It’s Wednesday, April 22 and my son and I are headed for Lima, Peru.  We get to fly north from Quito to Panama City, then back south to Lima.  Not sure why, but the last time I flew from Cleveland to Indianapolis I went through Charlotte.  Go figure why the airlines do what they do….

Anyways…

Across the Pond

Employee retention promises to be one of the key challenges this year for the UK arms of global technology companies Bosch and LG Electronics, according to the companies’ human resources directors.

As a supplier to the reeling UK automotive industry, Bosch UK has not escaped fallout from the losses felt by auto manufacturers, acknowledged HR director Andrew Castle. “Where we have to downscale, we will try to redeploy, but that will depend on the flexibility of the individual, their skillset and where they want to go,” Castle said.

In fact, Bosch UK has no plans to recruit this year, Castle said: “We’re not recruiting because of the economic situation but we will recruit when economic conditions improve, and we want talented people who want a career to join the group.”

So, even when these companies are shedding jobs, the retention of their employees is still critical to their long-term success.  What Castle didn’t say is equally important to their company’s ability to stay viable during the worldwide economic downturn; the need for talented people who want a career to stay in the group while times are tough.  Bosch and LG have to take care of the survivors, the employees they count on to continue to meet and exceed the needs of customers.

Call Center Retention

I used to manage a call center of one-hundred employees and then after a couple years became responsible for three call centers and nearly five-hundred employees.   Just as it was then, employee retention is a main concern in today’s call center as the need to keep costs in control increases.

Whether it was the 1980’s or today, turnover rates and the costs associated with this are plaguing the industry and forcing companies to look for ways to improve this profit draining trend.   I was interested to read an article about the significant role call center furniture and layout can play in meeting the goal to improve employee retention, because the way a call center is designed can support how much attention agents keep on the job, how easily they’re able to do their jobs, and offers overall productivity and satisfaction within the demanding, stressful call center environment.

Call centers that include furniture design setups with ergonomic support are also key in reducing turnover rates. A setup that promotes comfort and safety helps agents do their jobs better and stay healthy, so absenteeism due to health aliments, doesn’t have to occur.

By creating a workplace that is visually appealing, employees will be more empowered to collaborate. Proper design and implementation of furniture in the call center fosters improved communications and teamwork so agents can work together. By allowing agents to feel as though they’re part of a team and a supportive environment that works together toward their goals, turnover rates can become dramatically lower.

Across the Pond - Again

The vast majority of the German workforce is not engaged with its work. This finding presents a serious threat to productivity — and ultimately to the Federal Republic of Germany’s gross domestic product — because a company’s potential for achievement depends significantly on the attitudes and motivation level of its employees.

Germany’s competitiveness in the global economy could be undermined by the low productivity and reduced profitability that accompany disengagement. Germany is positioned well for future growth — but its high percentage of actively disengaged workers is putting its current and future economic stability at risk.  According to a 2008 Gallup employee engagement survey, only thirteen percent of German employees are engaged with their workplace, while sixty-seven percent are not engaged, and twenty percent are actively disengaged.

And I thought we were in trouble here in the states where forty-three percent of U.S. employees are what my organization calls “Fully Engaged” while nearly one-third are “Unengaged”.

More of our weekly Quiz tomorrow!