The total turnover cost for every call center agent can reach as high as $20,000. However, with further setbacks from unresolved agent burnout, such as decreased productivity and service quality, that cost can mean over $1 million in expenses for a 100-seat outsourcing team.
With the scale of its impact on businesses, agent burnout is no longer just an HR issue. Business leaders aiming for sustainable success in their industry understand the importance of addressing this problem proactively. Prioritize employee well-being or risk a significant impact on your business’s market position.
Let’s look at the factors influencing one of the biggest challenges plaguing outsourced teams today. Learn why it’s in the best interest of your business to put employee wellness at the forefront of your growth strategy.
5 Key Stress Factors Faced by Call Center Agents Today
Burnout in outsourcing is on the rise. 74% of call center agents are now at risk of experiencing it. High turnover is primarily linked to burnout and stress, but looking beneath the surface helps you understand how to address increasing burnout within your team.
Many reasons contribute to this problem. We’ve identified five factors influencing rising stress levels among outsourced teams:
1. Tense Customer Interactions
Customer calls can be unpredictable. Interactions can shift from positive to confrontational within moments, leaving agents to handle verbally aggressive customers.
Recent customer service statistics show that at least 35% of customers have become angry while talking to customer support.
With the increasing call volumes call centers often face, agents have little room to recuperate. Repeated instances of negative calls can take their toll on outsourced staff.
2. Performance Pressure
Outsourced teams work in fast-paced industries. Because of this, call center staff often face the pressure of meeting high performance goals.
According to a CensusWide survey, more than 4 in 5 call center agents agree that work pressure significantly contributes to their mental turmoil.
When your agents cannot deal with these demands, it contributes to their work-related stress.
3. Lack of Development Opportunities
Outsourced staff are more likely to feel less motivated and undervalued when you fail to provide development opportunities. Additionally, lacking a sense of job security may instill more anxiety and stress in them, leading to further turnover.
4. Poor Work-Life Balance
In addition to demanding work, agents often have to deal with extended work hours. Since the pandemic, agent workload has been at its highest due to increasing call volumes. A McKinsey study revealed 61% of call center managers observed higher call volumes since 2020 and 2021.
High turnover creates additional stress as outsourced staff try to fill the tasks left behind by empty seats. These issues can lead to more time spent on work and less on much-needed rest.
5. Lack of Management and Social Support
It’s important to understand that failing to address such issues in the workplace can also lead to heightened stress and burnout. Leadership teams should empower their teams with programs that support their well-being. Additionally, promoting a healthy work culture among colleagues helps manage these issues.
While these factors may be unavoidable within outsourced operations, being aware of these root causes will be helpful when developing your wellness initiatives. Creating an empathetic, well-structured wellness plan for your team is the crucial first step in improving your team’s performance.
The ROI of Agent Burnout Prevention
It’s also crucial for you to evaluate BPO vendors based on their company culture and willingness to invest in employee well-being.
Having a well-crafted agent wellness program is the hallmark of sustainable business success. And companies are starting to take notice. 87% of today’s companies now have wellness programs in place, a 61% increase from 2020 statistics.
Some of the possible initiatives include:
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Stress Management Resources
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Regular Physical and Mental Health Assessments
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Team Building and Group Wellness Programs
These programs significantly help your team succeed. And the numbers back it up.
A case study by Chapman Institute revealed how wellness initiatives could impact high turnover. For a call center, they were able to produce the following result after 12 months:
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17% turnover rate reduction
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15% increase in Average Handle Time (AHT)
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44% Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) improvement
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21% drop in agent absenteeism
Forwarding Employee Wellness for Outsourcing Excellence
ClearSource core values reflect why we prioritize our team’s well-being above all else. But we also go beyond that; we empower them with knowledge and tools to ensure our agents keep growing their skills and capabilities.
In addition to our programs that drive professional development and employee engagement, we build our teams with the volume of work needed in mind. We empower our teams with industry-leading knowledge and tools and ensure their operations won’t hinder their capacity to provide exceptional service.
Interested in jumpstarting your employee wellness initiatives? Download our Agent Wellness Program Starter Kit.
Learn more about ClearSource and how we can help drive better results for your brand. Book a meeting with our team today!
