Publishers Note July 2018
We’ve seen the statistics and studies – or seen it first-hand, employee engagement is at an all-time low and continues to be a top management challenge. While we all struggle to find the right strategies for improvement, the effects on productivity, costs and culture continue to mount. Improving engagement was a Top 5 priority in our 2018 Contact Center Challenges and Priorities survey. In this month’s feature, Pipeline Editor, Susan Hash interviews five innovative contact center leaders to share their experiences and what they’ve done to improve engagement in their organizations.
If you need a new approach, Brian Burke’s article explores the current state of workforce engagement, how we ended up here, and why so much of the existing information is misguided. That last part is key – millennials and Gen Xers of today’s workforce want a far more authentic engagement. The old tactics no longer cut it. Forbes writer Denise Lee Yohn has dubbed 2018 The Year of Employee Experience (EX) citing that customer experience has been driving business competition, but in 2018, employee experience will demand more attention. She predicts the rise of the “CEXO” – Chief Employee Experience Officer. Might be a good time to polish your resume and take your place in the c-suite.
In this month’s opinion piece, Paul Stockford gets going on the subject too, citing industry research that shows attention to employee engagement is on the rise industry wide. There’s no doubt it’s on the radar. This year is shaping up to be a pivotal moment for engagement across every organization.
Both articles typify my vision for Pipeline – identify the trends shaping our industry and bring together the best minds and give them a platform to share their voices. I think that’s a worthwhile mission that makes us all stronger. Especially in today’s ever more connected digital world, Pipeline brings trusted expertise to each issue and every article – every time. We still vet our new contributors, take the time to check our sources, and take pride in our publishing ethics.
Pipeline brings you unparalleled access to the people and trends shaping our industry today. I hope you find the insight and advice in this month’s issue and every issue a useful tool in making your day-to-day contact center decisions.
Think of us as your resource for in-depth articles from the top thought-leaders, first-hand survey research and analysis, behind-the-scenes tours, executive interviews, and forward-thinking perspectives you won’t find anywhere else.
Speaking of first-hand research, this month we release the results of our 2018 Contact Center Technology Survey, a survey we conducted in partnership with Strategic Contact. Lori Bocklund dives into the data and shares her analysis in a special report.
Happy Fourth of July! Thank you to everyone that contributed this month.
Once again, another knockout issue – have at it!
-Linda
Download July 2018 Issue
Contact Center Executive Outlook on Employee Engagement (PDF)
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Contact Center Executive Outlook on Employee Engagement
By Susan Hash
Industry leaders share their insights on the impact of agent engagement and how to improve it in your operation.
AGILITY FACTOR
Survey Erosion
By Jay Minnucci
The value of customer satisfaction survey data has been eroding over the past few years leading to a deadly situation in which contact center leaders presume that all is well when the opposite is really the case.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
How Customer Experience Can Drive Topline and Bottomline Growth
By Chris Bauserman
Consumers are basing their buying decisions on meaningful and engaging experiences.
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
The Evolution of Employee Engagement in the Contact Center
By Brian Burke
Challenges and recommendations for building meaningful engagement strategies.
IDIOM INSIGHTS
Lost in the Labyrinth: Visionary or Radical?
By Kathleen M. Peterson
A visionary recognizes the inefficiencies and management issues. It takes a radical to really do something about it.
INSIDE VIEW
Adriana Thompson, BuildASign.com
By Susan Hash
ICMI’s 2018 Contact Center Supervisor of the Year shares insights on how to be a caring leader.
SPECIAL REPORT
2018 Contact Center Technology Survey Reveals Critical Needs
By Lori Bocklund
It has been six years since we reached out to contact center professionals to take stock of their technology views. An analysis of the results of our 2018 Contact Center Technology Survey.
STRATEGIC STAFFING
Now Entering the Workforce: Rethinking Jobs for Gen Z
By Michal Clements
Gen Z are digital natives, but their values and motivations differ from millennials.
TECH LINE
Imagining the Possibilities with AI
By Lori Bocklund
An AI primer with ideas to help with early stage planning.
THE VIEW FROM THE SADDLE
The Year of the Agent
By Paul Stockford
Industry research confirms that attention to employee engagement is on the rise.
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT
Contact Centers: The Secret to Business Intelligence
Sponsored by Telax
How shifting contact center analytics can lead to stronger business intelligence.
Thank you to our July sponsors: Calabrio, Contact Center Nation, Customer Contact Strategies, Human Numbers, inContact, Panviva, PowerHouse Consulting, Sennheiser, Service Agility, Strategic Contact, Telax, Upstream Works, USAN, Verint and WFMSG.
They help make Contact Center Pipeline possible!! Please visit all our sponsors in our Pipeline Directory!
