One of the largest issues that call centers face is high turnover. Several factors contribute to call center attrition, such as performance issues, attendance issues, etc. The largest contributor to call center attrition is employee burnout. Employee burnout happens when they have exhausted their emotional or physical strength. Burnout can be a result of high stress, inconsistent scheduling, frustration, and feeling a lack of support from leadership.
Call center managers should be observant of their employee behaviors. Here at Clementine, our managers look for subtle differences in employee behavior and act on them to manage attrition and boost employee morale. Here are some signs we look for:
Attendance Issues
A happy employee reports for work when scheduled and only misses when there is an illness or emergency. Frequent absenteeism is questionable and managers should have a direct conversation with the employee to get to the root of the issue.
Health Issues
It is well known that stress has a negative impact on health. Employees that are burning out are prone to suffer from a decline in their cognitive functions. Call centers need to promote a healthy lifestyle for their employees.
Disengagement
Satisfied employees collaborate with their peers and teammates. They contribute to discussions, offer suggestions, and solutions. Employees that are experiencing stress and facing burnout tend to withdraw from their co-workers. They engage less and less with the team and talk to the management only when asked
Subpar Quality of Work
When employees are burning out, work quality is probably the manager’s biggest concern. When it comes to call center customer support, you must be able to deliver a consistent, high-quality service. Happy agents result in a good performance. When a call center employee speaks with a smile on their face that positivity shows in their tone.
Clementine encourages our call center managers to be available for and listen to employees. We remind managers to have clear and consistent communications so that employees can keep a healthy stress level, and deliver a better performance.