Call centers are known for having some of the highest turnover rates in any business. This means the hiring process is nearly constant, and that can put a lot of strain on management, taking up time and energy. The best way to cut down on the amount of time spent hiring is to do it better in the first place. Hiring the right candidates for the right reasons will go a long way towards cutting down on your turnover and keeping the hiring process manageable. Here are just a few ways you can improve your hiring process and save time and money at your contact center.
Before you actually interview and choose candidates, you should have an ideal candidate in your head. Work with your team, including your best call center agents, and draw up a list of characteristics or abilities that would make an ideal candidate for the job. You might not get a candidate that displays all of those qualities, but you’ll be closer to finding a good fit than you would be otherwise.
Look at your recruiting tools and decide if they’re working for you as well as you’d like. For example, if you’re always using the same job boards, career sites, or recruiters, then you may be getting a certain type of candidate. Try switching up the ways you recruit to find the type of candidates you want to attract.
It’s important to disclose everything about the job that potential employees want to know. Tell them about all the requirements, any unconventional work schedules or shift requirements, and anything else that will be important for them to know. You’re less likely to have high turnover if employees know exactly what the job requires going in.
If you’re hiring call center agents, that means they’re going to be on the phone quite a bit. So why not have the initial interview over the phone? Their communication skills are going to be tested every day, so it makes sense to figure out right away if they just don’t have what it takes.
Once you hire new agents, you would be wise to survey them at different points along the way. During recruitment, a few weeks after they start, and a few months into the job are good times to get feedback. You’ll end up discovering new ways to improve the process, and possibly prevent turnover before it happens.
Building on this, conduct exit interviews to see exactly why your employees leave. You’ll probably see some trends, and from there you can work to improve the process or change the type of candidate you hire next.
It may seem like high turnover rates are unavoidable, but they don’t have to be if you put the work in during the hiring process. If you want to get the best out of your contact center agents, then check out our Verint Media Recorder Workforce Optimization suite. Contact us today for more information on how we can help free up time in your schedule and increase your contact center’s productivity.
