FEATURE
James Scott , CEO of Thrive
In the contact centre space , engaged employees are more alert and sensitive to quality standards and compliance training , which can have a big influence on each customer conversation . Quality scores and first contact resolution rates increase . Average handle times and transfer rates decrease . As an organisation that has worked with hundreds of companies around the world helping them to reap the benefits associated with improving engagement , we see plenty of success when employees are engaged .
Employee engagement is about meeting the needs of each individual team member . This means considering their passions and commitment to perform , which often goes beyond simply fulfilling the tasks of their job . Much like defining what a good customer experience is , it ’ s critical for business leaders to also define what engagement means for their staff , so they can design the right experiences to equip them for success .
But what underpins this all is empathy . It has never been a more important topic when it comes to meeting the needs of individual team members . In today ’ s workplace , empathy has a new level of importance , and for a company to be successful , empathetic employee engagement should be a priority . This is because it can help create positive workplace relationships , organisational cultures and drive positive results .
As part of a company ’ s engagement strategy , employers should consider what their employees ’ needs include — from the more basic elements such as receiving a competitive salary to more complex needs of achieving leadership roles or becoming a mentor .
It ’ s also important to consider how technology can help create a more engaged workforce . Many organisations use multiple technologies in siloed systems to manage their customer interactions .
The workforce schedule rarely encompasses all activities . This is frustrating and impractical for your staff , but it also means that your organisation isn ’ t taking full advantage of economies of scale . A good workforce planning solution takes care of integration with the contact centre infrastructure , including all channels and provides a single user environment . A better forecast creates a better schedule , and a better schedule has a direct bearing on employee engagement .
James Scott , CEO of Thrive
Considering how your employees experience their workplace is important for retaining talent , particularly now staff shortages are at their highest in decades .
The employee experience – put simply – is the journey taken by an employee within your organisation . Such a journey shouldn ’ t just happen it should be planned , prepared and executed carefully to ensure that every employee not only feels like part of the organisation but knows their purpose and has opportunities to grow .
If employee journeys are poorly managed employees may eventually become disengaged and less committed to their jobs . This is easily avoidable with some straightforward planning ; just as a marketer or operations team would use a customer journey map to improve customer or client experience , business and HR leaders can use an employee journey map to both visualise and improve the employee experience .
Ultimately , taking time to focus on your employee experience strategy and making a conscious effort to ensure your workforce are engaged and satisfied within their roles can be hugely beneficial for your organisation . After all , those who are happy at work are undoubtedly more likely to enhance the customer experience – and what business wouldn ’ t want that ? x
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