Understanding the Motivation Lifecycle

Module 2 - Understand why agents leave and how to prevent turnover

The Call Center Learning Center is excited to announce its new toolkit - Motivating Call Center Agents, a comprehensive guide on how to increase agent productivity and retention. This tutorial series will pull from the Motivating Agents Toolkit to illustrate how to establish an effective motivation and incentive program in your call center. Module 1 introduced the series and looked at the agent-manager disconnect and what you can do about it. This module will take a closer look at the Motivation Lifecycle. Module 3 will illustrate the motivation process roadmap and show you how to create a truly motivating workplace. Module 4 will conclude the series with tips on how to incorporate other call center resources to retain motivated and loyal agents.

An Evolutionary Process

As a call center manager or supervisor, you are regularly faced with the issue of agent turnover. Would it surprise you to discover that there are actual time indicators that can help you anticipate pivotal opportunities for intervention with new agents? It is possible to prepare for these opportunities, which are common to most people involved in new experiences, including new agents in your call center.

The Motivation Lifecycle will show you how this natural evolution works, and the critical timeframe during which supervisors and managers can have the most impact on their new agents.

There are certain universal truths that apply to nearly every new situation we experience. Whether it is buying a house, going to school, moving to a new town or starting a new job, there is a critical point early on when we make the decision to either change our situation, or commit to the future.

Let's look at how this evolutionary process plays out in the Motivation Lifecycle.

The Motivation Lifecycle

The Motivation Lifecycle depicts the initial period of a call center agent's employment. Depending on the actual rate of turnover at your call center, this time period can usually be measured in weeks or months.

Let's take a look at what the various stages mean.

The "Honeymoon" Stage

This is the first stage of the Motivation Lifecycle:

 
The initial curve is labeled newness and inflated expectations. Note that this curve starts out very high on the vertical axis labeled enthusiasm, when an agent is just beginning the job. Expectations are usually very high at the beginning of any new, positive situation. As the "honeymoon" phase progresses, note how the curve dips as we enter the reality-check, which includes the agent's initial training period. As the daily activity of the new situation takes hold, we are less enthralled with its novelty because we are busy trying to understand how the situation works and our role. It is also during this period that we may experience a bit of a letdown because our original expectations were greater than the actual, everyday reality of working in a call center.

The Growth Stage

Following the honeymoon, we enter the growth stage. In a call center, it is during this period when new agents get to know their supervisor as well as the supervisor's expectations. New agents may have frequent one-to-one contact with their supervisor, who begins the dialogue about the agent's goals.

During the growth phase, new agents get to know their co-workers as well as the general culture and atmosphere of the call center. New agents begin to form their opinions about the team they will work with and the overall environment of the center. They begin to form relationships with their peers. This is also when agents learn about the support structure and value system of the call center.

With these factors, agents are able to determine their future with the call center - whether they will stay or leave to find other work. These two outcomes form the two trends in the Motivation Lifecycle: retention and turnover.

The Road to Retention

Agent retention is determined by a combination of the factors listed above, including call center leadership, structure and environment. The trend below illustrates what happens if these factors are satisfactory to new agents.

As we follow the curve, new agents experience confidence as they become competent at their jobs, optimism that they will fit in this new environment, and a sense of growth that they have a future with the call center. This ultimately leads to contentment and retention.

The Turnover Exit

Now let's take a look at the Motivation Lifecycle's other possible trend:

This curve shows what happens after the "honeymoon" phase if the call center leadership, structure and environment are unsatisfactory to new agents.

In the negative growth phase, new agents experience disappointment. Perhaps initial meetings with their supervisor were rushed or lacked adequate information, leaving the agent feeling disappointed or dissatisfied. Perhaps the new agent was not introduced to the other agents and made feel welcome as a new member of the call center. Perhaps adequate training and orientation were neglected.

Further along the curve, new agents may conclude that co-workers were either unfriendly or not interested in getting to know them. They do not develop positive relationships with their peers, and do not feel they are a part of the team.

As new agents look beyond their immediate teams, they may see an entire call center culture of indifference that can lead them to experience apathy toward their jobs. The lightning bolts signify that turnover can happen at any point during this post-honeymoon phase, but turnover will happen, and probably sooner than later.

Important Lessons from the Motivation Lifecycle

It is important to understand that the first phase in the Motivation Lifecycle - the honeymoon - is an inevitable phase in any new situation, including the inflated expectations that one brings to it, as well as the temporary letdown during the reality-check. Do not dwell on trying to change this.

However, the lower curve of disappointment, apathy and turnover is avoidable. The answer to the question "How do I avoid going down that path?" is found in the Motivating Call Center Agents Toolkit. Using the Threshold Model to address important job factors and motivators, this toolkit will show you how to implement a customized improvement process in your call center for increased retention and productivity.