Call
centre salaries are on the increase according to a survey by the Hay Group
consultancy.
Managers
of the UK’s larger call centres have seen their salaries increase by more than
20 per cent during the last year from an average £59,245 to £71,586.
Team
leaders’ salaries have risen by an average of 11 per cent from an average of
£21,408 to £23,698.
The
report also reveals that increasing competition for high quality staff has
pushed up remuneration levels for skilled call handlers.
A
typical employee handling inbound calls, which require detailed technical
knowledge, now earns on average £21,317, an increase of 7.38 per cent on the
previous year.
The
survey shows that organisations are stepping up their efforts to make the
working day for call centre staff less stressful and less monotonous, with 74
per cent of respondents allowing short breaks during the day.
Anthony
McNulty, consultant with the Hay Group, commented, “We are witnessing a shift
emphasis amongst call centres away from basic call handling to providing
sophisticated services to customers. Call centres are trying to shed their
sweat shop image and remodel themselves as contact centres, providing high
level technical advice to customers.”
The
findings in the Hay Group 2001 Call Centre Report are drawn from 91UK
organisations which run call centres.
By Ben Willmott
