The job market is undergoing a transformation, with people thinking critically about where and how they work. At the same time, consumer demand for services is increasing. These factors are contributing to labor shortages in contact centers. For example, in February 2021, the number of job openings in customer and contact center support roles advertised on ZipRecruiter more than doubled from 2020. The number of job openings in these fields is likely to remain high in 2022, with 73% of CEOs stating that talent shortages will disrupt their business.
Employee retention is closely tied to employee experience and engagement. Therefore, companies are taking a second look at contact center employee engagement as a way to retain staff. One way companies improve the contact center employee experience is through digital tools such as intelligent virtual agents (IVAs). These tools supplement employee workloads and automate tasks.
As companies invest in employee tools to boost employee experience, they will see competitive advantages. Leading benefits include accelerated growth, increased employee efficiency, and the ability to meet customer demands.
What is Employee Experience?
Employee experience is an individual's perceptions about their time working with a company. It encompasses all the touchpoints an employee has with the business. This includes the initial job search, interview process, onboarding, and day-to-day work, all the way through to the exit from the company.
McKinsey research outlined nine factors that contribute to a positive employee experience, a few of which include social, work, and organization experience.
An effective first step to improving the employee experience is to understand employees’ needs and the current processes and tools in place. This will help the company provide solutions and operating tools that elevate contact center employee engagement.
How Employee Tools Drive Contact Center Employee Engagement
Today’s contact center employees are required to manage a wide variety of communication channels. With so many channels to keep track of, it can be difficult for employees to feel engaged. There are different factors that can help improve employee support and engagement and make it easier for contact center agents to manage day-to-day tasks.
One important task for companies is to help instill a sense of purpose in employees because engaged agents that feel they make a valuable contribution will likely go the extra mile. These engaged employees will help customers because they know how important customers are to the company's success.
Companies should also offer innovative employee tools, such as collaboration platforms and automated support agents. And it's critical that the solutions are effective and drive productivity. The solutions should be intuitive and integrated with other commonly used systems. Employees that have access to advanced tools that streamline their workflows will feel more engaged and productive.
In addition to supplying intelligent tools, companies should consider how the physical workspace can impact employee efficiency. Employees need to feel comfortable and safe, whether they’re working in-office or remote. Evaluate changes you might make to physical spaces to help employees feel more comfortable and engaged.
In order to retain current and attract new contact center agents, companies should ensure modern employee tools are available at their fingertips. It's important to invest in the right resources that prioritize employee support, and AI-enabled tools can play a central role.
Boost Employee Efficiency with AI-Powered Contact Center Technology
When companies give employees robust resources and efficient processes, they are better able to perform their jobs and support customers. AI-powered tools (e.g. chatbots and IVAs) can boost employee efficiency in several ways. For example, AI-powered tools can free support agents from answering simple or repetitive customer questions.
As a "virtual receptionist," IVAs enable contact center automation that helps contact center agents manage customer requests. These virtual agents provide contextual information to agents in real-time, enabling them to deliver better customer support. IVAs can offer additional employee support by managing inquiries that customers might feel are complex (e.g. account details), but are simplified by the technology.
IVAs can also help companies increase customer satisfaction rates. By answering every call immediately and providing contextual service, IVAs reduce customer wait times and quicken resolution time. When these factors improve, customers feel more content. When customers are happy, it can alleviate pressure on contact center employees and help them feel more fulfilled in their job.
Lastly, IVAs help companies make data-informed decisions to enhance customer interactions. For example, the IVA can track and report data about customer interactions. Companies can then use this information to personalize service in the future, adjust agent staffing during peak call times, or develop new communications touchpoints based on customer preference. As decision-makers invest in IVAs as foundational employee tools, they will improve overall satisfaction and create a more enjoyable employee experience.
The Future of Employee Experience in Contact Centers
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated existing trends in remote work. While technologies to support remote work have been available for years, those early alternatives were often expensive and complex. Thankfully, cloud-based contact center software has removed most of the earlier cost and hardware complications of enabling agents to work from home.
Mosaicx enables businesses to stay up to date on industry needs. With Mosaicx, contact center agents gain access to a modern, AI-enabled tool that improves employee efficiency and productivity. By investing in IVAs that supplement human agents, companies can enhance the contact center employee experience. These intelligent tools deliver employee support by automating repetitive tasks and freeing them to handle more complex support tickets.
Employee experience is central to the way organizations set themselves apart with the workforce reassessing why and where they work. Organizations that elevate the employee experience through digital solutions such as IVAs create an opportunity to attract and retain the best talent. As businesses emphasize employee support, they will experience accelerated growth and increased employee efficiency and be better able to meet customer demands.