Ever since the first lockdown started, business leaders have struggled to find the best way to engage and support their employees while working remotely.
This not might be the case for some. According to a major new industry survey titled “The 2021 Contact Centre People Engagement Survey”, 81% of Agents/Advisers - and 56% of Directors/Managers - say that People Engagement in their Contact Centres is not a problem.
The survey covered 322 UK Contact Centre Director, Managers, Agents and Advisers and was conducted by trade bodies, the South West Contact Centre Forum and Call North West.
The survey was supported by homeworking specialist Sensée and included participants from a broad range of industries.
The results of the survey provide insight into the current state of People Engagement within the contact centre industry during a period in which the predominant workplace is the home office.
Before lockdown, 70% of Agents were mainly working in brick and mortar contact centres and now they have switched to full-time working from home. For the majority, the transition went quite smoothly.
Although organisations struggling to manage their colleagues while remote working made headlines, most of Contact Centre Advisers said their Managers have adapted to the switch without many problems: 57% said Very Well, while 29% said Well.
When it comes to engagement between managers and employees, and between employees themselves, 85% of Agents agreed or strongly agreed that the communication within the organisation was good. Eighty-three percent of Directors and Managers were also satisfied with the internal communication. Similarly, 94% of Agents and almost 100% of Directors and Managers agreed or strongly agreed that they have a good working relationship with their contact centre team or manager.
Impact on Mental Health
There were serious concerns over the impact of employee isolation on mental health as home offices have been the primary workplace over the last 12 months.
Nevertheless, the survey results reveal that Agents were generally happy with how their employers handled the situation and supported their needs. Seventy-three percent of Agents agreed that organisations made effort to help with any mental health & well being concerns of their employees.
When asked how they monitor health & well being within their teams, 36% of Directors/Managers said they use Formal Questionnaires, 29% use Video Checks and 40% use Occupational Health reports. The most common approach is a simple talk. 89% of Directors/Managers opt for Informal Conversations to discuss health concerns and 71% Formal Conversations.
Ethical Business
The survey reveals an increasing recognition amongst employees of the role that their employer plays in society.