Your job postings set the stage for candidates’ initial perceptions of your call center. Those first impressions wield incredible power in drawing top-tier candidates to your doorstep. However, creating impactful call center job descriptions can sometimes be challenging.
This guide will equip you with insights into shaping job ads that seamlessly inform, captivate, and motivate. We’ll also delve into the elements that can attract or deter candidates as they engage with your listings to empower you with a deeper understanding of their needs and expectations.
The State of Customer Care Today: What You Need to Know
Getting the right customer care talent is a real challenge these days as highlighted by McKinsey. The current workforce is facing higher call volumes and more complex calls.
In fact, 61 percent of care leaders they surveyed found a growth in their total calls due to the increased contacts of each customer and their growing customer base. Additionally, 58 percent of these leaders expect even more calls coming in.
What makes things more challenging is that employees are leaving faster than they did pre-pandemic and they’re also more difficult to replace. Around half of managers, they surveyed noticed a spike in employees leaving over the past year. Here are the top reasons why employees left their jobs:
- 58 percent left due to recruiting from competitors
- 39 percent left due to employee dissatisfaction¹
With this information in mind, you can write better job descriptions for your call center vacancies. When you’re putting out those listings, think about how you can tackle these issues and attract your next best candidates.
Related Reading: How AI Can Improve Your Call Center Performance
Revamp your Job Descriptions: 8 Tips to Attract the Best Talent
The key to writing better job descriptions is understanding what customer service representatives are looking for. Figure out what they want and show them how the job checks all these boxes. Here are some tips you can apply.
1. Learn from Your Competitors
One reason why candidates are leaving their current jobs is because other companies are snatching them up. With this in mind, you might want to consider learning from them.
Read through their job postings and see how they write them. For instance, take note of how their wordings or how welcoming their tone is. Identify what’s unique or good about these posts and try writing something similar but relevant to the job you’re hiring for.
2. Write Clear and Concise Job Titles
Just like headlines catch people’s attention, the job title is the first thing applicants will look at when deciding if a position is a good fit for them. It’s the first thing that makes them view the entirety of a job post or skip it.
However, it doesn’t mean getting creative with titles such as “Customer Service Champ”. Candidates don’t have time for riddles. It’s better to take a more straightforward approach and use titles such as “Experienced Customer Service Agent.”
3. Identify the Important Skills Needed
Now that a candidate’s got their eyes on your post, it’s time to see if they’ve got the skills needed for the job. It’s best to clearly state the most critical requirements you’re looking for in a customer service representative.
You could categorize job requirements into two groups: required and preferred. For instance, a required skill is proficiency in using CRM software while a preferred skill is bilingualism. This method makes it easy for job seekers to identify whether they qualify for the position or not.
Related Reading: 6 Qualities That Make a Great Call Center Agent
4. Make Your Post Easy to Read
Most candidates skim job descriptions first to determine if they’re interested in further pursuing the opportunity. Long, wordy sentences and confusing jargon may turn off potential applicants, and you could end up missing out on exceptional employees.
To avoid this, it’s best to break job descriptions into bite-size pieces of info by using clear and exact headings such as “Job Duties” and “Job Requirements.” It’s also ideal to keep your sentences brief and use bullet points whenever appropriate.
Your post’s flow will be very important too. For example, put the most important details on the topmost part of your post. These include salary range, benefits, and job qualifications.
5. Remember to Use Inclusive Language
It’s advisable to steer clear of unintentional bias in your language—it matters more than you might think. Remember, how you communicate can shape how job seekers see your company.
According to McKinsey, racial or ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ candidates are more likely to pass on a job if the company appears non-inclusive. In fact, you can lose an average of 39 percent of potential applicants.²
When you’re drafting your job posts, opt for gender-neutral pronouns and inclusive language. Craft descriptions that embrace all backgrounds, ethnicities, faiths, genders, ages, abilities, and more.
For instance, phrases like “strong English-language skills” might discourage non-native English speakers, while “young and energetic” could turn away more experienced candidates. This is why it’s important to choose your words carefully.
6. Talk about Company Culture and Values
Help potential employees imagine what it’ll be like working for you. You could describe what a typical day looks like by listing down job responsibilities, benefits and perks, and a glimpse into the company’s culture. Your goal? To show potential employees how amazing it’ll be to work in your call center.
And when delving into your work culture, underline how much you value your team. Gallup discovered that 61 percent of employees highly prize work-life balance and personal well-being in their next job.³ Use your post to spotlight how your setup benefits applicants and let them know you care about them as individuals and respect their needs.
Related Reading: The Importance of Wellbeing and Health in the Workplace
7. Provide Salary Range and Benefits
According to Statista, almost 50 percent of employers agree that offering competitive starting salaries is one of the most popular methods of attracting skilled candidates in the United States. Meanwhile flexible work options, hiring remote candidates, and signing bonuses also rank high on the list.⁴
You don’t have to disclose the exact amount, but laying out the range together with insights into medical insurance benefits and retirement packages can give your job an enticing edge. Additionally, excluding the compensation specifics might signal your job offer falls short, which could deter top tier candidates.
Choosing to exclude the compensation details in your job posting may give the impression that the compensation package you’re offering isn’t good enough and may discourage candidates from applying.
8. Provide an Overview of Growth Opportunities
A McKinsey Consumer Pulse Survey revealed that 74 percent of Gen Z and millennial participants harbor concerns about job stability.⁵ You can help your applicants, especially the younger ones, feel secure about working with you by spotlighting growth and development opportunities in your job posting.
These could include upskilling opportunities or training initiatives. Including these details underscores your commitment to invest in their career growth and future in the company.
Related Reading: 7 Secrets to Outstanding Customer Service
FIND THE BEST CALL CENTER CANDIDATES WITH SALEM SOLUTIONS
Crafting an effective job description is the key to attracting exceptional candidates and expediting your hiring process. At Salem Solutions we specialize in call center candidate recruitment. We understand the unique challenges call centers face and vet all potential candidates, presenting you with only the most qualified to interview.
When it comes time to find your next exceptional agent, you can count on us to do the job. Request an employee today to fill your vacancies or build a whole customer service team. Contact us to find out how!
References
1 “The State of Customer Care in 2022.” McKinsey & Company, 8 Jul. 2022, www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/the-state-of-customer-care-in-2022.
2 “Not Inclusive? You’re Losing 39 Percent of Job Applicants.” McKinsey & Company, 29 Jun. 2020, www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/sustainable-inclusive-growth/chart-of-the-day/not-inclusive-youre-losing-39-percent-of-job-applicants.
3 Wigert, Ben. “The Top 6 Things Employees Want in Their Next Job.” Gallup, 21 Feb. 2022, www.gallup.com/workplace/389807/top-things-employees-next-job.aspx.
4 “Top Methods of Attracting Skilled Candidates by Employers in the United States in 2022.” Statista, 25 Apr. 2023, www.statista.com/statistics/1380196/how-employers-are-attracting-skilled-candidates/.
5 “Job Jitters.” McKinsey & Company, 9 May 2023, www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/sustainable-inclusive-growth/chart-of-the-day/job-jitters.