Call center mental health and stress levels are two of the most important parameters that managers and facility owners need to monitor to be successful.
It’s common for agents and other call center employees to develop work-related mental health problems if they experience extensive pressure and high stress levels. While it’s true that a certain level of stress is to be expected in all work environments, depression and similar issues tend to be more frequent in call centers.
At Autopilot Reviews, one of our goals is to make sure that call center agents have the feedback they need to succeed and maintain a positive mentality at work. We are familiar with the importance of agent mental health as well as the benefits that focusing on this area can bring to your call center.
In this article, we’ll go over the reasons why mental health is a major component of call center success and the most common causes of work-related psychological conditions. Additionally, we’ll discuss steps that you can take to improve mental health in your facility.
Is Call Center Mental Health a Major Problem?
First, let’s dive a little deeper and go over the reasons why call center mental health should be one of your major priorities.
Call centers are facilities that receive a large volume of outsourced work. This can consist of either outbound or inbound calls in traditional call centers, and other forms of communication in modern contact centers.
But, in order to handle these requests, call centers need to have regimented schedules, extensive monitoring mechanisms, and strict performance metrics. This, in turn, creates an environment that inherently puts a lot of pressure on agents.
A recent study revealed that a whopping 87% of call center agents reported either high or very high stress levels at work. More than half of the surveyed agents felt emotionally exhausted, had sleep issues, or took medication to help them fulfill their roles. This is one of the reasons why many consider call center work to be among the most stressful.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Call Center Mental Health Issues?
Every job has elements that induce tension, but call centers have a high number of stressors that continuously put pressure on agents.
The problem is that the impact of these stressors is felt by agents before, during, and after their shifts are over. Persistent stress can include physical ailments like headaches as well as long-term mental health issues like call center depression. In addition to the personal issues that depression can cause, it can also impact individual agent performance and induce even more stress in the long run.
Here are some of the most common causes of call center agent mental health issues.
Unclear Job Expectations
From an outsider’s perspective, the work of a call center agent is straightforward. But, the job of an agent can include filing investigations, sending reports, following up with customers, and other tasks. In order to handle these tasks properly, agents need to have clear job expectations and instructions on how to achieve their goals.
Call centers that don’t clarify job expectations tend to put more pressure on their agents because this setup creates a feeling of uncertainty. In these situations, agents often feel unsure if they are doing a good job and have little understanding of which tasks they will be expected to perform on a daily basis.
Unreasonable Demands
There are many positions that need to be filled in a call center, including agents, team leaders, coaches, trainers, mentors, QA specialists, and a number of different managers. But, asking employees to perform tasks that are outside of their job descriptions can induce unnecessary stress because these requests fall under the umbrella of unreasonable demands.
In addition to requesting employees to perform actions outside of their areas of expertise, unreasonable demands include working outside of operating hours, making team members work under unreasonable conditions, and eliminating law-mandated breaks.
No Control Over Decisions
Most careers give professionals a certain level of control in terms of how they want to perform their work and the hours they want to work. Call center agents, on the other hand, are assigned to an account, given training, and expected to abide by a specific schedule as soon as they start, which makes them feel like they have little control over decisions.
This goes a step further when it comes to requesting time off, adjusting schedules, and suggesting internal changes. Agents and other employees often have to go through extensive processes that are more likely to discourage rather than assist them.
Monotonous or Disengaging Tasks
Engagement is a crucial part of productivity. Research suggests that an engaged workforce can improve productivity by more than 20% across the board. The problem is that most call centers don’t prioritize engagement, which leads to agents performing monotonous tasks every single day.
Moreover, most call centers place agents in distinct queues based on their skills, which means that every employee receives the same type of call repeatedly. This can result in a disengaging experience, even if every call is unique from a personal interaction perspective.
Ineffective Training Programs
All call centers need to provide at least four weeks of training for new employees. But, this doesn’t guarantee that agents have everything they need by the time they join their teams and start taking calls. If the training program is not effective, agents won’t be prepared for the calls they receive, which results in poor performance and concerns over job security.
There are many elements that can affect the quality of your training program. From the materials used to the way the lessons are imparted, call centers need to make sure that their training programs are not only interesting but also practical. It’s also a good idea to design a one or two-week additional training scheme for new agents that are struggling from the beginning.
A Lack of Advancement Opportunities
As we mentioned previously, there are many types of employees in a call center. Front-line agents are at entry-level, but these professionals expect the opportunity to grow within the company. But, there are many call centers that fill these roles by hiring externally, which can discourage internal agents, make them doubt their skills, and potentially induce additional stress.
A lack of advancement opportunities also contributes to employee disengagement. When agents feel like they can’t grow in a call center, they tend to take less pride in their work and are more likely to commit quality infractions during their calls.
Job Security and Call Center Mental Health
Whether it’s because of low performance, budget cuts, or a similar reason, agents that feel like their jobs are not secured tend to be more stressed out. Even worse, the high stress levels are usually reflected in the quality of their work and the results they produce, which can actually lead to performance-based disciplinary action.
It’s tough to manage job security expectations within call centers because there are many external elements that may force owners to reduce the size of their workforce. That said, ensuring that all agents have the tools and knowledge needed to succeed can boost performance and create a more stable environment.
Low Motivation Levels
It’s true that call center agents get paid to provide their services, but this doesn’t mean that these professionals feel motivated. As a matter of fact, low motivation levels are one of the biggest reasons why agents don’t feel committed to or inspired by their jobs.
Wages play a role in how motivated agents are, but call center owners shouldn’t only rely on financial incentives to keep employees happy. Designing additional incentive methods, giving agents the ability to request time off regularly, and creating work sports leagues are great ways to improve agent motivation without simply offering higher commissions.
Too Much Work
Call center agents are often subject to excessive workloads, although this can look different depending on the facility.
For instance, some agents work eight or more hours per day while only getting one day off, which doesn’t give them enough time to unwind. Frontline employees can also feel burnt out if they are bombarded with back-to-back calls without breaks from the moment they log in, which usually occurs in understaffed call centers.
The same goes for employees that have their vacation requests constantly denied. Call center owners and managers should track which employees request time off and make sure that all agents have at least a small vacation every few months
.
Low Wages and Call Center Mental Health
Low wages is one of the toughest issues to address in a call center, but it’s also one of the main reasons why agents suffer mental health issues. Employees that have low wages don’t have the financial flexibility to pursue interests outside of work and find ways to reduce stress naturally. Therefore, these employees are more likely to fall into a bad cycle and perform poorly in a job that doesn’t pay them well.
Many managers attempt to solve the low-wage issue by introducing performance and attendance bonuses. But, realistically speaking, this bonus won’t be available to all agents, which can actually have the opposite of the intended effect.
Situations that Include Anxiety or Stress
There are many situations that can induce stress and anxiety in your employees. This includes inappropriate comments, insensitive requests, privacy violations, all forms of discrimination, and similar behavior from managers as well as other employees.
Call centers that don’t focus on creating a professional environment are not only in danger of having agents that are more prone to mental health issues, but also potentially facing legal consequences as well.
How to Monitor and Improve Your Call Center Mental Health
Most call center employees associate their work with constant monitoring, small cubicles, and frustrated customers. But, the combined impact that these variables can have is much bigger than their individual effect on each individual agent or team.
Let’s take a look at the different steps you can take to improve your call center mental health and identify employees that are displaying signs of poor psychological well-being. Note that every contact center is different, so take the time to adjust each step based on your own specific requirements.
1. Adapt to Your Employee’s Needs
Call center depression and similar issues are agent-centric obstacles. This means that managers and owners need to adjust their approaches and adapt to their employee’s needs.
Not only will this vary depending on the call center, but from one agent to the next. In order to make adjustments that actually help employees, you should conduct internal research to understand your agents’ requirements.
For example, if you have a lot of employees that are currently studying, you can justify giving them priority when creating schedules. Call centers that hire a lot of parents can design programs to help them get school supplies and similar goods for their children.
2. Train the Management Team to Improve Call Center Mental Health
Managers play a crucial role in lifting agent morale. In addition to bringing high energy levels every day, managers also need to know how to diffuse difficult situations, manage inappropriate behavior, and explain new policies to disgruntled employees. Rather than expecting each manager to do this professionally, owners should make sure that their administrative team receives the right training.
Many call centers hire external firms that specialize in training managers and other administrative officials on how to communicate effectively with employees. Regardless of the method you choose, you should make sure that the person delivering the training has the right experience and qualifications as this is the only way that your management team will be
responsive.
3. Improve the Way Feedback is Collected and Delivered
Employees that experience call center depression are less receptive to feedback sessions, especially if they are not delivered regularly.
In most call centers, team managers and QA specialists listen to random calls in order to evaluate agents. This means that the interactions are chosen without premeditation, which can reduce the efficiency of a feedback session. Not only this, but this type of feedback is often delivered long after the interaction occurs, so agents aren’t always familiar with the scenario being evaluated.
Rather than relying solely on conventional monitoring, call centers now have the option of collecting feedback from customers right after every interaction and delivering this information directly to agents in real-time through Autopilot Reviews.
4. Make Agents as Comfortable as Possible
Agent comfort is essential in every sense of the word. From emotional stability to physical comfort, you should aim to create an environment where agents get the support they need to be their best selves.
Besides ergonomic seating, you should take steps to make your call center floor more enjoyable. You can add more water fountains, repurpose unused areas, and make sure that your agents have the appropriate equipment. This includes quality headsets as well as fast computers that perform well during every call.
Managers and owners can also take steps to create a comfortable atmosphere outside of the operations floor. Some examples include building an entertainment lounge, improving outdoor seating areas, and making sure that agents have easy access to high-quality food.
5. Promote Positive and Open Conversations
There is no denying the fact that call center employment standards have gone up exponentially over the last decades. That said, some companies still avoid addressing uncomfortable situations, which creates a tense atmosphere on the call center floor.
Rather than brushing issues under the carpet, call center owners and managers should promote open and honest conversations. Remember, this is a time to lead by example, so be transparent with employees and make sure that they feel like part of a big team.
6. Offer Support for Agents
Call center employees rely on their wages to provide for their families. Agents and other team members don’t always have the financial flexibility to address work-related mental health issues, even if they understand the challenges that these problems can cause.
To combat this, call centers can give agents access to the resources they need to maintain good mental health. For example, you can cover a set number of consultations with mental health specialists per month as part of a mental health benefits
package.
7. Address Unfair Situations and Avoid Preferential Treatment
While it’s fair to prioritize some agents in certain scenarios (students, parents of newborns, etc.), you should avoid giving employees preferential treatment if it creates unfair situations.
In other words, if you make an exception for one agent that meets certain criteria, you need to do the same for any other employee in the same (or a similar) situation.
8. Clear Up Employee Roles
As we mentioned earlier, call center agents that have unclear job expectations experience more stress than the average employee. So, one of the best ways to reduce overall stress levels is to clear up employee roles.
If you haven’t defined a hierarchy already, you should create a list of tasks that you need to perform in your call center on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Then, you need to create individual positions to match these tasks and define exactly what activities each role has to perform.
As a general rule of thumb, your agents should only handle customer-facing tasks, while all other administrative and support roles should be filled by your management team.
9. Enhance Team Communication to Improve Your Call Center Mental Health
Team communication is important among peers because it allows them to build stronger bonds. At the same time, agents should be able to communicate freely with superiors and support departments in order to make suggestions, voice discomfort, and receive feedback.
For this reason, it’s a good idea for site managers and owners to improve team communication by implementing internal chat apps and similar platforms.
10. Lower Agent Workload as Much as Possible
There are many agents that are satisfied with all areas of their jobs, except for the workloads they need to handle every day. You can improve mental health in your call center by reducing the amount of work that your agents handle. This doesn’t mean that you need to handle fewer calls either.
Here are some creative ways you can reduce employee workload:
- Introduce automation technology wherever possible (for both agents and customers)
- Design customer self-service channels that send them to the right departments
- Unify and integrate all compatible tools to create a smoother experience
Ready to Improve Your Call Center Mental Health?
Improving mental health across the board in your call center can boost employee morale and have a positive effect on productivity across the board. That said, you need to monitor certain signs to ensure that your team stays engaged and energetic to get the best results.
If you want to learn more about collecting customer feedback and delivering it to agents in real-time with Autopilot Reviews, get in touch with us today and we’ll be glad to help.
