When agents leave there is a tangible and measurable cost to replace them. What cannot be measured easily is the effect of turnover on your other employees and contact center morale. It’s hard to quantify, but real.
The typical learning curve for a contact center agent is three to six months. If your contact center is experiencing high turnover, a large percentage of your agents may be simply too new to provide the level of service your customers expect, and the result could be customer attrition. Furthermore, a constant flow of new employees monopolizes your training team, deferring ongoing or enhanced training for your experienced staff. This causes stress on your high performers.
Your core agents feel the strain created by high turnover. They must continue to meet their own goals, but may also help train new colleagues, answering the many questions a new-hire has in his or her first weeks on the job. They may also feel pressured to pick up the slack that results from a bevy of new staff not performing to full capacity.
High attrition can rattle your core staff. As they absorb the stress in the environment, they begin to wonder, “Is it worth it?” Should the turmoil cause the loss of some or all of your top performers, your problems will grow exponentially.
When you are experiencing higher than normal turnover, remember your core staff. Treat your high performers to special perks. Here are a few things you can do for your core staff:
- Host a high-performers’ breakfast.
- Provide PTO or cash rewards for core staff that help with training.
- Create a “Core Club” for your agents with tenure over one year, and provide them with additional rewards and recognition.
- Reduce the KPIs for core staff that help with nesting agents.
Be creative and don’t forget the stress your core agents are feeling as a result of the attrition in your center. Recognize your core staff and your problems could become positives.
