Staff Satisfaction
Call Center Best Practices is your secret weapon! Take the 7-Day FREE Test Drive. Learn more about this Call Center Professional Membership.
Here is an article by Martin that speaks to keeping your staff happy. Hope you can use this information at your call center.
Having a strategy to drive Staff Satisfaction in your business is a key factor in building success. Yet taking the time to build your team of happy staff, often fails to get to the top of your ‘To Do’ list. Often ensuring your people are happy remains a ‘nice to do one day’, rather than receiving the important attention it deserves.
It is easier than that. Creating a culture where Staff Satisfaction is a way of life, is not a tick-box exercise. But invest in it and your people will contribute more to your bottom line than a lot of other so-called priorities you might have. the good news is that this is do-able; it’s do-able with ease; and you can start right away!
"Work is either fun or drudgery. It depends on your attitude. I like fun."
Collen C Follett - Chief Operating Officer, South West Airlines
So, better results come from having engaged, enthusiastic and energised people. Staff Satisfaction is about finding out what gets people feeling this way about their work and taking up the challenge to provide it.
The very best businesses ensure they deliver Staff Satisfaction by having leaders who build their teams around this principle.
Full engagement is necessary from key people who lead and manage teams, if they are to get more than their people merely ‘working’ well.
Tune In
They are very, very aware of those who work in their team. As a sort of sixth sense, they develop an uncanny ability to know what their people need - and then they deliver it.
Communicate Well
They both listen hard and inform fully, making sure their people are always up-to-date. This builds trust and confidence.
Respond
These people take accountability for creating an environment where staff are more than satisfied. They appreciate the conditions necessary for optimum performance and make sure they are in place.
Provide Reward..1
Those who create the best relationships with their people, have fair and appropriate reward systems. Sometimes, pay is not the only answer - once an acceptable level of financial reward is achieved, a happy, supportive and encouraging working environment makes the difference.
Provide Reward..2
Once the basics are being delivered, top performers make their people feel very valued in their work. More of this in Motivation
Provide Reward..3
..in the form of fun. Suddenly fun is allowed! ‘What a cool place to work this is!’ Fun creates lot of personal engagement - those best at Staff Satisfaction are just great at Enabling Fun!
Get Involved
By knowing and actually doing sharp-end tasks from time to time, they keep in touch with their people, sharing their experiences and learning.
Are Fair and Consistent
People want to be treated fairly in the workplace and to be treated like others, with no ‘favourites’. When this happens, they relax a little; get involved more; give more.
Encourage Friendships
Those who have good Staff Satisfaction skills make it a friendly place. People enjoy spending time with others in the workplace and the business provides resources to encourage this.
Are Models
Staff Satisfaction comes when there is nothing to carp about. People are much more likely to be comfortable and happy then. Bosses have to be the same as their people, They have to play an equal role in the business.
Pay Your Dues
Spend time with your people listening to them and hearing what’s important to them in the work place.
Fix Things
Be seen to deliver fast when things can be sorted fast. Nothing acts faster for you to get a ‘Hey, this guy’s OK, you know’!
Seek Help
Through hearing the issues, ask for your people to help you to solve them. They will love it - and you will get far better solutions.
Thank Them
Regularly say thank you for a job well done and remember to tell them why - that makes a difference too.
Create Fun!
Through fun comes bonds that make the workplace a better place - and in a better place comes the pleasure and joy of being at work. Your people look forward to coming to work!
Equality
Ensure that everyone is treated in the same way. No favouritism; no bias. This way removes one of the biggest curses that makes people unhappy in the workplace. Ensure reward is consistent and fair.
Learn Together
And in equality comes the balanced learning process, where all are able to grow their performances together. You and them.
Be Organised
This enables people in your teams to focus on the job they have been asked to do. people like to do their job well. Any lack of organisation irritates, especially when it distracts focus.
Value Differences
Bringing people together celebrates their variety of skills and qualities. Everyone is different and that is cause for appreciating them all.
Clarity
Job satisfaction comes from understanding what is required and doing it to the best of your ability. Clear communication of goals and performance requirements enables achievement, which is a large component of Staff Satisfaction. A Good job = Staff Satisfaction.
Say thank you to your people regularly with explanation for what it is that you appreciate in them.
Review any current bias in reward and plan to resolve to a timescale.
Find out from your people what they need to be happier in their work and involve them in resolving these issues. Resolve quickly those which are easy.
Spend time with your people to hear what is important to them (including non-work things) and value that in them. Show an interest.
Check what people think is expected of them and clarify immediately. Get this information out there to everyone asap.
Read some great books - like
"*Drive Your People Wild Without Driving Them Crazy" - Jennifer White
"1001 Ways to Energize Employees" - Bob Nelson
"*First Break All the Rules" - Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman
