5 ways to promote employee well-being in a contact centre

Contact centres are considered to have one of the highest employee turnover rates of any industry.

According to research conducted by the Response Design Corporation, call centres suffer from an annual turnover rate of 26%. The need to find high quality replacement workers and train them not only in how the business operates, but also in the values and ethos of the clients they will represent, can put a strain on management and co-workers. It can also cost companies thousands of pounds in the recruitment and training of new employees.

It’s well recognised that having knowledgeable, experienced and happy employees directly impacts customer experience. As such, employee well-being should be a top priority for every contact centre, whose role is all about delivering a great CX on behalf of its clients.

According to research by David Holman, Institute of Work Psychology, University of Sheffield, the factors most highly associated with well-being were high control over work methods and procedures, a low level of monitoring and a supportive team leader.

In this blog post, we look at 5 areas where a good contact centre should be investing in order to help promote employee well-being.

1. Invest in and promote training

Training feeds into almost every aspect of employee well-being, with personal growth a key element; giving employees the opportunity to develop their skills through workplace training helps to make staff feel valued and gives them a sense of purpose. Ongoing training and development is essential to personal growth and helping to make employees feel empowered within their job role.

At Ventrica, we are committed to providing quality training programmes to make sure our staff are continuously learning and developing their skills and knowledge. From bespoke training for our Customer Service Advisors to apprenticeship schemes, we invest in them and their progression. Our Head of Talent, Samantha, alongside our Training Manager, Emma, develop comprehensive training programmes that are unique for each client team.

2. Reward and incentivise your team

Breaking up the working day with perks is a great way to keep a team motivated and engaged - after all, everyone wants to work for a company with benefits! With 72% of employees saying that more work benefits would increase job satisfaction, not only are they a top consideration when applying for a job, but incentives will also boost morale and bring fun to the workday, creating loyal, long-term employees.

From free fruit on Wednesdays to give the team a boost mid-week, to Indian head and back massages twice a week, there are numerous benefits enjoyed by the team at Ventrica - in fact, there are too many to list them all! On top of free ice-cream throughout the whole of August, we also organise film nights at our newly built cinema for our Ventricans to enjoy, as well as exclusive discounts for products/services from the brands they work for. We know that giving our Ventricans a little something extra goes a long way.

3. Emphasise the importance of work-life balance

The busy nature of a contact centre means that it is even more important to create a relaxed atmosphere to fight the pressures. A culture that encourages a healthy work/life balance by promoting efficient work - not more work - is key, and although it might seem obvious, it’s still something many organisations are not putting in place.

Alongside film nights and regular socials to create an additional opportunity for teams to get together, at Ventrica we also have some clients that do home working, which gives flexibility for people who want to work for us that live further afield. We believe that giving our team this flexibility encourages them to work hard and remain motivated and engaged in their roles. Importantly, it also provides individuals with the control over their work and the trust, that research indicates they value as a key component of well-being.

4. Create a community

Just as the best brands are recognised for the sense of community they have managed to build with their customers, it’s important that their contact centre representatives feel part of that. Here at Ventrica, we immerse our employees in their client’s business. From bespoke training to branded team zones, even wearing our retail clients own clothing, ensuring individuals feel part of the wider team is a top priority.

In addition, we pride ourselves on authentic relationships and value-driven behaviour where employees and senior management genuinely care about each other. Not only does our CEO, Dino, spend time getting to know all 600 of our Ventricans personally, leaders are also empowered to make the best decisions for their team. Having this sense of community and family helps employees feel as though they can perform to their best ability as they know they will always be supported.

5. Encourage collaboration

A collaborative workforce is a powerful workforce. Continuously listening to employees and using their insight to improve and develop business and client strategy is key; after all, employees are those typically in the front line of delivering a customer experience that reflects the business strategy.

From feedback boxes to employee surveys, we ensure we are always striving to meet our team’s expectations to continually improve our services, giving them a chance to voice their opinion and give suggestions for any new initiatives and policies. One of our main goals is to create an empowered, loyal and committed workforce; making sure our Ventricans know they are an important part of the future of our company.

Putting employee well-being at the heart of your business takes time and dedication, but the rewards are significant. From high quality service delivery, to engaged team members and low attrition, when it comes to identifying a good contact centre, it is the staff who will fly the flag.

If you are looking for a contact centre partner that will provide the best customer experience, look no further: Check out or range of services or get in touch with our team.

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