Research revealed exclusively to Personnel Today shows call centre managers think that a substantial amount of introductory training is being provided for team supervisors. But when staff were quizzed, they said they had received no training. The research found a similar picture relating to on-going management training.
Vicki Belt of the University of Newcastle’s Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies said, “Ninety-two per cent of respondents claimed to provide on-going training in some form to team leaders and supervisors.
“Once again, the survey findings on training for supervisors were not supported by our case study interviews. The majority of supervisors interviewed told us they had received very little if any on-going management training.”
The findings are based on questions to 100 call centre managers in a postal survey and in-depth interviews.
The study, Work Opportunities for Women in the Information Society: Call Centre Teleworking, commissioned by the European Commission, found that 70 per cent of all call centre staff are women.
Belt added, “It appears the intention to provide training is there but in reality it is not happening because there is not time to do it. Supervisors are just expected to get on with it.”
Belt will present the findings to a conference on call centres to be held in London on 4 July.
