Too little work and poor motivation among staff are at the root of
absenteeism and retention problems in call centres, new research claims.
Call centre staff are twice as likely to suffer stress in the workplace than
the average UK employee. But the pressure was found to be a result of the
work’s boring and random nature as well as its low skill requirements.
The study of six call centres by consultancy CBE debunks the theory that
call centres are modern-day sweatshops.
Employers need to give staff more autonomy and change in their jobs, rather
than cut the workload, the report said. Giving regular feedback to staff was
also found to increase motivation.
Cheryl Clifford, head of HR at call centre specialist Merchants Group, said
the graduate intake contributed to the problems.
"There may be a tendency to over-recruit in terms of the skill-set for
the job. It is too high in relation to the work involved."
