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The duty of call centers The causes of a mental problem can vary widely. They can be related to personal life, a complicated professional situation, and often a combination of both. And while recognizing a mental problem in itself is a major test for an agent, contact centers must also be aware of it. Implementing change These challenges are not always easy. But it is necessary to start with smaller changes in order to create more favorable working conditions for your agents. These include: Allowing more breaks in an adequate manner ; Consider part-time work for a fixed period of time; Redistribute tasks that are problematic for the rest of the team; Propose an alternative role in another campaign for agents; Assign a senior agent who can guide the work and be a good listener during calls; Promoting autonomy among agents at their workstations; Promoting continuous training; Encouraging personal development. Supervisors should be leaders It is always said that there is a difference between a manager and a leader! From that perspective, supervisors must create a work environment conducive to mental well-being that will benefit not only your agents but also your contact center as a whole. Today, it is estimated that only companies that do so can achieve a return on investment five times greater than their investment. This is why it is necessary to : Understand that the supervisor’s involvement is vital. Plan briefs with their teams every week, just to see how the agents are managing the campaign and other pressures. Think about ideas to reduce stress such as team building. Empathize: how does your team feel and how are they dealing with new stressors? Organize frequent individual briefings with each agent. The Role of human resources Besides payments, recruitment, and administrative work. Human resources employees are also responsible for ensuring a healthy workplace for everyone. Therefore, you can implement HR related programs such as : Training sessions and coaching to supervisors to give them a better understanding of their role; Provide supervisors with concrete examples of practices to integrate into the daily management of their teams; Awareness sessions on stress and anxiety to all employees in order to demystify mental health disorders and allow them to identify potential stress situations; Mandatory health breaks of a few minutes during the busiest periods of the year; Employee assistance program to ensure that employees receive the attention and help they need to manage stressful situations related to work or their personal life; Sensitize and train supervisor; Recognize the risk factors specific to the work environment; Identify the profile of agents and their needs. Communication is everything! Your most powerful tool to reduce stress and avoid agent overwork is regular communication. It is not only a key management asset but also a crucial responsibility when in call centers. When you talk to your team members, listen carefully to understand how they really feel and how they deal with new stressors. However, with the prevalence of remote work in the contact center industry. It is difficult to maintain effective communication, especially when performance concern is a priority among business owners. That is why it’s important to have technology such as NobelBiz‘s Omni+. A solution that allows you to maintain an appropriate work pace while ensuring effective communication at all levels.