A new survey this week claims the workforce is turning into a nation of drifters who pick and mix jobs. With a lack of commitment from employers, no long term security, poor pensions and 'temp to perm' the norm employees tend to value other areas of their life greater than their job. The job is simply becoming a means to an end to do other things that they find more important.
Also the workforce is choosing to pick and mix more, migrating and mixing skill sets within a variety of environments.

These issues are often prevalent in the volatile staff retention issues that are a given within call centres.

So on the subject of the employers commitment.
Who offers permanent jobs to front line staff and what benefits do you offer? Or is everyone employing temps?

Just a straw poll, nothing underhand going on.

Mercenary please it's got SO much more class :-)
Drifters gives the image of Brando in 'On the Waterfront.'

Q: "Waddaya leaving for?"

A: "Waddaya got?"

DaveA

We only employ permanant staff here. Our salary is quite low but we offer a staff account for all our catalogues and clothes are at cost price whilst white goods have a competitive discount. We also have a gym on site which is only £15 per month. We have in the past also offered fixed shifts to suit the advisor but this has still not lowered our attrition.
The saying "the grass is greener on the other side" springs to mind but is it really!!!!!!

If the UK workforce is becoming a nation of drifters. It is partly the responsibility of the corporate world and partly the 21st Century aspirations of the employees.

Companies don't generally employ their staff with a view that they will be there for 40 odd years or so. This probably is down to the fact that junior and middle Management is also part of the drifting society. This attitude then pervades to all levels. The only level of security that one seems to have is at the senior Executive level, with golden handcuffs and hello's.

As individuals, we are constantly sold on the idea of more leisure time, work life balance etc. And people now show the same level of loyalty as they feel they receive from the employers. If you then through into the mix, the structure and cost of out modern society then it's no wonder that people need to move from job to job - they are always chasing that little extra bit of salary.

To answer your straw poll - in my experience, generally front line are FT employees rather than temps.

Stuart Williams
Director
i-CALL - Hosted & Virtual Call Centres

It started with "dont expect a job for life" and psychology of making staff believe in their employability. Then came the move away from collective bargaining and looking out for number one.

The consequence is the pyschological contracts between employers and employees is broken - buying into company ethics and branding is only as deep as the contract of employment. If someone offers us more for the same or better then we will shift allegiance very quickly. This is a mirror of how companies operate - find the best supplier, if something better comes along shift.

Outsourcing is very much like this, as contracts come and go so does the workforce, it is very hard to look at the long term because things can change very quickly. Not only do outsourcers TUPE in staff they can also TUPE them out so you are not guaranteed anything, how can the employer expect any different in return.

So is this just a progression towards a PSF mentality?