Maintaining high levels of employee engagement is crucial in the high-pressure world of call and contact centers. Engaged agents are more productive and more likely to provide exceptional customer service, directly impacting your brand’s reputation.
However, did you hear about the Gallup study for the first quarter of 2024, which found that employee engagement levels dropped to 30%, the lowest reported level since 2013?
Low employee engagement is like a storm that can hit a workplace hard. It’s not just about people feeling down; it can drag down the whole team and the organization if they’re not connected to your brand and simultaneously to your customers.
First off, productivity takes a hit. It’s like trying to run on a rainy day with soggy shoes.
Then there’s the turnover trouble. Folks start eyeing the exit: and that’s a cost and knowledge drain for the center.
Finally, the level of customer service offered to your customers takes a hit. When agents don’t feel like taking calls, they do the bare minimum to get by or look for every opportunity not to help customers: and the customer feels the vibe.
So, why should we care about employee engagement? Usually, call and contact centers are revolving doors where agents come in with a full-charge battery and eventually leave burnt out, repelled to do jobs such as vampires to garlic.
Causes of Low Morale
Lack of Recognition and Appreciation. Agents work tirelessly to meet quotas and handle demanding customers. When their efforts go unnoticed, they may feel undervalued and unmotivated.
Poor Communication. Leadership needs to communicate effectively, especially in a remote or hybrid work environment. If they do not, this can lead to misunderstandings about goals, procedures, and expectations, frustrating agents and customers. Further, if there isn’t a two-way street of communication between leadership and agents, agents will feel insignificant in their roles.
Insufficient Training and Development. Agents need thorough training to handle customer interactions. They may feel unprepared and incompetent without proper training and ongoing development opportunities.
Low employee engagement is like a storm that can hit a workplace hard...it can drag down the whole team and the organization...
High Workload and Stress. Call and contact centers are known for their high-pressure environments. Agents are often required to handle a high volume of calls. This relentless pace can lead to burnout and decreased morale, primarily if the centers are not adequately staffed.
Limited Career Advancement Opportunities. Many agents view their roles as stepping stones. They may feel trapped in their current positions when they perceive a lack of advancement opportunities within the organization.
Negative Work Environment. A center with a hostile atmosphere characterized by a lack of teamwork, unsupportive colleagues, and constant criticism can impact morale.
Inadequate Compensation and Benefits. Agents may feel demotivated if they believe their compensation and benefits do not match the demands and challenges of their jobs. Or if their pay rates don’t meet the standard rates in the areas.
Lack of Autonomy. Micromanagement is common in centers to ensure adherence to scripts, schedules, and protocols. However, this can make agents feel restricted and powerless, leading to disengagement.
Poor Work-Life Balance. Irregular hours, mandatory overtime, and inflexible schedules can disrupt agents’ personal lives, contributing to stress and low morale.
Lack of Support and Resources. Agents need the right tools and resources to perform their jobs effectively. Without sufficient support from management, they struggle to meet performance standards, leading to frustration and low morale.
...start by conducting a study to identify the current level of engagement and get an idea of how agents feel.
Job Insecurity. Frequent management changes, restructuring, and the high turnover rate typical of call and contact centers can create a sense of job insecurity among agents, affecting their morale and engagement.
Lack of Decision-Making Opportunities. When agents are not given a voice in decision-making processes that impact their work, they can feel disconnected and undervalued. Involving agents in decisions can improve their sense of ownership and commitment to their roles.
Gauging Engagement
If you feel you have an engagement issue or want to improve engagement in your center, start by conducting a study to identify the current level of engagement and get an idea of how agents feel.
I used the process to gauge engagement, utilizing MS Forms for data collection and MS Excel for organizing and visualizing the data.
I first started with a survey sent via email to the call center team; I didn’t collect the agent’s name or other factors that would help me recognize the individual completing the survey (SEE SURVEY 1).
Next, I conducted in-person (or one-to-one virtual for remote agents) interviews. I would recommend someone other than a member of your leadership team. This avoids pre-empting the interviewee and reduces any bias the leader could have or develop for the interviewee.
Further, it’s impossible to interview every agent available on the floor or remotely, so random sampling is used. For example, a good sample of 50 agents would be between 15 and 20, but the more, the merrier. Here are the questions I asked in the interviews (SEE SURVEY 2).
After the interviews, the observation section came next. Again, I used a random sampling of agents who were present in the office and remotely, asked the following questions, and gauged them on their responses (SEE SURVEY 3).
Analyzing the Data
After collecting the data, it’s time to analyze it. Agents mostly spill the beans on what is working and what isn’t working.
If you feel overwhelmed with the data collected and crunched on time, you can also use ChatGPT to help you analyze the data and draw inferences and possible solutions.
Employee engagement in call and contact centers grooms your company for success.
When I conducted an engagement study for our center, our agent motivation scored an average of 8.20, which is considered good. Use the following guidelines to interpret your results:
- Scores between 1 and 3 indicate a severe problem and require urgent intervention.
- Scores between 4 and 6 suggest moderate engagement, with room for improvement.
- Scores between 7 and 8 are good but still have potential for enhancement.
- Scores between 9 and 10 reflect excellent engagement.
After implementing these changes and waiting four to six months, we conducted another study to determine if the engagement score had changed. Our average improved to 8.80.
How to Engage
A few things to think about adding to improve employee engagement include:
- Virtual Water Cooler. Implement a virtual water cooler where agents can talk to each other, such as a group chat on Slack or Microsoft Teams.
- Career Path and Growth Opportunities. Provide agents with a clear career path and opportunities for continuous learning, such as training them on new phone queues or offering job-specific training. Most people don’t want to be stuck in a dead-end job.
- Feedback Loop. Create a feedback loop where leaders can learn from the team: and the team receives feedback for improvement. Regularly check in with agents to discuss their performance and any concerns.
- Gamification. Gamify what can be gamified, such as learning new skills on your learning management system (LMS), the number of sales made, or a leaderboard with the agents with the best customer reviews or agent stats.
- Recognition and Appreciation. Show agents that what they do matters to the team, the organization, and the community. Take a moment each week or every two weeks to appreciate your agent’s efforts, especially in a remote working environment. Do a shout-out in a team meeting, in a newsletter, or in personalized notes, to name a few.
To view additional ways to engage your team, check out this 26 Ideas for Engaging Your Contact Center Team article.
Employee engagement in call and contact centers grooms your company for success. By understanding the causes of low morale, actively gauging engagement levels, and implementing strategies to improve it, you can create a positive work environment where agents feel valued, motivated, and connected to your brand and customers.
Remember, engaged employees are the backbone of a thriving center and the face of your company. Start today by conducting an engagement study and addressing any uncovered issues. Your agents, your customers, and your bottom line will thank you.