How to Lower Call Center Staff Turnover

Staff turnover can be a problem for any business, especially a call center. The act of sitting in a chair all day answering calls can be monotonous. Managers must find a way to keep turnover low since it is time consuming and costly to keep hiring new associates.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Computer
• Performance reports
• Performance meetings

1. Hire staff that will want to stay in the job. Emphasize repeatedly during the interview that they will be on the phone all day. Ask them if they have ever had a job where they had to sit in one place all day.
2. Provide call center staff with adequate training. Give them clear cut procedures as well as a place to bring questions or problems that may arise.
3. Make performance goals and incentive packages fair. Hold staff accountable for reaching the goals. Require the group to attend meetings in which their managers will evaluate their performance.
4. Work with the staff individually on career development. If they eventually want to get off the phones, introduce ways to improve their skill set. Employees will be more willing to stay in a job if they think they eventually can move up in the company
5. Treat call center staff with respect. Listen to their ideas for process improvements. Give them credit when their ideas are implemented.
6. Reward good performance. Set up weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly awards, and never underestimate the value of telling someone they did a good job.
7. Keep the work place fun yet professional.

Tips & Warnings

• Emphasize the phone work to associates in the interview. Losing potential hires is preferable to hiring and training the employees, and then having them quit.
• Let the staff know that you care about them and are trying to look out for them while meeting your business objectives.
• Let the staff know how they fit into the overall picture of your business.