A newly relocated B2C company was adding subscribers at the rate of 280,000 per month. The company called for the establishment of a state-of-the-art Call Center hub, comprised of 3,700 employees both technical and non-technical. While the company needed to quadruple its call center team, they also needed to drastically reduce turnover rates.
This hub would act as the role model and last resolve station for more than 2,500 offshore call center seats. The company targeted to present its IPO within 5 months of our contract start. The company has contracted the staffing of this call center to two different large RPO’s and a myriad of temporary staffing companies.
The result was 780 hires and a turnover rate of more than 98%.
Most management was skeptical of talent availability and had little faith in any recruiting process. The company expected within one year to hire 5,000 call center employees and reduce turnover to 30%.
Diagnosis:
- A complete recruiting infrastructure must be created that is flexible to changing needs yet provides continuity for hiring protocols.
- Management and Training must become trusted allies, educated about the value of their roles in reducing turnover, and well involved in the creation of job specifications.
- To meet objectives, every process must be accelerated to accommodate the urgent need to hire, on average, 416 employees per month.
- A comprehensive recruitment plan must be strategized to scale quickly when sales spike suddenly.
Action Plan and Process
Create a high functioning recruitment plan according to the Recruiting Continuum that provides for quick hiring while enhancing all processes to assure a reduced new hire turnover rate.
Highlights of Partnership:
- Work closely with management to assist in creating the profile of the new Call Center employees’ objectives and mission.
- Monitor recruiting progress towards targets to adjust advertising for incoming and create and execute candidate sourcing to ensure full pipelines.
- Create a Call Center-specific Employee Value Proposition (EVP) that mimics the company’s values and focuses on the Call Center as a whole.
- Based on the Employee Value Proposition (EVP), ensure Recruitment, Onboarding and Management were all in alignment by:
- Create and implement streamlined employment offering and overall candidate management.
- Create or revise job descriptions, position key elements, and key element interview guides.
- Establish measures for hiring predictions including fall out rates expected.
- Create thorough screening processes.
- Gain the trust of Training Department and Floor Management.
- Review and recommend the most effective candidate assessments.
- Meet weekly with key contacts.
- Provide the Business with Quarterly Reviews of Progress to share and gain collective insights.
When Recruiting, Onboarding, Training, and Hiring Managers closely align, New Hire Retention and Productivity Increase.
Results:
- Call Center was fully staffed in year one at an expected headcount of 5,200, surpassing expectations.
- New Hire Turnover began reducing at month 2; by year’s end, turnover was below 46%, and at year 2, Call Center turnover was 32%.
- Expanded the screening process to include clients Offshore Call Center Partners.
- Customer Service Satisfaction ratings increased by 43%.
- The company developed a well-organized, scalable, trusted talent acquisition department.
- In-house talent acquisition staff, along with People Science, worked closely together in solving business concerns.