Boosting Morale and Productivity: Employee Engagement in BPO

Fast-paced and demanding market dynamics characterize the outsourcing sector. Backbreaking deadlines, massive data, and endless customer inquiries challenge service providers. How do they complete tedious processes quickly and effectively?

Emphasizing the happiness and wellness of workers in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector is the answer. BPO leadership implements employee engagement programs to continuously improve the morale and productivity of its team members. 

Continue reading to learn robust employee engagement strategies and their significance in managing performance and maintaining operations.

Ways BPO companies keep workers engaged

Taking over the burden of repetitive tasks is what BPO employees contribute to client companies. They use their specialized skills and proficiency in advanced solutions to streamline time-consuming functions within back and front offices.

However, the challenging nature of the job affects the wellness of BPO staff members. Frequent overtime and heavy workloads cause burnout. Dealing with frustrated customers and lagging systems also adds stress.

BPO employers implement practical employee engagement strategies to boost their morale and drive performance. The following measures help maintain the BPO workforce’s ability to deliver fast, high-quality services:

• Offer competitive salaries and benefits packages based on an employee’s skills, experiences, and possible contributions to the company.
• Provide workers with a comfortable and well-equipped workspace, complete with high-speed internet, modern computers, and spacious desk areas on-site.
• Establish a solid company culture that emphasizes workforce well-being, embraces diversity, and promotes open communication.
• Enable flexible work setups, such as remote or hybrid options, to allow employees to complete tasks at their own pace while prioritizing their personal lives.
• Reward team members for their significant milestones through public recognition programs, bonuses, or additional paid time off.
• Deliver comprehensive BPO training programs and resources to upskill and reskill employees, helping them advance their careers.
• Let workers manage tasks that challenge their creativity and enable them to bring value to the company’s growth.
• Empower staff to voice their concerns and make decisions to increase employee engagement with company matters.
• Regularly assess performance to help workers understand their strengths and identify areas for improvement.
• Organize team-building activities and social events to encourage employees to connect outside of work and nurture camaraderie.
• Support workplace clubs to improve employees’ sense of belonging.
• Implement mentorship or buddy programs to facilitate knowledge sharing and career guidance.
• Offer opportunities for cross-functional collaboration, such as creating core teams for projects or organizing inter-departmental workshops, to broaden skill sets and foster teamwork.

Reasons employee engagement boosts productivity and morale

According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2023 report, changes in engagement, compensation, and well-being motivate disengaged employees and make companies great workplaces.

Many service providers recognize the importance of such aspects. In the process, they carry out the practices above to ensure high employee satisfaction and retention despite the BPO industry’s demanding nature.

Highlighting work-life balance results in highly engaged workers who are:

• Intrinsically motivated to put in their best effort and strive for team excellence
• More likely to think outside the box when planning projects or addressing challenges
• More meticulous in producing higher-quality work and output
• Willing to build a sense of community and belonging within the workplace
• Eager to come to work and be present mentally and physically
• Generally happier and content to continue their tenure

The critical role of BPO leadership in employee engagement

Regardless of available programs, ineffective leadership can cause employees to disengage from their employers. Executives set the overall tone and culture of a BPO company. Therefore, leaders must proactively create a positive workplace that makes employees feel valued and motivated to produce superior outcomes. 

Additionally, workers treasure human-centric aspects of leadership, as indicated in McKinsey & Company’s 2023 research. The report revealed these six employer characteristics as critical drivers of retaining employees and fostering loyalty:

• Being a role model. Employees want leaders who exhibit respect in the workspace and consider the ethical consequences of their decisions.
• Inspiring staff members. Members expect their team leaders to introduce a compelling vision of the future and foster optimism about its implementation.
• Developing people. BPO executives must include mentoring and listening to individual needs and concerns in their employee engagement approaches.
• Setting expectations. Workers seek leaders who define their roles and responsibilities and reward their milestones.
• Encouraging team discussions. BPO leaders inspire members’ active participation in decision-making.
• Communicating actively and effectively. Employees desire leaders who connect with them in a convincing and charismatic way.

Success story of prioritizing highly engaged BPO employees

BPO companies can achieve continuous growth and increase their bottom line by recognizing the pivotal role of employee engagement and investing in programs that motivate employees. A people-centric work environment boosts productivity, cost efficiency, and output quality.

Implementing such a strategic approach has resulted in Unity Communications earning its Great Place To Work (GPTW) certification for 2022 and 2023. According to the 2022 GPTW Trust Index Survey, the global BPO provider made 96% of its employees feel welcome and valued when joining the company.

In addition to offering competitive compensation and training benefits, Unity Communications hosts regular team-building activities, workshops, and mini-competitions. These events help keep workers engaged and avoid burnout when managing repetitive tasks.

The provider has also attained increasing employee satisfaction and retention rates due to its remote and hybrid work options. Based on Owl Labs’ 2023 research, this flexibility urges workers to be more productive and loyal to their employers. Hence, Unity Communications ensures its flexible staff receives the necessary resources to maximize these setups.

The bottom line

Apart from a solid client base, a skilled and well-structured workforce helps businesses stay afloat in a fast-paced and demanding market. BPO companies thus focus on enhancing their employees’ morale and engagement to maintain their high performance and ability to generate desired outcomes.

Service providers implement various methods to keep their workers active and motivated. Their efforts span from offering competitive compensation packages to supporting employees’ career development. They also ensure leaders embody the characteristics above to inspire team members to attain shared business targets.

If you are exploring possible outsourcing options, let’s connect and discuss why Unity Communications is your ideal BPO partner. The multinational service provider uses a people-centric approach to streamline your daily functions.