In course of the past three months, I have met over 5000 call center "agents" in India, across the country.

90% of this audience (which forms 80% of the call center workforce) has joined a call center for the following reasons:

1. Conventional sales jobs are too tiring, and dont pay as well
2. Software technology companies are too demanding, and dont pay so well
3. I am not qualified for a job anywhere else, and no one will give me so much money.
4. I am an engineer, why should I get less money working as an engineer?
5. and so on...

Yes, quick bucks made and a fast life led seems to be the major motivators behind someone making an entry into this profession. But once in, most people are heavily caught up in levels of output and performance driven stresses that they can't cope up with.

Result? They do not want to get anywhere soon. Motivation to rise up the ladder seems not to exist. They prefer to remain there, handling X calls a day.

My question.

What can one do to take these people ahead, and make them (most of them bright people) an asset to this indutry itself? What facilities, information, tools, processes, etc can one endow them with?

Sanjeev,

I think what you talk about is not restricted to the boom in India - you will find that there are a large percentage of call centre staff who are happy to turn up, make their targets, take their wages and go home. There is nothing wrong with this as long as the organisation is achieving its targets. Not everyone is a leader or has a desire to take on a more stressful / demanding job so I think the key here is to listen to the individuals - really listen.

Of course this would be done through appraisals or feedback sessions, but importantly keep the staff involved, make sure they are aware of their benefit to the business, how much their results matter and genuinely listen to ideas and personal development needs. Encourage people to take some more responsibility and monitor their progress. Let them see where they can progress to, whether team leader positions or even call centre manager roles in the future. To do this they must buy in to the company goals and be appreciated.

Add a little yeast to the mixture, keep them warm and you'll see them rise - with plenty underneath to support the mixture. (David Brent eat your heart out).

Gary™

>>>Result? They do not want to get anywhere soon. Motivation to rise up the >>>ladder seems not to exist. They prefer to remain there, handling X calls a day

U agree with Gary. Before assuming all employees have the same motiation and aspitations as yourself take some time out to study these topics and also why people take the job.

It will be for various and very specific reasons. People do and continue to do jobs quite happily for many many reasons and not everyone aspires to get on, there is a certain contentment in stability and perspective. Its also less stressful and one can be more sure of doing a good job and functioning within one's capabilities. Grnated there is also a large comfort factor and apathy which creeps into all aspects of human nature.

Businesses are heirachical and we cant all be leaders and managers, many people prefer to adopt thse self same roles outside the business environment (eg.clubs, society and family roles) and this is the metal that society is made of, I for one appreciate it. Vive la difference!

In my experience, the call centre always seemed to be a pocket reflection of society. The leaders lead and the rebels rebelled. There were those who just went along with whatever was put in front of them and there were those who felt that "they could do the job better than anyone"... but only if they could be bothered (which of course they couldn't - again, another classic example of someone content in their comfort zone, albeit one lined with a false idea of cynicism and ignorance.) As a manager, it was important to be a chameleon of personalities but at the same time maintaining credibility (ie: not being two faced, the cardinal sin of any manager/supervisor/leader).

I think the operative word here is empathy. Once you understand a particular agent's motivation, it is then possible to understand how best to treat them. Some desire attention, praise, recognition; some just want to be left alone which is fine, as long as their results aren still monitored closelyt. It may simply be that that's their ideal working environment.

We are in a society where the customer wants to feel like he is being treated as an individual, (its direct marketing and not mass marketing) so perhaps we need to apply the same principals in such a diverse workplace as the call centre.

Sanjeev

Jon has hit the nail on the head but I'm not sure he realises it!

'Empathy' is the key word. Your empathy for your staff - realising that some are happy to plod along and some wish to climb the ladder - is vital but even more so is your training of your staff to realise that if they develop empathy for each customer at each interaction (thereby realising a sense of true satisfaction at each interaction) they will find it difficult NOT to enjoy what they do - helping people.

I have yet to come across anyone who actively wishes to be disruptive, unhelpful, or any other negative you can think of, on a permanent basis: it's simply too painfull for us as an individual. So, by allowing your staff to deliver a personalised service not only will they feel better but (quite conveniently) so will your customers.

The true win-win situation.

David

the more you crib, the more you struggle, academics on the papers are a mere waste in this industry, if you just know how to talk you are the leader, your mba, etc,etc is all just for elimination rounds..

Jon david truly altruistic.
Sanjeev.
Every organisation would love an employee who is stable and grows with teh organisation.
The key to it lies in the Hiring policies-who you hire,the training policies-one gets a falovur of the organisation and knows what they are in for,and then the operations floor! thats the place where the real action is!
Figure out who are the people responsible for the high attrition rates in the industry..the younger ones..why ..cuz for them it isnt a career its a means to get to one!
The kind of people you quoted above are the ones who most probably stay with you longer,for the very reason that they dont get hired for they are the underdogs!
How about tapping housewives as part time workers ! how about the retired onesforced out by V.R.S.They are the ones with experience they are the ones with more knowledge about people! for they simple reason they have lived for more years!
Work environment would be the vital factor in retaining the employees.
Every society has anm ethos a culture that drives it..what drives us is -family!
We would slog like dogs for our families! Try turning the organisation into a family.It works and that means in every sense .Lesser paper work internally,
This is people based industry most times people give what they get! If the T/ls and project leaders and floor managers are congenial -the c.s.a would extend that courtesy to the customers and with doubled enthusiasm.What wonders a lil empathy can do!.

Love Neil.