Call
centres are still experiencing recruitment difficulties, according to a report.
The
study, by consultants Watson Wyatt, reveals that companies are responding to
the problem by increasing salaries and improving career progression.
Five
in 10 call centres report they have a problem with recruitment, compared with
four in 10 a year ago.
The
study shows that eight out of 10 companies have a problem with staff turnover.
Watson
Wyatt’s latest Contact Centre Survey finds that 64 of per cent call centre
companies are responding to these difficulties by increasing salaries.
Nearly
half of companies are offering employees increased career development
opportunities, and 45 per cent are targeting different groups of potential
recruits, such as pensioners and students.
Half
of call centres report local competition for staff as the principal cause of
their current recruitment problems.
The
tendency for contact centres to cluster in particular regions means that
recruitment difficulties for all are often aggravated.
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The
median base starting salary for a junior telephone consultant at a call centre
is £11,350, while for a team leader or supervisor it is £16,312.
