Manage HR Magazine | Tuesday, September 01, 2020
The concept of onboarding transforms completely when a significant portion of the call center is working remotely. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to accept a new reality where working from office premises is highly risky.
Fremont, CA: Joining a new company can be exciting and scary at the same time. The first few days are the most difficult to get through. New joiners are often anxious, excited, and overwhelmed. Companies fail to realize that a fair onboarding process is necessary to allow the employee to settle into an organization. A study conducted by Glassdoor revealed that a well-planned onboarding process improves employee retention by 82 percent and productivity by over 80 percent. Unfortunately, studies have also shown that only 12 percent of employees believe that their company is doing an excellent job with onboarding new employees.
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The concept of onboarding transforms completely when a significant portion of the call center is working remotely. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to accept a new reality where working from office premises is highly risky. However, it provides an excellent opportunity for organizations to revisit both contact center agent onboarding and training strategies. The majority of employees agree that a blended learning environment leveraging a wide range of channels and approaches, is the most engaging and effective. Here are some of the critical requirements for a successful agent learning experience.
[vendor_logo_first]Have a Plan
Having a plan in place is the first and foremost step. However, this needs to be altered to the specifications of a remote working environment. In the past, it was possible to hire contact center agents to fill a classroom or accommodate a single agent with less formal; on the job training. This is not the scenario today. The plan must be able to accommodate a single agent as well as a team of agents. It needs to act as a guide for an agent through each minute of the day without a course instructor's benefit.
Specify the Learning Outcomes
One of the significant shortcomings of call center training programs is ambiguous learning outcomes. As a result, the content is not precise and does not help achieve the required targets. While reviewing the course content, ask important questions like what the agent needs to know and do when they are on the job. Do they need to understand the psychology behind the various types of customers, or is it enough to identify the best way to engage with a customer? While these may not be necessary, agents need to understand what happens to customer wait time when they don't log in according to the allotted schedule.
See also: Top Employee Onboarding Consulting/Services Companies
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