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Introduction to the
Motivation Lifecycle Call
center supervisors 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 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 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.
Revelations on agent
motivation
What is
the number one most
motivating job factor
for call center agents? The answer may
surprise you. During the development of the
Motivating Call Center Agents Toolkit, Prosci
and the Call Center Learning Center conducted
hundreds of interviews with call center agents to
find out what they considered the top workplace
motivators that directly influence job performance
and worker loyalty. The interviews provided
valuable insights and definitive data on what truly
motivates them to do their best work.
This
research is compiled and translated into practical
models
to help you develop your plan for
motivating your agents.
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Top two motivating job factors
Agents cited "positive
leadership skills of supervisors" (one-on-one interactions)
as the number one motivating job factor for them on the job.
The second most commonly
identified motivating job factor for agents was "relationships
on the job with co-workers and peers."
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Number 1
Motivating Job Factor |
Number 2
Motivating Job Factor |
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"positive
leadership skills of supervisors"
(one-on-one
interactions) |
"relationships
on the job with co-workers and peers" |
Both of the top two
motivating job factors are directly related to agents' relationship with
people on their jobs.
What does this mean? Agent
loyalty and productivity are not concepts that can be purchased with
incentives, contests or prizes. Many incentive programs have a
scatter-shot effect as they manage to hit a lot of people, but often the
incentives are not what agents truly value. True agent motivation needs
to be earned through the identified
values of strong leadership and a people-friendly culture.
So how can you develop these
competencies in your call center? The following sections will provide
you with some guidelines and resources for improving these motivating
job factors in your center.
Leadership style and supervisor-agent interaction
When describing their
ideal supervisor, agents used terms such as “approachable,” “helpful” and
“knowledgeable.” These are all “positive leadership skills.”
Call center agents told us that
great supervisors have the following attributes:
·
Good overall
people skills: approachable,
friendly and positive; recognize contribution and show appreciation for the
job performed
·
Competent
communicators: polished verbal and written skills and good listeners
·
Organized and
professional, with a strong work ethic
·
Knowledgeable
regarding procedures, agents' duties and company policies
·
Consistently
fair
(regarding feedback, scheduling, etc.)
·
Patient and
helpful with training
·
Provide
regular feedback by praising
publicly but disciplining privately, using discretion and direction
·
Serve as
mentors: provide advocacy and
opportunities
·
Model the
behavior they expect from their agents
In other words, agents respect supervisors who
are great coaches. To learn more
about coaching best practices and techniques, both the
Call Center Best Practices Report - Operations Edition and the
Call Center Quality Monitoring Toolkit provide valuable information and
direction on how to improve your coaching and leadership skills.
Building culture and teams
In the research study, when
agents talked about "culture", they described their relationships with
co-workers in the call center, and whether the overall environment fostered
a sense of family and mutual caring.
However, when supervisors discussed culture, they talked mostly about
contests and prizes. This distinction has actually been studied in
psychology. It's called "autobiographical memory." What this means is
that, as human beings, we have a stronger memory for the
feelings of a particular event, more
so than for the facts and details of the event.
Call center supervisors who
encourage their agents' participation and
involvement in various company and extra-curricular activities
(such as team competitions, volunteer events in the community, etc.)
·
Reduce agents reluctance to assist their co-workers
·
Inspire attitudes of mutual caring and responsibility among
their agents
·
Create the sense of fun and
belonging
·
Help agents work harder with their
team members toward a mutual
goal
More motivating job factors
Three more motivating job
factors identified by call center agents complete the top five list. You
can read more about these factors and how to develop them in your call
center in the
Motivating Call Center Agents Toolkit. The toolkit is designed to help
you determine how to create a workplace that motivates agents and optimizes
productivity in your call center.
*The next module will focus
on the “Three Critical Roles” supervisors play in Change Management.
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