How to Reduce Call Centre Staff Turnover & Attrition

Not surprisingly, Call Centre attrition or staff turnover rates are extremely high compared to other industries.  This is why we are often asked for our tips on 'how to reduce call centre turnover and attrition.'

According to EvaluAgent, in 2016 the average employee turnover rates have risen to 24-26% vs. 15% across over industries in the UK. The 2015/2016 edition of Contact Babel’s operational benchmarking report, state that outbound contact centres’ mean absence rates are almost 50% higher than the industry average.

Contact centre agents also seem to leave the industry after very short periods, with some studies indicating that half of those who left did so within their first 90 days of employment. Callcentrehelper.com have even stated that there is even anecdotal evidence of one large call centre which reported an annual turnover of 100%; which if true, means that every single employee quit in the course of a single calendar year.

A report from CIPD claims that the average cost for replacing call centre staff is £6,125. With the average contact centre size at around 126 agent roles, you can conclude that the average cost of agent turnover is £202,125 per year for a typical call centre.

How to Reduce Call Centre Staff Turnover and Attrition

1. Recruitment- getting it right first time

It is essential when recruiting for Call Centre roles that the correct employee competencies and behaviours needed to be successful in the role are defined from the start. If someone who can loose their cool easily is hired, it is obvious that they will not last long in the job.  Pre-selection to filter out any candidates who apply who do not match the job profile from the offset and the ability to identify and deselect those who will not perform well in the job are major factors in reducing staff turnover.

But how do you effectively filter out those not suitable? To ensure you are positively selecting the right potential candidates to interview, online assessments are useful tools to ensure you have the highest possible base rate of interviewees to consider. This way you can see those that do actually meet as many requirements as possible and do possess the right skills needed to succeed.

Skillsarena offer a variety of different Call Centre tests including: Phonetic Alphabet Skill Test, Conversation Skill Test, Customer Service Skill Test, Town Names Skill Test , Live Online Chat Skill Test and Audio Conversation Skill Test. Or you can use all the skill tests within this module.

1. Skills Development

Investing in training and providing appropriate resources to existing staff will empower agents to grow and develop as contact centre professionals and encourage them to stay with your organisation rather than leave to go elsewhere. Personal development is always a high motivator for staff. Offering re-fresher courses also gives businesses peace of mind that training is fresh in the minds of its staff. Looking for ways to continually enhance the skills of your employees is good for the business, the customer and the employee.

For further information

Skillsarena offer dedicated online tests and assessments aimed at reducing call centre staff turnover and attrition. The tests are ideal for those who need help with their pre-employment selection and also for businesses looking to offer them as a development tool.

Check out our Call Centre tests module. For information on pricing or to request a demo, why not also get in touch by calling +44 (0)203 693 2201 or email us.