Performance management technology boosts results

"While increased communication emphasizes the importance of performance, it exacerbates the multiple sources of [information] challenge," the report states. "There is a huge opportunity for organizations to focus attention and communication on a single channel. Otherwise, the risk of overwhelming and confusing the frontline increases substantially."

The report adds that 40 percent of call centers' "frontline employees" (those who interface with customers) are not using performance data to self-correct their actions. The research observes also that the use of performance data negatively correlates with time that supervisors spend coaching front-line employees, and that effective coaching is key to developing a performance-driven culture.

The report also highlights these results:

• Although 88 percent of companies use contests and competitions to motivate their employees, two out of three companies do so less than once a month. Also, less than one-third of companies set daily or weekly performance goals;
• The most common rewards used in contests remain trophies (78 percent) and financial incentives (57 percent). Only 31 percent of companies understand that Millennials respond more enthusiastically than other demographics to gamification/social currency;
• Most companies accept ideas only from their senior leaders; and only 12 percent of firms solicit ideas from frontline workers;
• 72 percent of companies communicate results to their employees through multiple systems, many of which present conflicting information.

"Our study suggests the primary barrier to delivering a better customer experience is alignment" of data and goals using a single source of call center performance information, the report concludes. "Organizations that use commercial performance management technology [are 20 percent] more likely to exceed their customer experience and employee satisfaction goals."