Call center agents go through a life cycle starting at the point they are hired for the call center job and
ending at the point they leave the company. Often, this cycle leads to low
engagement and performance and ultimately turnover. In our
experience, the cycle can be broken down into four distinct phases, but they
key is that effective management including coaching, mentoring, and development
can greatly impact the cycle and the outcome.
New Hire and Honeymoon
New agents are often the lifeblood
of a call center. Bringing new energy and excitement – they are highly engaged
and motivated. This can often rub off on the rest of the agents. When new
agents come on-board, it is up to management to direct that energy
and enthusiasm in the right direction while giving the new agents the
tools necessary to be successful in the center. The importance of an effective
on-boarding and training program cannot be overestimated.
Crossing the Chasm
At some point, the honeymoon phase
wears off and agents either reach maturity or need to be coached up or out.
Often, the chasm occurs at the point agents are leaving the “nesting” phase of
their on-boarding. The realities of the job are sinking in and exposure to more
experienced agents can result in picking up bad habits. It is critical to
continue the development of the agent at this point to ensure long-term
success.
Experienced, but at What Cost
Call Center work is a grind. If you
center isn’t taking steps to actively impact agent engagement, the daily grind
of the job can begin to wear down an agent. We have written extensively on the
cost of call center agent engagement, but here are 5 key methods for keeping
agents engaged:
- Create a Connection Between Work & Company Success
- Show a Commitment to Employee Development
- Ask for Employee Feedback and Ideas
- Set Expectations about Performance
- Establish a Clear Value Proposition
Working to keep agents engaged is
critical, but failing to act will mean they move on to the next step in the
agent life cycle – checking out.
If you are not actively keeping
agents engaged, they will “check-out” mentally and sometimes physically. At
this point, the agent is most likely lost and no amount of coaching will bring
them back. It is typically better for everyone for the agent to move on at this
point.
Bottom line, there is a natural
cycle to the life of a call center agent, but effective management, mentoring,
coaching and development can greatly impact that cycle making the agent more
productive at work and happier in the position. If you have questions about
your call center’s agent life cycle and how you can impact the cycle for your
agents, please contact us.