3 Tips for Reducing Churn in Your Call Center

Guest Post by Jodi Beuder of MHI Global

While there is no silver-bullet for eliminating unwanted churn in the call center, there are steps that business managers can take to at least reduce unwanted turnover.

If your call center is staffed similarly to others around the country, then nearly 70% are of the Millennial generation (loosely defined as those between the ages of 18 to 34). While there are a lot of negative adjectives associated with the work ethic of this generation, most of them are unfounded when scrutinized. When examining the high-turnover rates associated with Millennial workers, often it is because organizations haven't evolved to meet the hiring, onboarding and training needs of younger workers. This isn't to say that there aren't generational issues to be aware of with Millennials, because there are, but if you'd like to keep the revolving door of employees to a minimum then consider these three tips.

1. Employee Engagement -- There is no doubt that when employees are engaged, they are more productive. When employees are engaged they are more likely to feel more satisfied in their jobs. When employees are more satisfied in their work, they are less likely to leave. There are a number of ways to engage Millennials in the contact center and gamification or the implementation of game mechanics is a popular choice for a number of contact centers. This generation has grown up in the age of gaming and utilizing some of the same concepts in the contact center is not only fun, but it meets this generation where they're at. Many video games are played collaboratively and there are ways to set up your call center so that employees have a real-time view of their colleagues' performance based on a number of KPIs and metrics. Engaging employees in this manner not only enhances collaboration but it can be set up so that there are "teams" that try and outperform each other.

2. Cloud Computing -- This is an indirect way of enticing Millennials as there are much lower operating costs associated with cloud computing software, thus freeing up additional resources to better compensate employees. When employees feel that they are being paid a salary that is more in line with their work (and let's face it, working as a contact center agent can be tough) they are more likely to stick around longer.

3. Acknowledge Good Performance -- If you think that acknowledging good performance with an engraved plaque is going to pass muster with this generation, you're mistaken. Millennials, as much as any other generation, enjoy being acknowledged for a job well done, but the reward needs to match the generational preference. This cohort values flexibility so one appropriate reward is to offer a more flexible schedule or work-from-home option. A quick survey of your contact center employees will give you specific ideas of what they feel is appropriate incentive for good performance.

Reducing churn is good for the bottom line, so learning what motivates your employees ensures you're matching expectations with the right incentives.