Contact center pipeline #2 onboarding
- 1. PART TWO: Why Onboarding Matters By Eric Berg Doherty Customer Contact Solutions | 7645 Metro Boulevard | Edina, MN 55439 952-818-3257 | www/dohertycontact.com ATTRITION-PROOF: A Five-Part Series by Eric Berg on Protecting and Conserving your Workforce Originally published in Contact Center Pipeline magazine, April 2013. A Doherty White Paper: Information and advice from Doherty experts
- 2. We’re all rooting for the economy to recover, but greater turnover can be a side effect of a healthy employment rate. In this five-part series on limiting attrition, call center staffing expert Eric Berg reveals five critical moments in your employer-employee relationship, and explains how managing those moments can curb the high costs of uncontrolled attrition. In this 2nd installment, Why Onboarding Matters, Mr. Berg dissects an onboarding fail, examines the ripple effect of a badly-managed onboarding stage, and provides clear instructions and options for building your own effective and successful onboarding plan. Why Onboarding Matters: Does your culture say “Welcome” or “Please leave”? A few months ago I was onsite at a call center as temporary employees were arriving for their first day of work. It was apparent to me as soon as they got to the front door that attrition was going to be high. How could I predict high turnover before the new agents were even on the job? The situation revealed itself two different ways in the first hour. 1. The manager had asked the new employees to arrive by 8:00 a.m. to start their day. One-by-one they arrived on time, only to sit waiting in the building’s lobby until 8:35. The trainer hadn’t arrived yet! The message from management? Our time is important. Yours? Not so much. 2. Once the trainer was in the building, he rushed the new agents to the training room and proceeded to lecture them on the importance of arriving on time every day. After all, absenteeism and tardiness were the main reasons for termination. Message? Do as we say, not as we do. Sure enough, that particular call center struggled with attrition for several months before they finally took action to improve their onboarding process. The actions they took empowered managers to reach out to new hires in meaningful ways that inspired feelings of trust and loyalty, even on Day One. But, first, let’s look at the ripple effects of poor onboarding practices. Attrition’s costs According to Response Daily, the average contact center spends $4,000 to hire a new agent and $4,800 to train them in. It’s easy to imagine that in smaller call centers, a high turnover rate can mean the difference between profitable and unprofitable. But, wait there’s more bad news. The long shadow of attrition While it’s always been costly to have uncontrolled attrition, it’s never been so easy to get caught in a “turnover tornado.” In this day of social media and the ability to voice one’s happiness (or discontent), people immediately ATTRITION-PROOF: A Five-Part Series by Eric Berg on Protecting and Conserving your Workforce PART TWO: Why Onboarding Matters
- 3. communicate their experiences with employers, companies, products, friends—or anything else that comes to mind—to everyone they know. Their impression is often immediately validated by all their online friends and, potentially, prospective candidates. One disgruntled and well-connected employee can severely damage your reputation and your workforce—and in less time than it takes you to get home from the office. Some employers respond to this very real threat by enacting punitive social media policies—and adding “Facebook Cop” to their list of responsibilities. Not only is that a futile and unmanageable exercise, but it’s an HR headache and does nothing to promote your business or build your reputation. Is there a better way? A process and workplace to be proud of (and brag about) As employers in the contact center industry, we know that our agents’ attitudes and behaviors have a direct impact on each centers’ success. We also know that we seem to have more than our share of absenteeism and attrition. There’s a good reason why the late business visionary Stephen Covey was fond of saying, “Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers.” Is it reasonable to expect employees to approach a call with joy and enthusiasm when they are getting a clear message from management that they are unimportant? See your center through their eyes That first positive impression we make with our employees has a lasting effect on their attitudes and behaviors, which in turn affects the center’s culture. Before onboarding your next set of hires, take a look at your organization through their eyes. What is the culture and environment they’re entering? Will they be supported in their desire to be successful on the job? Is it clear they’re valued as important members of the team? When they go home after their first shift, will they tell their friends about their new role and that they’re proud to be working there? Remember, most employees want to do well at their work and enjoy it. They understand that it makes the According to Response Daily, the average contact center spends $4,000 to hire a new agent and $4,800 to train them in. day go faster to be engaged with and contributing to the goals of the group. Here are a few things I have done to encourage those feelings of belonging and to ensure that the employee’s initial experience is a positive one. 1. Roll Out the Red Carpet – Literally. In one of my previous contact center positions I went to a carpet store and bought a red rug that I put at the entrance to the training room. Every new hire was required to “walk the red carpet” into the training room. Sure, it was corny but it was also a great ice breaker that made the employees realize we were trying to create a special experience for them. Perception can be a powerful thing. 2. Give them Energy. I have always provided food for my call center agents. After all, sustaining contagious enthusiasm is hard work! Doughnuts are a great way to sugar them up and get the energy in the room going, but I also provide healthy options like granola bars or fresh fruit to prevent an energy crash when the sugar wears off. And, of course, I always have bottled water or beverages available. Having these items around can help people stay focused, and also shows them you care. 3. Make it Social. Remember that when onboarding you have a room full of people who don’t know each other. The first weeks can be intimidating and opening up is difficult, even for some of the most outgoing agents. Plan an exercise that allows the call center reps to get to know one another, perhaps a team building activity or game. By getting to know their fellow trainees, agents can build bonds with their coworkers and thus have a greater likelihood of remaining an employee — through the training process and beyond. This isn’t just wishful thinking—Gallup polls consistently find that employees who have close friendships at work are correlated with higher customer engagement and higher profitability. In fact having a best friend at work is number 10 in their list of 12 key dimensions that describe great workgroups. ©Doherty Employment Group, 2013
- 4. 1. More about Introductions. Put some thought into your one-to-one introductions—behave like you would if you were hosting a dinner party—and share something you know about the people you’re introducing. For example, instead of “Joe, meet Sharon,” say something like, “Sharon’s been here for two years and she’s a passionate racquetball player. And Joe comes to us from Company X, where his role was Y.” The benefits to this practice are considerable. For one thing, you’ve demonstrated that you know something you can share about your employees—as people off the clock—a very valuable investment in retaining them. 2. Drink the Kool-Aid. Brainwashing is a good thing! Well, let me explain further. We need our newest employees to start “drinking the Kool-Aid” and realize they have a great job at a great company. That means the first day is the best time to brag. Talk about your company’s successes, benefits, opportunities and culture – and don’t forget to mention the rewards and incentives for the contact center team. 3. Stop and Say Hi. Want to make your new employees feel valued? Have your executive or leadership teams stop by on the first day to introduce themselves. Feeling like a number is a big reason for attrition, so this presence can have a great impact on new employees. Plus, new employees will likely feel more comfortable approaching leaders with ideas and issues if they’ve already met. Eric Berg is the Director of Doherty Customer Contact Solutions. An 18-year veteran of the contact center industry, Eric also serves as Treasurer of the Midwest Contact Center Association (MWCCA) and on its Board. Contact Eric at eberg@dohertycontact.com. Doherty Customer Contact Solutions 7645 Metro Blvd | Edina, MN | 55439 | 952-818-3257 | www.dohertycontact.com ©Doherty Employment Group, 2013 Is it reasonable to expect employees to ap- proach a call with joy and enthusiasm when they are getting a clear message from management that they are unimportant? 4. Do it Every Day. Although first impressions are critical, we need to make the employee experience a positive one every day. Ask yourself, “If I were a new employee here, would I brag about the training? The supervisors and trainers? The culture and company?” If the answer is unclear, it’s time to make a change. The cost of effective onboarding The best part about implementing a strong onboarding program is that tips 3 through 7 are 100% cost-free, and tips 1 and 2 are negligible, especially compared to the cost of losing a trained employee. Onboarding is a crucial part of an employee retention program, but it is not an expensive part. This is a no- brainer—onboarding costs are greatly outweighed by benefits. The takeaway No matter how many years someone has been bringing home a paycheck, the first day of a new job is a big deal. As an employer, it’s also the perfect time to demonstrate the enthusiasm and graciousness that you expect your employees to show to your customers and prospects. Give your new employees a reason to be excited and share all the details of their first day, and their partners, spouses, friends and families may become your new candidates— assuming you ever have any openings to fill.