something hard to do is a monotonous routine. Doing the same thing every day can be exhausting. But simple steps like changing the scripts, tasks, or even the office setting make a difference. Rotating shifts can break the monotony too. But rotating the shift may not always be the ideal option as it may lead to added stress and inconvenience.
Another thing you can do is to have pizza days. Pizza days can take away a day’s stress and make it into a fun one.
Keep the Channel of Communication Open
Just like omnichannel call centers offer multiple channels for making it easier for customers to communicate things, you should also encourage a culture of open communication. Doing so can help in resolving the issues of your agents. Considering how tough the job of call center agents is, listening is the least you can do. And it helps a lot. Companies that do not encourage agents to be vocal about things often have a higher turnover. So, instead of losing talented members of the team, it is better to let them talk.
Another thing you can do to have your agents feel heard is to ask for feedback. Feedback from your agents can help with modifications to the policies and different other aspects.
Equip Agents With the Right Tools
The level of satisfaction customer service agents can offer depends significantly on the tools your agents should have. A dated dashboard, a slow workstation, or even an uncomfortable chair may affect the quality of service. Plus, it can be quite frustrating when you are trying to do your best and your tools decide to act up. Invest in equipment, software, and wherever required to assist your agents.
Create Challenging but Achievable Goals
Setting goals for employees and setting KPIs to monitor performance is a usual practice at contact centers. But oftentimes, companies make the mistake of either making goals too generic or simply unachievable. Both these approaches are wrong and won’t do you much good.
Instead, the goals for your team should be challenging but achievable. Show appreciation to the ones who perform and achieve goals with bonuses or presents. At the same time, ask agents who couldn’t overcome the goals.
Offer Growth Opportunities
The feeling of staying stuck in the same place can result in burnout and people leaving their job. Therefore, you should create an atmosphere that presents employees with learning and growth opportunities. Offer promotions and bonuses to the best-performing employees. Another thing you can do is conduct in-house training and courses.
Do Not Micromanage
Micromanagement does more harm than good. Most agents are not fans of it. It makes the environment more stressful too. Instead, make your teams accountable within themselves and perform as a unit. Utilizing project management tools and reporting software can help you with being aware of individual performances.
Conduct Company Events
Events can help to promote company culture and team spirit. Company-funded lunches, sporting events, movie nights, or tickets to local sports can be good. You can think of other such events or ask your team’s suggestions about them.
Applying these tips in a contact center changes many things for the better like increasing employee satisfaction. Satisfied employees can boost the quality of service and other performance parameters of any contact center.