High-performing employees are an asset to any organization. They are also constantly in high demand. With the annual average attrition rates in traditional call/contact centers being a short 13.7 months for a support role, how can you retain top talent and keep high-value employees satisfied? The short answer: people management. The long answer: keep reading to find out! 

The significance of retention

Team members whose contribution far surpasses their expense are employees that provide value across the board and can cripple teams in their departure. When employees leave, your business must enlist a multitude of resources to recruit and onboard incoming members to adequately fulfill the duties of their role. Not to mention that turnover can have a negative impact on business outcomes and team morale. 

The average cost to replace an agent can be anywhere between $10,000 and $20,000. 

Employee retention promotes the health and success of your business. The significance of retention is to minimize agent attrition so you aren’t stuck onboarding and training, and to keep workflow moving at a steady, productive pace. 

Scaling teams without growing pains 

Preparing for seasons of scale begins months prior. Scaling enables your business to continue increasing sales with minimal adjustments to cost. Simply said, it’s about making the most of the resources you already have available. 

For a few of our resources on scaling, tap into our storehouse of knowledge:

• How to plan your support team for the holidays 
• Forecasting support teams for holiday sales periods 
• 6 key strategies to scale your customer support team
• Scale CX teams wile maximizing ROI 
• Flexing CX teams up and down during seasonal months

6 ways to retain high-performing employees during peak seasons

1. Make them feel valued

Employees who feel valued are more satisfied and less likely to search for other employment opportunities. This appreciation can be shown through big picture efforts like recognition programs, or all the way down to simple gestures such as listening and taking action on employee feedback. Make your top talent members feel valued, and they will continue to provide work of value. 

2. Align them with strong mentors 

There are three different types of mentorships to consider for your top talent employees:

• Buddy/Peer mentoring centered on apprenticeship. The early stages of employment and onboarding can be some of the most difficult. This type of mentorship focuses on honing specific skills and organizational nuances to retain new talent. 
• Career mentoring from more experienced employees that guides younger talent toward success and contextualizes work. 
• Life mentoring provides wisdom, experience, and guidance that isn’t strictly professional. This style of coaching demonstrates to top talent employees that the business values them on par with its clients or customers.

When mentoring is a priority in company culture it keeps top talent engaged in climbing the ranks. 

3. Prioritize mental health in the workplace 

According to a Glossy and Modern Retail survey of brand and retail workers, 51% of respondents said they are at least somewhat worried about their mental health at work. Among top talent employees who, on average, are up to 400% more productive than average ones (McKinsey & Company), the burnout effect can drastically impact efficiency. Minimizing stress, paying attention, and checking in every so often can go a long way. 

4. Give them lots of responsibilities with high exposure

Keep high-performing employees engaged by offering them challenging opportunities that stretch the reaches of their comfortability and allow room to learn new skills. If their work becomes stagnant, they could grow bored and wish for something more stimulating. 

5. Measure progress quarterly

Quarterly performance reviews are a great time to reflect on performance, celebrate wins, and offer constructive criticism. 

6. Utilize resources to maximize efficiency on important responsibilities 

Some tasks may be eating into top talent’s time and energy. Effectively outsourcing customer service is one way to free up the workday and allow space to focus on other important responsibilities. 

Retaining top talent begins with recruitment 

Building an exemplary customer support team is crucial for success. Choose candidates who fit the corporate culture and exhibit a desire to stick around for a while. By taking a look at a candidate’s resume and seeing how long they spent working for each of their previous employers, it can give you a peak into what you can expect. 

In your recruitment efforts, consider these four P’s of customer service agents that are hired by leading brands: 

1. Patient 
2. Personable
3. Proactive 
4. Passionate

Once top talent has joined your team, customer service training will align them with your brand’s mission, values, and voice. 

Prepare for peak seasons with an extra layer of support 

Scale your business as needed with support on demand. We’re flexible and aim to develop long-term solutions while keeping costs low. Our teams can integrate with your existing operation in as little as one week. Browse our support solutions to see how we can benefit you and your team!