Work-Life balance brings rewards for call centers

When an employer says “flexible working” and “work-life balance,” they can mean something different from the employee’s definition.

The employer, naturally, wants to ensure staff availability at right times to meet customer demand, while the employee wants the freedom to pursue outside interests, and to schedule work around these activities.

In the call center industry, in which working mothers are the largest employee group, nearly seven out of ten agents prefer to work flexible hours. GMT has produced a white paper on this tricky balancing act for employee and employer, outlining the major benefits of call center workforce management.

Save on recruitment costs: Just as it is more expensive to win over new customers than to retain existing ones, it is good business to retain the people you have invested time, money and training in. Recruitment is expensive, and research shows that staff turnover is significantly lower in those organizations that have four or more work-life balance initiatives or flexible working practices.

Reduce absenteeism: In a recent survey, a public sector organization established that more than 50 percent of its staff admitted to using sick leave as a means of managing family commitments, resulting in an overall attendance rate of 87 percent. When improved flexible working options were introduced, attendance rose to over 96 percent.

Motivate staff: Employees who can designate the times they would like to work, their less-preferred times, times when they are not available, and so on, are likely to be more productive, have higher attendance rates and less likely to seek a new job.

Improve customer service: More productive, happier employees also mean better customer service. Having the right people, with the right skills, in the right place at the right time improves operational efficiency and performance.

To download a free white paper and learn more about how GMT Corp.’s call center workforce management solutions help achieve the coveted “work-life balance” for call center employees, click here.

David Sims is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of David’s articles, please visit his columnist page. He also blogs for TMCnet here. –David Sims, TMCnet Contributing Editor