Latest findings show that employment levels in UK call centres continues to rise.
According to the survey by Incomes Data Services of 107 organisations employing around 92,000 call centre staff just over half of respondents (58%) report to a year long hiring drive with expectations of more recruitment in the coming year.
Traditional perceptions of high-staff turnover in the industry were supported by the findings. Almost two-thirds of respondents reported difficulty in retaining staff. Typical retention periods span from just six weeks up to five years with an average two years in the job, according to the survey.
Customer-services staff were reported to earn an average annual salary of £15,000 receiving an inflation-beating pay rise of 3.5% on last year. While average starting salaries for customer advisers was up by an impressive 4.7% on the previous year.
Commenting on the findings, Sarah Miller of IDS said: “These findings show that, despite all the worries about work being moved to India, the call centre sector is very much alive in the UK.
“What’s more, we found that most employers in our survey are taking active steps to improve the retention of call centre staff, for example, building in opportunities for career progression and making the working environment more pleasant.”
