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Easing Contact Center Payroll Pains: Navigating Through 7 Major Challenges

Easing Contact Center Payroll Pains: Navigating Through 7 Major Challenges

Discover payroll solutions in the customer service industry. Learn about compliance, record-keeping, technology, data security, and more.
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4 Ways to Create a Culture That Supports Call Center Agents’ Mental Health

Working as a call center agent tends to be stressful. Agents tend to deal with high call volumes, frustrated customers, and constant pressure to meet quotas. Mental health often can suffer in high-stress conditions.   Continuously working in a high-stress environment can adversely impact agents’ mental wellbeing. This is why call center managers and supervisors… Read More »

Working as a call center agent tends to be stressful. Agents tend to deal with high call volumes, frustrated customers, and constant pressure to meet quotas. Mental health often can suffer in high-stress conditions.

 

Continuously working in a high-stress environment can adversely impact agents’ mental wellbeing. This is why call center managers and supervisors need to monitor agents’ work performance and look for signs of distress. If an indication of a problem becomes apparent, the manager or supervisor needs to take immediate action.

 

The following are four ways to provide support for call center agents’ mental health.

 

1.    Promote Open Communication About Mental Health

Encourage agents to regularly talk about mental health topics. Emphasize the importance of getting help when needed.

  • Ask supervisors if they want to be mental health champions that promote well-being among the agents.
  • Communicate the fact that anyone can experience anxiety, depression, or other mental well-being issues.
  • Talk about the impact of stress on mental well-being.
  • Create a safe space to discuss mental health issues, questions, and concerns.
  • Encourage the sharing of personal mental health challenges.
  • Remind agents that seeking help is a sign of strength.
  • Regularly email company newsletters with videos, personal stories, articles, and resources to support mental wellness.
  • Remind agents of any counseling services or other sources for mental wellness support covered by the company.
  • Display in the break room mental health information with helplines and healthcare resources.

 

2.    Encourage Self-Care

Point out specific actions that agents can take each day to promote mental wellness. This shows you care about their well-being.

  • Bring nutritious meals and snacks to eat during breaks.
  • Drink water throughout the day to stay energized.
  • Practice deep breathing to reduce stress.
  • Stretch and walk around during breaks.
  • Get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.

 

3.    Reduce Work-Related Sources of Stress

Cut down on the amount of stress that agents face while working. Do what is possible to alter the problem areas.

  • Keep physical spaces as open and well-lit as possible to promote feelings of safety and comfort.
  • Train managers and supervisors to look for signs of anxiety, depression, stress, and other mental wellness issues among agents.
  • Signs of mental health concerns include regularly coming in late or missing work, struggling with job demands, and withdrawing from coworkers.
  • Encourage discussions about agent well-being at the end of each one-to-one or team meeting.
  • Empower managers and supervisors to privately talk with an agent who appears to be dealing with a mental health concern.

 

4.    Monitor Workloads

Reduce agents’ workloads whenever possible. This can prevent agents from feeling overwhelmed by their already stressful jobs.

  • Encourage experienced agents to help out newer agents.
  • Remind managers to help agents who appear to be struggling.

 

Looking to Hire?

Advanced hiring can help support your call center agent’s mental wellbeing. Ready to find the right hires to add to your team? Click here.

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Why Call Center Jobs Provide Great Opportunities for Recent Graduates

Why Call Center Jobs Provide Great Opportunities for Recent Graduates

New graduates often have difficulty finding jobs in their field. There typically is high competition for a limited number of jobs. In many cases, graduates look for jobs in fields that may not align with their degree paths. One of the best places to look for jobs is with a call center. Working in a… Read More »

New graduates often have difficulty finding jobs in their field. There typically is high competition for a limited number of jobs.

In many cases, graduates look for jobs in fields that may not align with their degree paths. One of the best places to look for jobs is with a call center.

Working in a call center provides a variety of benefits for new graduates. Additionally, the growing industry offers competitive wages and opportunities to develop the skills needed for advancement. The experience gained can help the graduates start careers in other fields in the future.

 

Discover four reasons why new graduates should start their careers at a call center.

 

Growing Industry

As a new graduate, you likely want a career with stability and growth opportunities. A call center offers both.

  • While a significant number of employees in other industries lost their jobs when the coronavirus pandemic hit, call center employees were busier than ever.
  • Buying a home, saving for retirement, and other activities that require long-term planning are easier with a defined career path.

 

Competitive Wages

Internships and other entry-level opportunities typically pay no or low wages. Call centers offer competitive rates.

  • Get paid well to provide a valuable service.
  • Earn money to pay and save for the lifestyle you want.
  • Gain valuable skills and experience that can lead to bonuses, raises, and promotions.

 

Transferable Skills

Almost every career requires interpersonal skills. You can also develop these skills by working for a call center.

  • The majority of careers require excellent written and oral communication skills. These skills are developed by talking with customers, writing reports, and fulfilling other duties at a call center.
  • The ability to convey ideas through speech, emails, phone calls, and other methods is necessary for most career paths. These abilities are developed while working at a call center.
  • Most careers require timeliness, efficiency, and other skills. You will develop these skills through your call center job.
  • The ability to work directly with customers is required for many career paths. This ability is developed while working at a call center.

 

Opportunities for Advancement

Additionally, entry-level jobs tend to be the way to start a career path. There tend to be a significant number of entry-level jobs available in a call center.

  • There is increasing competition for entry-level jobs in most industries. This makes an entry-level call center job easier to secure.
  • Once you establish yourself in an entry-level job, you should be able to move up within the organization. When you work at a call center you can find this type of upward mobility.
  • Skilled call center employees tend to earn awards that distinguish them from other employees. This can lead to greater advancement opportunities.
  • A call center often works with a large corporate partner that aligns with the degree paths of college graduates. This also can lead to opportunities to work for the corporate partner.

 

Ready to Find a Call Center Job?

Partner with Salem Solutions to find your first call center job. Visit our job board today.

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DEI Tips for Government Call Centers: How to Create a More Inclusive Work Environment

DEI Tips for Government Call Centers: How to Create a More Inclusive Work Environment

A significant number of businesses are focusing on increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in their workplace. Government call centers are among these businesses.   Many members of the workforce continue to be marginalized because of race, gender, socioeconomic status, disabilities, or lifestyle. These concerns have become even more visible during the coronavirus pandemic.   Diversity,… Read More »

A significant number of businesses are focusing on increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in their workplace. Government call centers are among these businesses.

 

Many members of the workforce continue to be marginalized because of race, gender, socioeconomic status, disabilities, or lifestyle. These concerns have become even more visible during the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion challenges in the workplace typically begin with a lack of diversity at the executive level. White male company leaders tend to underestimate the biases and obstacles to inclusion that diverse employees face on a daily basis. These obstacles include lack of opportunities for growth, development, and promotions.

 

The lack of diversity in leadership typically results in little emphasis on the implementation of diversity and inclusion initiatives in the workplace. This often leads to a substantial gap in views between how well company leaders believe their diversity and inclusion efforts are going and what the employees believe.

 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion depend on more than just race. Age, culture, gender, religion, physical abilities, learning styles, personality blend, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and life experiences matter as well.

 

Fortunately, steps can be taken to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in your government call center. The following tips can help.

 

Follow these guidelines to begin working toward a diverse, equitable, and inclusive government call center.

 

Minimize Bias in Recruitment  

Find ways to reduce the unconscious bias present in your recruitment practices.

  • Source diverse candidates by connecting with cultural and ethnic groups, sexual orientation groups, and physical ability groups at local colleges.
  • Partner with professional multicultural groups to source diverse candidates.
  • Use inclusive language in job descriptions.
  • Focus on hiring candidates who are open to learning the skills needed to be successful in a role.
  • Look for candidate dedication and the desire for coaching to improve performance when making hiring decisions.
  • Have a diverse hiring team compare and evaluate candidates during the final stage of the process.

 

Train Managers on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Frontline managers set the tone for the work environment, including diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

  • Provide unconscious bias and diversity training to increase awareness of these issues in the workplace.
  • Help managers uncover their own unconscious biases and take action to work toward a more cohesive work environment.
  • Provide managers with personality assessments to identify the communication preferences of their employees.
  • Encourage managers to use their employees’ preferred communication methods to more effectively connect.

 

Create a Frontline Diversity and Inclusion Team

Involve employees in building diversity and inclusion awareness within the call center.

  • Feedback about diversity and inclusion challenges needs to come from employees who experience the challenges on a day-to-day basis.
  • Ask the frontline team to review the call center policies for biases.
  • Request that the frontline team regularly survey employees to identify gaps between the company mission and diversity and inclusion initiatives and the employees’ workplace experiences.
  • Request that the frontline team members reach out to employees who may be feeling excluded or experiencing bias in the workplace.
  • Partner the frontline team with HR and management to drive diversity and inclusion efforts throughout the call center.
  • Have the frontline team and executives participate in diversity and inclusion awareness and feedback sessions.
  • Continuously talk with the frontline team about areas of misalignment and how the gaps can be closed.

 

Acknowledge and Celebrate Differences

Plan educational celebrations for each employee’s heritage.

  • Organize Lunch and Learn events to build awareness of the holidays that matter most to your employees.
  • Include cultural awareness months such as Black History, Women’s History, Asian/Pacific American History, Jewish American History, Pride, Native American Heritage, National Hispanic Heritage, and National Disability Employment Awareness.

 

Treat Employees as Individuals

Get to know employees on a personal level.

  • Find out what employees’ career goals are.
  • Talk about employees’ unique perspectives and life experiences.
  • Learn what motivates each employee to perform their best.
  • Discover employee preferences for language, communications, coaching sessions, performance reviews, growth opportunities, and workplace activities.

 

Focus on Employees’ Strengths

Each employee has different talents that benefit the call center.

  • Almost all employees have creative thinking skills.
  • Creative thinking provides fresh approaches to problem-solving.

 

Continue with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts

Creation of a diverse, equitable, inclusive work environment is an ongoing process.

  • Employees need to feel safe, supported, and respected on a daily basis.
  • The process takes time, effort, and resources.
  • Regular training on diversity, equity, and inclusion and communication about current events for employees at all levels is required.

 

Want Help with Your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts?

Salem Solutions has the diverse call center candidates you need to continue your work toward equity and inclusion. Find out more today.

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Is a Remote Call Center Job Right for You? The Pros and Cons of Working from Home | Salem Solutions

Is a Remote Call Center Job Right for You? The Pros and Cons of Working from Home

Like many call center candidates, you may be considering a job that lets you work from home. The ability to work remotely provides a number of advantages. However, there also are disadvantages to working remotely. Understanding some of the main benefits and drawbacks of working from home can help you decide whether a remote job… Read More »

Like many call center candidates, you may be considering a job that lets you work from home. The ability to work remotely provides a number of advantages.

However, there also are disadvantages to working remotely. Understanding some of the main benefits and drawbacks of working from home can help you decide whether a remote job is right for you.

The following are some common pros and cons of having a remote call center job.

Pros of Working a Remote Call Center Job:

Flexibility

Virtually everyone wants a flexible schedule and the ability to work from home.

  • Flexibility tends to be especially important for parents, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
  • Additionally, not having a commute reduces the stress of traveling for work and being around other people.
  • Flexible work can supplement income from retirement or disability benefits.
  • Working from home promotes independence.

Work-Life Balance

Having a remote call center job increases the ability to balance your personal and professional responsibilities. It often gives you more time in the day.

  • You can run errands, fulfill family duties, and pursue personal interests around your work schedule.
  • You are better equipped to engage in hobbies, spend time with friends, and participate in community events.

Productivity

You should be able to answer more calls and help more customers while working remotely.

  • The more productive you are, the more likely you will reach your key performance indicators (KPIs), quotas, and related metrics.
  • The more successful you are in attaining your goals, the more likely you will be recognized and rewarded.

 

Cons of Working a Remote Call Center Job:

Setup and Training

Setting up and learning to use the hardware, software, and technology for your remote work can be difficult. You also don’t have the same level of tech support as you would in the office.

  • You may need to purchase the hardware on your own and be reimbursed for it.
  • Installation of the call center software can be complicated if you lack technical expertise.
  • Training typically is conducted through live or prerecorded video and text.
  • Getting your questions answered and issues resolved can take time.

Company Culture

Working from home means a lack of in-person interactions to immerse yourself in the company mission, vision, and values. Because of this remote workers feel a sense of distance and being alone.

  • Development of team connections through videoconferencing and virtual chat is not as effective as live interactions at the call center.
  • Occasional get-togethers may be possible only if you live near the call center.
  • There likely are no friendly competitions with teammates to reach performance goals.
  • Effective networking with coworkers needs to take place in-person.
  • You may feel limited career growth while working remotely.

Support

You do not have a supervisor physically available to help with problems when needed.

  • Not being able to ask questions as soon as they arrive can be difficult.
  • Having customers wait while you connect with a supervisor can increase customer frustration levels.
  • Dealing with frustrated customers can make your job more stressful.

Looking for a Remote Call Center Job?

Salem Solutions can match you with a remote call center job that is right for you. Visit our job board today.

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3 Tips for Improved Customer Data Management | Salem Solutions

3 Tips for Improved Customer Data Management

Customer data management streamlines how your call center’s information is gathered, stored, protected, and used. Effective management enhances customer satisfaction and complies with all laws and regulations regarding the collection, use, and storage of personal information. Your call center likely has many technology applications that leverage caller data. These data sources are used to drive… Read More »

Customer data management streamlines how your call center’s information is gathered, stored, protected, and used. Effective management enhances customer satisfaction and complies with all laws and regulations regarding the collection, use, and storage of personal information.

Your call center likely has many technology applications that leverage caller data. These data sources are used to drive user insights and engagements.

Integrating, managing, analyzing, leveraging, and protecting data is required to gain insights and deliver personalized customer experiences. These processes help your company maintain its competitive edge.

Follow these three tips to elevate your customer data management.

 1.    Create Unique Identifiers

Assign a customer ID or other unique identifier to use with all of your systems.

  • An identifier lets you provide customers the omnichannel experiences they expect.
  • Tracking will be available for each customer.
  • Analysts can associate each customer data point in any system.
  • This process leads to more accurate analysis and a more complete understanding of user behavior.
  • Customers can move among the channels and still receive personalized offers and experiences.

2.    Use Technical Tools

A unified call center platform with analytics powered by artificial intelligence (AI) can deliver personalized omnichannel experiences.

  • Proper integration of applications from different providers is required to properly manage customer data.
  • These applications may include automatic call distributor (ACD), interactive voice response (IVR), workforce management (WFM), and digital and voice channels.
  • The cross-channel interaction provides agents with relevant context and history to create seamless omnichannel experiences.
  • The integration should prevent customers from having to repeat information to get the help they need.

AI creates the ability to analyze customer service interactions and provide meaningful information for the entire call center.

  • Engagement analytics tools can analyze these interactions from voice and digital channels.
  • The analytics provide insights into customer sentiment, contact drivers, and trending topics.
  • Agents can use the information to help customers.
  • Other departments can use the information to improve product features, marketing campaigns, and other areas that impact the customer experience.

3.    Implement a Customer Success Program

A customer success program predicts and proactively addresses customer needs and questions.

  • This program helps customers get the most from your company’s products or services.
  • The ability to predict user needs is based on data and requires AI analysis tools.
  • The tools provide an integrated view of operations and customers.
  • This picture allows for fast adaptation to changing customer preferences and expectations to optimize the customer experience.
  • A data-driven customer success program lets your company tailor the customer journey.

 

Implementation of a customer success program provides the following benefits:

  • Standardized customer data across your company.
  • Establishment of a single view of customer data from all business systems.
  • Leveraging data to measure customer experiences at all stages of the customer journey.
  • The potential for increased earnings, higher lifetime customer value, net promoter score (NPS), and employee commitment.
  • Potentially lower service costs.

The Best Way To Better Manage Customer Data? Build The Right Team!

Having the right people on your team that can help you better manage customer data. Need help finding the right people for your team? Trust Salem Solutions to connect you to talented professionals.

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Where Are the Qualified Call Center Candidates? Why Hiring Is More Difficult Now Than Ever | Salem Solutions

Where Are the Qualified Call Center Candidates? Why Hiring Is More Difficult Now Than Ever

There are signs of economic recovery all over the United States. Cities and states are easing restrictions as more people get COVID vaccinations. Businesses are reopening. Retail sales are strong. Customers are spending. Yet, there is a visible shortage of call center workers. A growing number of company leaders are reporting a significant need to… Read More »

There are signs of economic recovery all over the United States. Cities and states are easing restrictions as more people get COVID vaccinations. Businesses are reopening. Retail sales are strong. Customers are spending.

Yet, there is a visible shortage of call center workers. A growing number of company leaders are reporting a significant need to fill vacancies with very few candidates.

Show rates for call center training classes often are extremely low. Many employees report that attendance and schedule adherence are off as well.

Most call centers cannot hire enough agents to meet the increasing customer demand. This results in longer hold times and service-related issues that can increase customer frustration.

Fortunately, the shortage of call center agents should start to become easier in the near future. There are steps that employers can take to increase their hiring and retention rates.

 

Discover some reasons why hiring qualified call center candidates continues to be a challenge and some steps you can take for increased success.

 

Remote Call Center Work Can Be Challenging

A significant number of agents have limited internet connections at home.

  • Many of these agents share their networks with other household members.
  • There may be technical issues with the call center software or equipment.
  • Accessing the company systems can be difficult.

 

The majority of agents lack an extra room or space to convert into a home office.

  • Most agents have to share a workspace with other household members.
  • Many of these family members include children being schooled remotely.
  • Working among family members can lead to increased noise levels and distractions.
  • Focusing on customer issues can be difficult.

 

Remote Work Can Lead to Burnout

While many workers are looking for remote work opportunities, they aren’t right for everyone. Working and living in the same place is causing increased levels of fatigue.

  • Many agents struggle with isolation from their coworkers and the work culture.
  • The majority of supervisors and team leaders lack training in remote engagement, management, and collaboration techniques.
  • Feelings of isolation can lead to increased stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.
  • Most agents are becoming increasingly stressed dealing with frustrated customers.
  • The majority of agents are under pressure to resolve more issues in less time.
  • A significant number of remote agents are experiencing burnout.

 

Other Industries Are Becoming More Attractive 

A significant number of call center agents are using their transferrable skills to find jobs in other fields.

  • Many warehouse and shopper jobs offer high hourly starting rates, sign-on bonuses, and stipends for COVID vaccinations.
  • Most call centers cannot match the increased income and benefits.
  • Business processing outsourcing (BPO) companies would need to increase the hourly rate compensation models they bill to their clients.
  • The BPOs would have to charge separately for supervisors, program managers, attrition training, cost-of-living adjustments, and additional line items.
  • The majority of clients do not want to pay significantly higher expenses to run a call center.

 

Call Center Agents Want More Than Increased Income

The psychological impact of the coronavirus pandemic has many call center candidates rethinking how they want to earn a living.

  • A significant number of agents are changing their field of work to pursue their passions.
  • Many agents are participating in job retraining programs or educational opportunities to upskill.
  • These agents want greater career prospects for the future.

 

Call Centers Should Emphasize Career Paths

Operators of call centers need to point out the career opportunities available to agents.

  • Offer hybrid work to help with work-life balance.
  • Showcase the benefits of the call center’s training and skill development.
  • Talk about the valuable customer service, problem-solving, and decision-making skills that can be developed and transferred to most professions.
  • Point out that many call center agents go on to become professionals in marketing, training, consulting, or IT.
  • Providing agents what they want helps increase attraction and retention rates.

 

Ask for Employee Referrals

Encourage your agents to talk with members of their networks about applying for a job with your call center.

  • Employee referrals are among the most successful candidates.
  • Because the referrals tend to have characteristics similar to the employees, the referrals tend to blend with company culture.
  • Employees typically discuss details about a job opening, company operations, and other relevant information when referring someone they know.
  • The referrals often require less vetting because an employee introduced them to the hiring manager.
  • Employee referrals tend to stay with a company long-term because they have a personal connection with a coworker.

 

Partner with a Staffing Agency

A recruiter from a staffing agency that specializes in call centers can increase the speed at which you hire.

  • Recruiters have a vast network of active and passive candidates to fill vacancies.
  • The recruiter can match you with candidates who have the skills, experience, and qualifications you seek.
  • The recruiter sets up the interviews and negotiates any job offers on behalf of the candidates.
  • Because the candidates are prescreened, they can begin onboarding, training, and producing in a short amount of time.

 

Work with Salem Solutions

Ready to find the right call center candidates? Salem Solutions offers a variety of options to fill your call center staffing needs. Contact us to get started today.

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