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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."
