Good work habits move any business forward.
Whether they are about small things such as keeping a desk clean to big stuff such as integrity, good work habits contribute to the productivity of the organization.
This is especially true with call center companies where employees are asked to quickly learn the ropes of the trade, adapt to change, and regularly maintain high level of performance.
Here are the 5 sure-fire ways to help your call center agents establish good work habits.
From the get-go, your employees should know the company workplace policies. This can be done through signing an employment contract and orientation with human resources.
When rules and regulations in the workplace are unclear, you are less likely to have control in the way the organizational culture is shaped and your call center agents will develop not so good work habits in the long run which will be counter-productive to your business.
Having a clear set of company policies and guidelines ensures that everyone is on the same page as far as expectations on work habits are concerned.
Be the role model of behaviors that you want to nurture. It is a really simple trick, but it is more effective than any other management styles.
For one thing, your employees will look up to you. They will follow your example.
If they see you observe the company policies to the letter, they will do the same. However, if they see you violating them with impunity, they will also learn to find ways to break the rules and avoid getting caught.
So set a good example every day. You will soon witness how your actions get replicated across your business from the leadership to your entry-level agents.
Reward good work habits of your call center agents. It encourages them to continue striving to live out the company’s core values.
At the same time, remember to do it appropriately. You don’t want them to obey rules just because they’re expecting something in return.
For example, you can start with a simple pat in the back, words of acknowledgement, email message, and recognition in a company-wide or town hall meetings.
Then you can give away freebies such as free movie/concert tickets, bonuses, salary increase, promotion, and other incentives.
Speaking of rewards, equally important too is acting quickly in addressing violators. When you don’t punish wrongdoings, they get picked up as a sign that it is acceptable.
Hence, it is crucial from the start of the employment of your call center agents that only good work habits are rewarded and violations are not tolerated.
Encourage your call center agents to continuously improve by embracing feedback.
Whether it is taking or giving feedback, help them pick up on good working habits by consistently tracking their performance and giving them fair, constructive review.
In so doing, you would let them know how they are doing, how they stack up with the rest of the team, and what else they need to work on. Alternatively, allow them to share their thoughts openly too so that they know they are heard.
Establishing good work habits is not only the responsibility of your call center agents. It is yours too, so provide them all-out support in helping them develop positive skills and behaviors in your workplace.