What Employees Want: How to Provide a Better EX

Customer service is a vital component of many businesses, serving as the primary point of contact between a company and its customers. To provide excellent customer service and maintain customer loyalty, it is essential to have a team of motivated and engaged employees. The employee experience plays a crucial role in this, as it directly impacts employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention.
Below, we will explore the unique challenges that contact center employees face, and the key factors that contribute to a positive call center employee experience. Specific strategies can be implemented by employers that focus on and provide a better employee experience (EX) for their brand and teams.

Understanding the Needs of Your Employees

In contact centers, employees face a number of unique challenges in their day-to-day work, including high stress levels, repetitive tasks, and dealing with difficult customers. These challenges can take a toll on employee well-being and motivation, and can ultimately lead to burnout and high turnover rates.

Despite the challenges, several key factors can contribute to a positive employee experience for call center employees. These include autonomy, job security, and opportunities for growth and development. Autonomy allows employees to have control over their work and environment, which can lead to greater job satisfaction and motivation. It’s all to do with trust. For example, research shows that Millennial employees are 22x more likely to stay with a company that cultivates high levels of trust in the workplace.

Job security provides employees with a sense of stability and a sense of purpose. Opportunities for growth and development can help employees feel valued and fulfilled in their work. Additionally, providing a comfortable working environment, access to necessary resources, and good communication channels with management can also be a key factor in providing a positive employee experience, as it would help employees feel supported and valued.

Providing Autonomy

When employees have control over their work and environment, they are more likely to feel motivated, engaged, and satisfied with their jobs. Autonomy can also lead to improved performance and productivity, as employees are better able to tailor their work to their strengths and preferences.

One way to provide autonomy in a contact centre is through flexible scheduling. Allowing employees to have some control over their schedules can help them balance their work and personal lives more effectively. This can include options such as flexible start and end times, part-time schedules, and remote work. As many as 56% of workers say having flexibility in their workday is a good way their workplace could better support them. Another way to provide autonomy in the call centre is through cross-training. Providing employees with training in multiple areas and disciplines can give them more autonomy over their work. For example, employees who are trained in both customer service and technical support can choose to work in the area that best suits their skills and interests.

Empowering employees to make decisions and take the initiative can also give them a sense of autonomy and ownership over their work. This could involve giving them more autonomy in how they handle calls, or allowing them to take on more responsibility within the team. Providing your teams with the necessary resources can help them be more autonomous and improve employee experiences. This could include investing in training or technology that can help them work more efficiently. Allowing for self-evaluation can also help employees evaluate their performance and progress, which can help them identify areas of improvement and set goals for themselves.

Fostering a Culture of Job Security

Having job security is another important factor to contact centre employees. When they feel secure in their jobs, they are more likely to be motivated and engaged in their work. Job security can also lead to improved employee retention, as employees are less likely to seek employment elsewhere. Additionally, job security can improve employee well-being and overall mental health.

Clear communication - Regular and transparent communication from management about the company’s financial stability, future plans, and the status of the call center can help employees feel more secure in their jobs.

Transparent performance evaluations - Providing regular and transparent performance evaluations can help employees understand how they are contributing to the company and where they stand in terms of job security. This can also help employees identify areas of improvement and set goals for themselves.

Employee development programs - Providing employees with training and development opportunities can help them improve their skills and increase their job security. This could include language training, or technical training to help them grow in their current role or prepare for future roles.

Encourage open communication - Encouraging an open-door policy and regular check-ins can help employees feel more comfortable discussing any concerns they have about their job security and can help management address these concerns proactively.

Building a sense of community - A sense of community can help employees feel more connected to their colleagues and the company, which can help them feel more secure in their jobs. This could include team-building activities or regular social events.

Addressing the Stresses of Work

In a contact center environment, employees often face high levels of stress as a result of their work, including high call volumes, difficult customers, and tight deadlines. These can take a toll on employee well-being and motivation, and can ultimately lead to burnout and high turnover rates. As many as 75% of workers have experienced burnout in the last few years, with 40% saying they’ve experienced burnout specifically during the pandemic, so ignoring the signs of this can lead to higher turnover.

Stress management training - Providing employees with training in stress management techniques can help them better handle the stresses of contact center work. This could include techniques such as mindfulness, deep breathing, or time management skills.

Team-building activities - Regular team-building activities can help employees feel more connected to their colleagues, which can reduce stress and improve morale. These activities could include social events, charity work, or even remote team-building activities.

Providing breaks - Regular breaks can help employees recharge and refresh, which can reduce stress levels. Employers can also encourage employees to take short breaks during their shifts, such as a 5-minute break every hour.

Encouraging a healthy lifestyle - Encouraging employees to maintain a healthy lifestyle can help them better cope with the stresses of call centre work. This could include promoting regular exercise, healthy eating, and getting enough sleep.

Offering Employee Assistance Program - Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) can provide employees with additional support such as counselling, mental health, and financial services. This can help employees manage their stress and improve their overall well-being.

Improve Your Employee Experience

Providing a positive employee experience is essential for maintaining a motivated and engaged workforce. Employers should prioritise the EX of their employees by implementing strategies such as providing autonomy, fostering a culture of job security, and addressing the stressors of work. By doing so, employers can improve employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention, and ultimately provide better customer service and maintain customer loyalty.

You can discover further insights in our news and articles section. If you are looking for ways to improve the employee experience, talk to us today about how our BPO services can enhance both EX and CX for your brand.