1. Masterclass B: How to Decrease the Prevalence of Absenteeism
in Your Contact Centre Presented to IQPC Government Contact Centre
Conference Canberra 29 th August 2008 Presented by Steve Mitchinson
Partner, TeamRed Solutions National Chairman, Australian
Teleservices Association
2. Background A study by the University of Western Australia
estimated that absenteeism costs a whopping $5 billion in the
public sector every year. The study also found that contact centre
employees use more sick leave than those working in other
industries Estimates vary, but the cost of replacing an employee
ranges from 29 to 46 percent of the persons annual salary The 2008
ACCS suggested the average fulltime employee in contact centres
took 9.5 days of unplanned leave in 2007 In the 2008 ACCS, 45% of
centres suggested it was improving, 24% suggest no changes, 17%
suggest a decrease and an alarming 14% do not know
3. Background Absenteeism is a sign of a much bigger malaise it
is a leading indicator of employee disengagement and potential
turnover Research by Towers Perrin Research (2004) found that
organisations that achieved employee engagement showed a 17%
improvement on operating profit
4. Exercise Describe a program or change your organization has
made that has had the greatest impact on reducing absenteeism (and
by default aided retention how did you measure success)
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5. Identifying the drivers of absenteeism What makes your staff
decide not to come to work? Absenteeism is typically the early
warning sign of dissatisfaction and, suggests the staff member has
reserved a seat in the departure lounge Addressing absenteeism must
be a fundamental plank of a much wider strategy engaging and
retaining talent Typically staff leave their managers, not the
organisation, and yet less than 50% of organisations participating
in a recent global survey claim to have a retention strategy! So
what are the key drivers of employee absenteeism and what can we do
to identify and overcome them?
6. Exercise Why do we think staff leave contact centres Reasons
Contact Centres think people leave their contact centres 1= Very
Important , 5=Not Important 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
7. Why do staff leave contact centres Reasons Contact Centres
think people Leave their contact centres 2007 Source -ACCS 2008
from Vivaz 1= Very Important , 5=Not Important 1 2 3 4 5 Poor
attendance 13% 11% 24% 33% 19% Job did not meet expectations 11%
22% 33% 21% 14% Poor performance 22% 14% 24% 23% 18% Promoted to
another role 34% 20% 28% 13% 5% Role to complex 1% 14% 33% 36% 14%
Changes in personal life 35% 20% 24% 6% 15% Lack of training &
development 15% 4% 19% 35% 26% Found better paid role elsewhere 15%
31% 22% 19% 13% Poor cultural fit 10% 15% 20% 37% 18% Head hunted
6% 3% 17% 55% 19% Promoted within centre 26% 32% 19% 13% 9%
8. The key questions Would staff say the same things? Do you
know the level for your centre? Do you know what that is costing
you? What analysis have you done as to the causes? What steps could
you take to overcome or reduce absenteeism?
9. The Drivers Motivational Fit: challenge, meaning, autonomy,
organizational fit, manager relationship, job clarity Factors
associated with motivational fit are the driving force behind
employees wanting to stay at their job. Motivational fit exists
when employees feel there is a good match between their needs and
what the organization and job requires them to do. Research has
demonstrated the importance of matching employees motivational
needs with job requirements. Managers play a critical role in
determining employee responsibilities and span of control meaning,
the working relationships you and your leadership team develop with
employee drives motivational fit and as a consequence levels of
absenteeism.
10. The Drivers External Rewards: recognition,
growth/advancement, compensation, pay vs. contributions,
organisation responsiveness Aside from the subjective benefits
derived from good motivational fit, employees need the objective
outcomes associated with external rewards. Factors such as pay,
advancement, and recognition are some of the practical drivers
determining employees willingness to stay or leave. Cooperation and
Trust: cooperation with co-workers, level of trust in workplace
Typically, employees rely on co-workers to succeed in their jobs.
The relationship with these co-workers can affect their desire to
stay with their organization. Few people are willing to work with
overly competitive or distrustful and deceptive co- workers. On the
other hand, highly rewarding relationships with co-workers can
overcome other problems that might lead to employee separation.
Studies have shown that factors such as trust and communication
often play a large part in employee job satisfaction.
11. The Drivers Organisational Direction: clear vision and
strategy, appropriate selection practices When a organisation has
(and shares) a clear vision and strategy, employees are more likely
to understand the rationale behind decisions, and they can link
their work to long-term outcomes. Selecting the right people to
promote the vision and strategy plays a significant role in an
organizations success. High retention is more likely when employees
believe a organisation knows what it is doing and has the right
people to carry out its plans. Work/Life Balance Some jobs are very
demanding in terms of travel, work schedules, and location. If
employees are expected to give up important aspects of their
personal lives to do their jobs, they will be more likely to leave
the organization. Therefore, a good match between employees
lifestyle preferences and needs and work demands is crucial to high
retention.
12. The Drivers Workplace Harmony: internal politics, stress,
workplace volatility Organizations can differ dramatically in their
level of workplace harmony or discord. In some organizations its
hard to accomplish anything without the right connections and an
understanding of hidden agendas. Steve Simpson refers to them as
UGRs the unwritten ground rules Other organisations are stress
laden and are characterized by unexpected changes that sometimes
completely redefine employees work. While these kinds of work
environments might be appealing for some, typically employees can
be overwhelmed by the level of effort it takes to get through the
workday. For these employees the likelihood of leaving an
organization is increased.
13. Identifying the drivers of absenteeism staff view Employee
Rank of Retention Factors The Top Ten 1 Quality of relationship
with supervisor or manager (Motivational Fit) 2 Ability to balance
work and home life (Home Life) 3 Amount of meaningful workthe
feeling of making a difference (Motivational Fit) 4 Level of
cooperation with co-workers (Cooperation and Trust) 5 Level of
trust in the workplace (Cooperation and Trust) 6 Quality of
compensation package (External Rewards) 7 Opportunities for growth
and advancement (External Rewards) 8 Clear understanding of work
objectives (Motivational Fit) 9 Link between pay and individual
contributions (External Rewards) 10 Other (Undefined)
14. Identifying the drivers of absenteeism staff view Other
factors 11 organisation responsiveness to needs/requests (External
Rewards) 12 Level of challenge in work (Motivational Fit) 13
Autonomyfreedom to direct work (Motivational Fit) 14 Amount of
recognition for work (External Rewards) 15 Quality of vision and
strategy from senior management (Organisational Direction) 16
Ability of the organizations selection practices to choose the
right employees (Organisational Direction) 17 How well individual
goals and style match the organizations (Motivational Fit) 18
Amount of job stress (Workplace Discord) 19 Desirability of the
organisations geographic location (Home Life) 20 Volatility of work
environment, such as downsizing, mergers, etc. (Workplace Discord)
21 Amount of internal politics/bureaucracy (Workplace Discord)
15. The Challenge for you and HR As stated earlier, an
employees relationship with his or her supervisor or manager and
work-life balance are the most important determinants for staying
with an organization. Avolio and Bass in their Transformational
Leadership model and by Alimo- Metcalfe in her model of what is
needed for true Employee Engagement provided concepts that have the
same purpose - to develop leaders that will motivate and inspire
employees to give their discretionary effort. Research by Towers
Perrin Research (2004) found that organisations that achieved
employee engagement showed a 17% improvement on operating profit
Motivational fit and cooperation and trust play a large role in
determining employee retention. Employees want to work in a
supportive environment that gives them an opportunity to make
meaningful contributions. Do you understand employee needs Do HR
understand employee needs?
16. The Top Five Factors The top five factors for employees The
top five factors for HR The percentage of employees is shown The
percentage of HR professionals is along with the classification of
the shown along with the classification of factor. the factor. 1.
Quality of relationship with supervisor 1. Opportunities for growth
and or manager (78%, Motivational Fit) advancement (70%, External
Rewards) 2. Quality of compensation package 2. Ability to balance
work and home life (57%, External Rewards) (78%, Home Life) 3.
Amount of job stress (45%, 3. Amount of meaningful workthe
Workplace Discord) feeling of making a difference (76%,
Motivational Fit) 4. Level of cooperation with co-workers 4.
Quality of relationship with supervisor (74%, Cooperation and
Trust) or manager (39%, Motivational Fit) 5. Level of trust in the
workplace (71%, 5. Ability to balance work and home life
Cooperation and Trust) (33%, Home Life)
17. Is it your leadership style? Put yourself in your staffs
shoes Think back to the best best boss you have had. What was it
about them that made them so great? How well would you stack up
?
18. Our Top Ten Leadership Qualities 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
19. Top 10 Leadership Qualities The Top Ten Qualities of a
Great Leader : 1. They showed genuine interest in me as a person.
2. They were always approachable. 3. They made time to really
listen to me. 4. They asked for my ideas, opinions and input. 5.
They were firm but fair with everyone. 6. They did not have an ego
problem, power or control issues - they put the organisation and
the team before themselves. 7. They were open and honest; if the
answer to a request or idea was no they explained why. 8. They
showed respect, both for themselves and everyone else. They treated
everyone equally regardless of status or role. 9. They coached me
through questioning, not telling. 10.They were sociable but always
ultimately professional. How do your rate? Source:
www.callcentrehelper.com
20. Exercise What is your biggest challenge to reduce
absenteeism what are you going to do about it how will you measure
success _________________________________
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21. Staff Retention Strategies Develop a Plan & Strategy to
Deploy it and remember to communicate it loudly Gathering
Information The first step in improving absenteeism and retention
is to understand the causes. Communication - Organizations need to
talk to employees and measure their opinions to see why turnover is
happening. In addition, talking to other organizations and
benchmarking their practices can provide direction for creating a
strategy. Employee Development In response to employees desire for
growth and advancement opportunities, organizations can introduce
enhanced training and development programs, succession management
systems, and other approaches for investing in their employees.
Recruitment an often overlooked aspect is the actual recruitment
process. What research has been undertaken to link staff
absenteeism and turnover with recruitment strategies and
profiles?
22. Staff Retention Strategies Work Environment/ Nature of Work
Several aspects of the work environment are directly linked to
employees satisfaction. These would include: Empowerment Enhancing
open lines of communication between managers and employees improve
the overall quality of working relationships. Interventions
designed to make the workplace more hospitable will lead to
improved retention. These could include: Introduction of relaxed
dress codes Telecommuting options Flexible work schedules Systems
The ease with which IT systems can be used to assist an employee in
their job are a major driver of satisfaction The level of access to
external sites is becoming a key point for debate
23. Staff Retention Strategies Training & Development
Individual Career Progression Plans Individual Training &
Development Plans Set & Known Criteria for Career Progression
Formal Performance Appraisals 360 Degree Feedback Mechanisms
Rewards and Recognition Organizations could consider improving the
quality of compensation, benefits, and special perks as a means for
improving retention. Employees want recognition for a job well
done. Whilst understanding public sector limitations may apply in
some instances, these can come in several forms: Special bonuses or
rewards can help employees feel proud of their work and let them
know that their efforts are acknowledged. Pay and recognition
linked in some way to performance because employees know there are
consequences for their actions. Staff Discounts or discount schemes
where applicable a hidden benefit?
24. Staff Retention Strategies Absenteeism -control programmes
Correct KPIs Ensure induction of new employees includes advice on
interventions that address their needs Return To Work (RTW)
interviews Linkage to team bonuses A process to measure staff
morale/engagement Exit interviews Who does them (58% always, 38%
sometimes, 7% never) Review the data from exit interviews and take
action! Ask new starters what their expectations are and have
quality inductions. Categorising the nature of absenteeism in your
contact centre Day of week, 4 day weekend Duration Who else? By
leader, by Business Unit, by demographic Certificate versus Non
Certificate
25. HOW DO WE GET GEN Y TO STAY? Fulfilment of TRUST Commitment
Intention employees Job to expectation Know the Affective Workplace
Stay employees Team Mgt Expectations Delivery Top Mgt DEAL of the
Deal JOB FAIRNESS SATISFACTION START BUILD RETAIN
26. Action Plan Detail three actions you will take next week to
begin your strategy for lower absenteeism:
1_______________________________ ________________________________
2_______________________________ ________________________________
3_______________________________
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27. Case Study Creating a Healthy Workplace Automation of more
basic tasks which have made frontline roles more challenging,
varied and interesting; Increasing the profile of the contact
centres and what it was achieving for the enterprise Improved
physical environment Value placed on customer service as a
contributor to the strategic plan; Emphasis on developing more
effective leaders Better recruitment and training and development
programs to hire and develop the right staff. Employee involvement
in hiring (shown to have a positive impact on the retention of 74%
of agents in 2007 ICMI survey) Non traditional KPIs linked to
organisational strategy Increased focus on quality and quantity
rather than just the numbers A stronger emphasis on workforce
planning and flexible working arrangements Improved visibility and
commitment to defined career paths Creating a feeling of loyalty
& pride - cultural development Rewarding contribution staff
involvement in R&R decisions Being different e.g. massages, in
house benefits, CEAD FM, Staff functions, RTO