UK call center industry faces recruitment crisis
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — The call center industry in the United Kingdom is currently facing a significant recruitment challenge, with the lowest number of job applications per vacancy in the country.
According to a study by Resume.io, call center job postings on LinkedIn are receiving an average of only 0.1 applications per day.
This starkly contrasts with sectors like venture capital and private equity, which attract nearly 23.69 applications daily.
Factors contributing to low applicant numbers
The contact center environment is often described as a place that “strips workers of their rights,” characterized by strict discipline, close monitoring of results, and low pay. The emotional toll of dealing with frequently dissatisfied customers adds to the stress, making these jobs less appealing.
The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the situation by disrupting labor markets and increasing the appeal of remote work, which competes with traditional in-office roles.
Remote working options introduced new challenges, such as competition with gig economy workers and difficulties in talent retention. The pandemic has significantly shifted working expectations, and contact centers have struggled to adapt to these new standards.
Wider industry challenges
The recruitment issues in contact centers are not isolated.
Recruitment and Employment Federation CEO Neil Carberry highlighted similar challenges in the education sector, with a significant increase in job vacancies due to unattractive pay and working conditions.
Potential solutions and future outlook
Despite these challenges, there are opportunities for improvement within the control of contact center organizations.
Rob Wilkinson, CX Solutions Consultant at evaluagent, suggested rebranding their image, investing in employee engagement, embracing technology, and choosing the right recruitment strategies.
“By changing the way they market themselves to potential candidates, investing in employee engagement and retention, embracing technology, and having the right recruitment partner in place, contact centers can overcome this challenge and attract the skilled workers they need to succeed in 2023 and beyond,” he wrote in a LinkedIn article.
Artificial intelligence is also seen as a key tool in transforming the industry by reducing workloads and improving customer interactions, which could boost application rates.
