It has been a challenging 18 months for many organisations. So, now that we are emerging from the pandemic, are things finally looking up?

In some sectors, there are still challenges to overcome on the road to recovery. Staff turnover in the contact centre, for example, is currently reported to be around 26% – far higher than the national average of 15%. While putting increased pressure on existing employees, this also means employers must find ways to attract more talented people in an increasingly competitive market.

Many of us have reassessed our priorities during the lockdowns and asked ourselves what we really want from our work. As a result, it is employers – not only candidates – who must put their best foot forward during the recruitment process.

So, how do contact centre operators stand out from their competitors? Here are our top four tips:Develop your employer value propositionTo attract the best candidates, we help employers move beyond assessing people based solely on their ability to demonstrate certain skills. Instead, we focus on the employer value proposition, that is, the statement of a company’s core values and unique offer. This enables us to attract candidates based on additional factors, such as their alignment with an employer’s values, culture and working environment. Having a strong employer value proposition that you discuss while recruiting will also make you stand out in an increasingly competitive market.Focus on the longer termIn doing so, we are changing the focus of recruitment and enabling employers to find the best people for their organisation – for the long-term. Highlight internal career development opportunities to candidates and existing employees to demonstrate how your organisation can help progress them to future stages in their career, and that you are not only interested in the work needed today but preparing your workforce for future challenges so that they have the skills necessary to succeed. Retaining talent saves time and money while also helping to improve performance.Establish partnerships to help navigate changes in the marketIn a candidate driven market, where candidates can be more selective than ever, working with a recruitment partner that understand how the market is changing and knows what candidates are looking for offers employers a unique advantage. It is also important to select an agency partner that has established a reputation in contact centre recruitment.

Brook Street are a destination agency for contact centre and customer service agents, and our teams work closely with candidates daily to understand their needs and changing expectations. In a recent survey, we were given an overall satisfaction rating of 4.8 out of 5 for our work on a campaign to recruit 60 new contact centre agents.Match resources to requirementsThroughout the pandemic we have all learned that we must be able to adapt to change. An agency partner that provides flexible, scalable services can help employers develop a recruitment strategy that is right for today and ensure it evolves as circumstances change.

Brook Street has a network of 50 branches across the UK. Get in touch to find out how we can help create competitive advantage through our insights into the market and about our experience of supporting industry leaders.