Contact centers have always reported higher-than-average rates of attrition compared to other industries. Many factors play their part, from the fatigue of handling challenging conversations to unfair metric targets. Now, due to COVID-19, new sources of stress emerge.
No longer can agents turn to the support of a colleague or supervisor seated next to them. There is also the worry of social isolation, rising customer expectations, and financial concerns, thanks to the rising prices of household bills.
Entering this new reality, each of these issues will start to take its toll on agents. As such, wellbeing must become an urgent priority. Otherwise, performance will drop, attrition will rise, and mental health will become a significant concern.
5 Strategies to Improve Agent Wellbeing in a Hybrid Working World
In hybrid environments, wellbeing is often tricky to manage, and timely, supportive interventions are more difficult to deliver. Yet, the “best of both worlds” model gives agents a better work-life balance. The strategies below help contact centers to build on this.
1. Monitor Real-Time Metrics to Pinpoint When Agents are Flagging
The culture of measuring and monitoring performance can contribute to agent stress. However, contact centers can flip that on its head by assessing metrics to pinpoint moments where agents are flagging. The supervisor may then intervene with a quick pick me up – possibly over a video call - to keep spirits high.
A speech analytics system that monitors agent sentiment is an excellent tool here. It can also automate quality scoring to highlight real-time performance drops. However, there are other indicators - such as customer feedback and long handling times – which also provide insights into agent mindsets.
2. Encourage Agents to Use Wellness Apps
Wellness apps remind agents to take breaks regularly and not ignore their mental health. Headspace is among the most popular tools available, providing agents with guided meditation sessions that fit seamlessly into the average workplace schedule. TaskHuman is another example that provides employees with coaching support on nutrition, meditation, work-life balance, and healthy breathing. Handily, it also integrates with many cloud contact center solutions, such as RingCentral.
3. Establish Two-Way Feedback Channels
Feedback channels must go digital to support hybrid work. Short polls and pulse surveys to ask agents how they feel at the end of every workday are an excellent idea. These enable contact center leaders to map trends, such as which days are the most stressful, alongside how contact volumes and particular targets correlate with agent wellbeing.
Extending these surveys by encouraging agents to regularly share open-ended statements regarding their needs, expectations, and challenges may also add context to these trends. In addition, new concerns will perhaps come to life, which the contact center can proactively address.
4. Focus on Creating a Cohesive Hybrid Work Culture
Creating a cohesive culture is among the biggest challenges in a hybrid contact center. Since employees do not see each other and their supervisors every day, operations risk losing that critical sense of togetherness. When this falls by the wayside, contact centers often find it tricky to raise morale and establish values.
By developing a regularized communication strategy, where they are constantly connected with frontline teams, managers may begin to address this problem. Non-work-related activities like Zoom happy hours on Fridays can also help rebuild team spirit. However, once a week is not enough. Drip feed in such initiatives to safeguard team spirit.
