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Demotivated Millennials are killing call centre productivity!
Over the years, the call centre has faced a huge number of challenges. We’ve accomplished a great deal, whether it’s keeping tabs on constantly-changing customer needs, or evolving the business to handle multichannel interactions. The versatility and responsiveness the leaders of the industry have demonstrated has been expert, but there is still one thing we continually struggle with, and that is call centre productivity.
Almost any call centre manager will tell you that one of their biggest problems is keeping their staff motivated, engaged and productive.
Improving call centre productivity has always been a common challenge, but a recent influx of ‘the millennial generation’ into the workplace means managers need to find out exactly what this means for staff motivation.
Who are millennials?
The millennial generation typically refers to those born between around 1980 and 2000, who are now entering call centre employment in vast numbers. So many that their generation will form 50% of the global workforce by 2020.
How are millennials different?
The millennial generation has a genuine and almost natural affinity with the digital world. They have used broadband, smartphones, laptops and social media since childhood, and expect instant access to well-structured and intuitive information at all times.
There are other particular characteristics of millennials that require a focused and considered response from call centre managers, such as an ambition to keep learning and move quickly upwards through an organisation, as well as their willingness to leave a job quickly if expectations are not being met.
How can we motivate millennials?
Millennials are the Facebook generation. They’re familiar with the addictive nature of games like Candy Crush Saga, and want stimulation wherever possible.
Creating an engaging environment may seem simple or even childish. However, applying game mechanics to mundane tasks can actually improve your bottom line. It can make the call centre more exciting and interesting, even for non-Millennials.
Although each generation tends to be motivated differently, Millennials were born with access to the internet. That makes them different than any generation before them. A whopping 78 percent believe that access to the technology they like makes them more work more effectively.
In order to create a truly productive workforce, it’s important to make everyday work engaging for millennials by investing in digital tools that motivate and engage staff.
It’s not easy to make keep everyone productive – but make sure you ensure the tools your call centre uses reflect the needs of the staff you employ, and the objectives of your business.
By Tom Palmer
Tom is EvaluAgent’s Head of Digital and takes the lead on developing and implementing our digital and content management strategies which results in creating a compelling, digital-first customer marketing experience.
