According to The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, money isn’t necessarily the main motivator when it comes to being happy at work.
Sure, it’s important and it forms part of the mix, but research shows that employees want appreciation and to be owners of their own destiny. They want to be able to make decisions and to feel in control of their day. They want to be trusted to get the job done without micro-management.
Whilst being paid well for what we do is a motivator, so is having self-direction, and feeling that we really matter to the business we work in. When we’re engaged we are happy to go to work every day and proud of what we do.
So, exactly why is engagement important and how, if a contact center lets their focus on employe engagement slip, does that lead to a disengagement and ultimately high (and expensive) attrition rate?
It can be attributed to these three basic needs:
1. Autonomy
It’s important to feel good about ourselves at work, that we are in control and know what we’re doing. This gives us a sense of satisfaction and encourages us to work efficiently. If we know what we’re talking about we’re confident and take the lead.
Autonomy is ownership. It’s about employees taking charge of their roles and getting things done whilst working within the network of the business.
In a contact center this is vital as the fast-paced requirements of the role don’t allow time to ask questions or hesitate. A call center worker needs to be focused, driven, and comfortable in their role. They need to understand the business they’re part of.
This idea can be supported with the facility to deliver constant and motivational on-screen messaging to agents.
2. Mastery
When we aim to master something we focus on becoming not just good, but exceptional at it. We also want to develop continually. Mastery at work is the accomplishment of skills and knowing how to use them to help both the contact center agent and the business grow.
The aim of mastery makes us proud of what we do and gives the desire to be the best and grow within our field. Knowledge gives us the power to believe in ourselves and our capabilities.
Mastery in a call center is about understanding that every contact with a customer or prospect counts, that every figure which pops up on the screen is important, and that knowledge breeds positive feeling amongst employees. Without access to the right information agents who want to attain mastery are likely to become frustrated and leave.
3. Purpose
If an agent sits at his / her desk and wonders ‘why am I here?’ There’s a problem. We all need to have a purpose in our work that is more than just financial reward. We need to truly believe in our role and how it fits into the business.
Purpose equals value for employers. And value for an agent is that no matter how small a cog they are in the wheels of the business, without them something essential would be missing.
To obtain dedication in call center employees, they must be reminded of their purpose and how they fit into the overall business and its goals.
Those three elements are answered, at least in part by Optymyse Advanced Wallboard Technology, the visual information hub custom built for hundreds of contact centers around the world, including emergency services, insurance centers, utilities and logistics companies worldwide.
The continuous delivery of information, not just metrics, via engaging information screens reiterates purpose and provides the information agents need to feel empowered and master their roles.
So, while money is an important part of our quest for job satisfaction, it is equalled by the ability to take ownership of our own roles and have the vision to see the bigger picture and the tools to take us there.We all want to be valued by our employers. It’s human instinct to feel wanted. So let’s reverse the idea that no one is indispensable and start believing in our own self-value.
