Staff retention is a key issue that is challenging many industries to alter not only their organisational structure but is also having an effect on building design. A survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCooper identified that an improved working environment is second only to career development opportunities within an organisation in the challenge to retain staff.
It is a major issue for human resource (HR) departments in Ireland and staff turnover rates in the call centre industry are among the highest, usually between 20 and 40 per cent per annum. The multi-national profile of the call centre industry demands staff with well-developed language skills, usually native speakers. Recruitment drives stretch to Europe and beyond. Depending on the size and scale of the companies, relocation and training costs per employee are high, and if an employee only remains within a company for a year or less, then the company have not seen any return on that investment - both in time and financially.
The PricewaterhouseCooper survey, which was conducted among HR managers in 41 organisations operating in Ireland representing some 81,000 employees, highlights the challenges faced by companies in a bid to retain staff. Career development opportunities were identified as the top concern by 92 per cent of companies, coming ahead of improved working conditions (62 per cent). Pay and perks, along with increased base salaries and changing organisation culture, were the other big concerns.
The quality of the working environment is proving very important in an industry that suffers from such high turnover of staff, and the report's recommendations need to be addressed seriously. Dedicated specific-use training areas were incorporated into the design of the Compaq building in Clonskeagh, along with permanent interview facilities.
Staff turnover at Compaq's Clonskeagh facility logs somewhere between 25 to 27 per cent per year. It rises to as high as 40 per cent in many big-name financial services companies. Due to the specialised nature of jobs in computer-related companies, there is more opportunity for promotion within the global organisation, and a Compaq spokesperson points out that a high percentage of the staff that leave the Clonskeagh call centre move on to different roles within the company.
Health and safety also ranks as a concern and is one area where employers can make an impact. Compaq has installed a gym on site at Clonskeagh that is open to employees 24-hours a day. The changing rooms have sauna facilities and a personal trainer attends for around 15 hours a week, conducting exercise and introductory classes during lunch hours and from late afternoon to early evening. Scandinavian staff were puzzled to discover that there were separate sauna facilities for the male and female staff.
Ergonomics are also becoming a key HR tool. Chairs made of a special non-fabric substance with lumbar support were identified as the best solution to tackling incidences of back problems. Compaq conducted a wide-ranging survey in an attempt to get a comprehensive picture of staff needs.
The cyber cafe on the second floor at Compaq is a big success among staff. It is designed to lure them away from desks on coffee breaks to try and break what may be a stressful environment. A menu of cappuccinos, espressos and pastries is served to the multi-national clientele and the flat screen terminals are there to give staff Internet access for e-mails to friends or for just reading the on-line edition of their favourite newspapers or magazines. Web access at work stations is for business-related use only.
English language classes for employees and their families are available and viewed not only as an educational tool, but also as an opportunity to develop social contact.
