Keeping remote contact centre agents engaged in an era of ‘employee drift’
Remote working models are quickly becoming the norm for contact centres, and for good reason. Cloud-based centres are cheaper to run, and enjoy less downtime than on-premises organisations. This new working model is also valued by staff, with the majority of agents agreeing that the ability to work from home is worth an 8% salary increase.
For contact centres, this flexibility has become key to retaining talent. But with these advantages come risks. A disparate workplace means reduced visibility over staff, which can limit managers’ insights over overall staff performance. What’s more, a lack of physical presence can lead employees to lose sight of their role’s function and begin to ‘drift’ – this could look like declining standards in performance or a lack of focus on collaboration with colleagues.
Contact centres need to be able to embrace WFA and the flexibility it affords, without the fear of negative repercussions across their operations. Here’s where they can start.
Level up digital toolkits
Today, cloud solutions are essential in allowing disparate workforces to stay connected and access the data and tools they need. But surprisingly, not all remote contact centres are using cloud technology in their operations, even as staff work remotely.
Implementing an off-the-shelf cloud solution is fairly straightforward. Bespoke solutions, however, can be designed to suit immediate business needs, and can be integrated with irreplaceable software and digital tools, minimising the need for a complete structural overhaul and providing opportunities to integrate business-specific visibility solutions.
Whether already on the cloud or not, contact centre leaders should especially consider including data collection tools in their solution. Usage analytics, for example, can be integrated into any system to gain insight into how employees are using various features across remote infrastructure. This approach might include user activity monitoring to tap into detailed insights on how individuals and teams use their tools. Managers could also consider configuring regular surveys to be sent across teams to receive feedback on processes and identify areas for improvement.
Hang onto staff with effective remote management
Contact centre agents aren’t the only ones at risk of drifting. Upper management teams are equally susceptible to losing track of priorities, as the insular nature of the work limits oversight across their staff – out of sight, out of mind.
This issue can initially be addressed with organisational changes, such as more frequent meetings, one-to-one sessions between managers and agents, and consistent communication over instant message. By communicating frequently, everyone has a chance to regroup on priorities, while giving agents a chance to ask questions or air concerns that they might feel less comfortable discussing via instant message. It can admittedly be difficult to nail down regular meetings for contact centre agents given the nature of the work, but it is crucial for managers to get face-time with their team to keep them from serious distraction.
Another risk managers need to consider, however, is whether their agents are working multiple jobs from home. 7 in 10 remote workers belong to multiple organisations, capitalising on the gained time and flexibility that remote work affords to work multiple shifts a day. This prevents agents from dedicating their full focus to the task at hand, increases the risk of mistakes, and exacerbates cybersecurity risks.
If needed, strict protocols should be set and communicated clearly to the team to limit long-term impact on the business. However, a better option would be to reach agreements with individual agents to ensure that they can meet the standard of work asked of them, and ensure that they aren’t exposing their business hardware to different systems. Flexitime, if it can be afforded, can also help employees dedicate the time to their role as set out in their contract.
Protect employees online
Remote workplaces are by far the most vulnerable to data breaches and cybersecurity attacks. Businesses can no longer oversee staff connectivity, and neither can they control exactly where their staff work from. Users are often likely to risk sensitive information on public networks, which is an especially worrying prospect in the rise of WFA. This places a greater onus on managers to ensure that sensitive information, whether personal or business-related, is protected from bad actors online.
While it’s important not to restrict your employees’ freedoms, managers must ensure that strong protocols are in place to address these risks. This can vary between businesses depending on their agents’ preferences, and only extreme circumstances would necessitate a complete ban on working across public networks. Managers could first consider implementing company-wide VPNs, or even investing in co-working spaces to allow employees to safely and securely work on the go.
However you handle it, keep in mind that this is for your employees’ protection as well as your business. Processes like these aren’t meant to restrict your team’s movement or habits, but to limit the risk of their data being compromised. One of the many benefits of remote working is to retain agents by offering convenience and flexibility; their safety comes first, but broad and inconsiderate measures will only damage engagement.
A WFA strategy for the future
Remote working offers contact centres more flexibility and helps them hang onto talent, as well as reducing costs. But without the right measures in place, it also opens the door to challenges in visibility, engagement and security. By upgrading digital tools, improving communication, and putting robust security measures, contact centres can mitigate these risks while enjoying the benefits of remote work as it rapidly becomes the new norm.
Jonathan Kershaw is Director of Product Management at cloud communications provider Vonage
Vonage, a global cloud communications leader, helps businesses accelerate their digital transformation. Vonage’s Communications Platform is fully programmable and allows for the integration of Video, Voice, Chat, Messaging, AI and Verification into existing products, workflows and systems. The Vonage conversational commerce application enables businesses to create AI-powered omnichannel experiences that boost sales and increase customer satisfaction. Vonage’s fully programmable unified communications, contact center and conversational commerce applications are built from the Vonage platform and enable companies to transform how they communicate and operate from the office or remotely – providing the flexibility required to create meaningful engagements.
