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Keeping your call center agents motivated and energized is a key factor in any successful call center. To keep productivity and team morale high, you’ll want to know how to motivate call center agents so they are performing at the best of their abilities. As a manager, you want the most out of your agents without having to push them too hard. When an agent feels pressured, singled out, or attacked, they may feel stressed and underappreciated. In this case, anxiety, dissatisfaction, and negativity will enter the office and your productivity rates will suffer.
While this sounds like a nightmare, it is a common occurrence across many call centers. Thankfully, there are a bunch of techniques that will keep your call center agents on task, motivated, and engaged at work. Agents who feel valued at work are those that will walk in with a smile on their face and are eager to put their best foot forward in any task. With a few useful tricks, you can transform your team into positive, high-performing agents.
Keep reading to learn about four useful tricks on motivating call center agents and how this will boost your office’s success.
1. Proper Team Training from Day One
When agents know how to do their job accurately, they are far more motivated to turn up and perform the best they can. Making sure your call center has proper training for new employees will ensure that they are on track and engaged with the rest of the team. This should begin from day one of an employee’s journey and it is crucial that these training sessions remain consistent, valid, and relevant. These sessions will offer new agents the experience they need to handle customers, so they feel more comfortable by themselves. For experienced agents, training sessions are an excellent time to build upon valuable skills and discuss any issues with a manager. Encourage your agents to share any problems they face while they are with you in training. This will make agents feel at ease if any future problems arise because they know what to do and who to turn to.
In addition to implementing proper training, you will need to ensure you have the appropriate resources for your team. No agent will be motivated to work if they feel unprepared and without the right resources to do their job. Things like headsets, training manuals, projectors, and audio cables should always be ready at your disposal. A manager or person in charge should always be accessible for your agents too. If agents can not obtain appropriate coaching or resources to improve their skills, they will quickly become disgruntled and unmotivated. Avoid this and motivate your call center agents with the right training from day one.
2. Provide Career-Advancing Opportunities
Investing in your agent’s future growth is a sure-fire way to keep them focused and engaged in your business. Imagine working a job without the opportunity of being promoted – life would be dull and extremely unexciting at work. Create opportunities for career growth to boost your call center agent’s motivation. Not every agent will be the same, so celebrate this and develop personalized goals according to individual skills and strengths. This way, you’ll be able to tap into what your agent can offer your business far quicker, and a lot more organically.
Once agents begin to realize their own potential, their productivity rate will soar. Encourage your agents to share with you their own goals, desires, and ideas for the workplace. Create a career advancement plan that acknowledges this and maps out strategies that will get them to where they want to go. A good idea is to offer regular training sessions to your agents so they can expand on their skills and advance further in operations. New agents could gain experience from more skilled employees by sitting next to them, listening to calls, or simply chatting to them about their success. Any of these techniques will help propel your agents towards their career goals so they stay excited, motivated, and performing at a high level.
3. Run Competitions Between Employees for Prizes
Motivating call center agents can be a tricky game to play. If you’re looking to reinvigorate your call center team, a competition may be just what you need! In-house competitions between employees can bring agents closer while they work together towards a common goal. Running these social contests will promote cooperation and communication between your agents. A little competitive spirit will boost workplace motivation and enthusiasm – especially if there is a prize at the end. Having effective call center incentives will help competitions remain fun and exciting.
You could offer things like food vouchers, monetary incentives, or time-off as the prize. Get creative and think of a prize that you know your team will love.
By organizing these in-house competitions, you are creating a positive work culture that boosts motivation. It gives time for your employees to see their other agents as more than just a colleague. When agents communicate and work together, they will feel supported and valued in your company. So host team lunches, Skype sessions, or virtual gaming competitions when the team or an agent reaches a goal. It keeps things fresh, fun, and exciting while everyone is working. This will not only motivate them to work even harder, but it will boost personal satisfaction and mental wellbeing across the team.
4. Encourage Regular Breaks & Staying Healthy
Motivating call center agents is limited to a point if they are not looking after themselves. If your agents are not taking regular breaks, drinking water, eating a plentiful meal, or participating in social contests, their productivity will seriously suffer. As a manager, this becomes a huge concern when an agent’s output plummets. So it’s a good idea to monitor your agents’ break schedules and encourage them to stay healthy. This also includes reducing screen time, which can be difficult in a call center. Make sure your agents are getting regular sunlight and not revolting to their phones on each break.
If you notice an agent has had a stressful call, tap them on the shoulder and allow them to take a break. This will keep their motivation levels much higher than they would if they remained on the desk. Once you understand how your agents work, give them the freedom to allocate their own breaks, choose time-off, or swap shifts between other employees. They will appreciate the trust and freedom you allowed them and respect you for it, which in turn, increases motivation and productivity.
Final Thoughts
Knowing how to motivate call center agents can be difficult when the job itself is hugely stressful. To prevent your employees from feeling burnout and undervalued, there are several tips you can follow to boost team spirit and motivation. Providing proper team training throughout an agent’s employment will keep them engaged and focused. By creating career-advancing opportunities, your agents will feel motivated to keep challenging themselves and grow further in your call center. Running in-house competitions for employees will also spark a burst of productivity and motivation. Ensure your agents are taking regular breaks and looking after themselves so they stay inspired to show up every day and put their best foot forward.
