There is a famous saying that we often come across on social media, “People come for a job, but stay for the culture”. Harvard Business Review’s author, Vasundhara Sawhney referred to culture as an organization’s DNA.
In business, culture is the experience of employees when they are associated with their place of employment. The company creates policies, a work environment, and systems that express its values, vision, and leadership style. With the evolving needs of the upcoming workforce, i.e., Gen Z, it is critical for organizations to build a positive and productive culture to retain talent.
Culture is proven to be a top priority for the current job market. Here are nine ways to build a positive and productive call center culture:
1. Choose the Right People for Your Company
While recruiting any candidate, hire for skill, but also observe for values that align with your organization. If the company values assertiveness and innovation, look for examples in their resume and interview session of the prospective applicant. Check whether the candidate appropriately fits in with your organizational culture and make the decision accordingly.
2. Embed Company Values Before, During, and After Onboarding
Culture is more than your organization’s vision and mission statement. Relying solely on its introduction during orientation will be insufficient. Invest in candidate experiences that demonstrate the culture from the first interaction. To ensure this approach is a success, decide firstly what impression the business would like the candidates to walk away with. A few examples include simplified application steps, a responsive recruiter, and an unbiased interviewer.
The next step is to ensure onboarding is enjoyable. It is important to immerse the chosen candidate into your company’s culture, as most employees leave their jobs within the first ninety days. Organize an orientation where candidates perceive they are valuable to the organization. Emphasize what behaviors are applauded and which are disciplined. Be sure to connect them with leaders and build a relationship of trust. Add surprises for the new hires during the early days as well.
3. Employee Ownership and Responsibility
Employees may consider that since they are not the owners of the business, they are disconnected from outcomes. Inspire employee ownership of personal success and business growth. Be clear and show visuals of how business success equals their success. As well as how exceeding the KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) impact their remuneration and brings them benefits.
4. Encourage Candid Feedback from Team Members
Be transparent about the goals of the company and ensure that there is a direct line of communication that allows people to share when they have a complaint, inquiry, or suggestion. Avoid negative effects when employees share these issues respectfully and privately. The goal is to make people feel safe when sharing their feedback, to drive optimization.
5. Reward Your Team
When employees align with a positive culture, reinforce those behaviors with affirmations. This may happen through email communication, promotion, posting pictures on social media, or rewarding them with a special prize and award.
6. Technology Should Improve Job Satisfaction
The current systems that are utilized to conduct business should add to their overall productivity and not the other way around. In the initiation of a new system, host sufficient training and demo sessions so the employees are confident maneuvering the technology when assisting customers. If there are system issues, empower the support staff to respond appropriately and promptly.
7. Invest in Leadership Development
Many employees reported that the number one reason they left the job was dissatisfaction with their managers’ leadership style. Irradicate this problem by training leaders on the company’s cultural values. Leadership sets the standard for employees to carry out their job duties. A leader that focuses on quality and coaches their team effectively will be a force for the business culture.
8. Design an Employee First Assistance Program
Build an employee assistance program that meets employee needs. This may include access to mental healthcare or paying for gym memberships. Set up employee benefits that support employees through difficult seasons. This will build loyalty for a positive culture.
9. Create an Environment of Empathy
Foster a community of trust between employees through team building activities and shared goals. Humans thrive best when they work in a team that they trust. We build trust by demonstrating empathy towards others. Empathy is reflecting on an issue from another person’s perspective. This is crucial to building a positive culture as people will embrace diversity which leads to innovative ideas and building a sense of loyalty among colleagues.
A positive and productive culture can reduce turnover, improve employee satisfaction, and maximize profits. Build a positive culture today by recruiting for values as well as qualifications, immersing new employees in the culture, supporting team members through difficult seasons, and rewarding those behaviors that align with the company’s vision. Join Etech’s remarkable culture today!
