Call Centre Stress Needs to be Eradicated to Help Improve Call Centre Productivity
When it comes to stressful jobs, call centres tend to be high on the list. Call centre stress can have a real impact on job performance and employee wellbeing. It’s important that businesses and employees alike find ways to understand and combat it.
Every workplace has its stressful events and occurrences. Call centre employees often have to work in a competitive environment. You don’t have a set routine because you can’t predict what the next call is going to be like.
The past year has added even more uncertainty to call centres. Many employees had to start working remotely and having to get back to the office could cause anxiety for some. It’s important to find ways to remove call centre stress to maintain a functional and productive workplace in these hectic times.
What is call centre stress?
Call centre stress refers to the pressure employees in the workplace may feel. It can relate to things like meeting call quotas, having to work in a busy environment, not knowing what the person on the other side of the line will say, and so on. All these different parts of the call centre job can lead employees to:
- Feel nervous about doing their job
- Get anxious when they are at the workplace
- Have trouble concentrating or performing their job
- Feel unmotivated
- Experience physical symptoms, such as tiredness
The above experiences of burnout are not rare. According to a Gallup study, around 76% of employees said they’ve experienced burnout sometimes, with 21% stating the feelings happen very often. These feelings can have a huge impact on things like productivity. If employees feel unmotivated or scared, their performance tends to dip.
Why does it happen?
It’s a good idea to examine call centre stress through the different elements influencing it. There are many reasons why an employee might feel stressed and burned out at work. These are:
1. Bad management
Call centre management sets the tone for the workplace. If management is bad, the work environment will suffer and employees can feel burdened and stressed. Very often, bad management manifests in an abundance of rules and regulations that don’t often make sense. The management team might have unhealthy expectations that can easily create an environment where obedience is valued over originality.
2. Unclear job goals and objectives
Another reason for call centre stress can be unclear job goals. If the management doesn’t define the objectives clearly, it can be hard to perform. This is especially true in call centre roles. Unclear goals can influence your pitch with clients, how you respond to problems and how motivated you feel at your job. It is imperative to know what the expectations are so you can meet them.
3. Bad working conditions
Call centres sometimes have a bad reputation when it comes to workplace conditions. The stereotypical image is a bleak room with lots of people crammed together with plenty of noise. While these are not a good representation of the modern call centre, it’s still important to pay attention to the working conditions.
You want to make sure employees have the necessary tools to perform. Call centres can be very static; employees don’t often move around a lot. All this can be bad for physical and mental wellbeing. You need to make sure employees have the tools to work well but also to take regular breaks.
4. Under-appreciation of the work
Workers want to feel accomplished and appreciated. It can be very uninspiring to go to work and do the same things over and over again without feeling like it matters. It’s very important to offer affirmations and encouragement. If employees feel like their work is meaningful and important, they are less likely to feel stress.
5. Inadequate training and lack of career development
Finally, call centre stress can worsen if employees aren’t properly trained. Performance tends to be better the more familiar we feel. If employees trust their training and they have tools to fall back on when things go wrong, they will have more confidence.
Likewise, you want to make sure employees have a clear career path forward. It can be demotivating to show up and perform if you don’t feel like you’re moving forward in your career.
The best ways to eradicate call centre stress
The good news is that the tools are there to remove and reduce call centre stress. If you want to ensure the workplace works for its employees, you need to:
- Create an employee engagement strategy.
- Use technology to improve working conditions.
- Cultivate connections within the workplace.
- Build an environment of learning and career development.
- Have structures in place to help struggling employees.
If you put mental and physical health issues at the heart of your organization, you can improve employee motivation. When employees feel like the organization cares about them, they will feel less anxiety. If you can trust your employer, you know they are going to help you overcome any issue you might have with your job. This can motivate you to work harder.
