Reduce Remote New Hire Turnover: Build Engagement into Your Training

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Discover how you can reduce remote new hire turnover and build better engagement into your training now. 

What is the key difference between onsite versus remote training?

Employee engagement needs to be built into new hire remote training. Imagine being hired as a remote Agent during the coronavirus era. You are not allowed into the office due to Covid-19 restrictions. So, job interviews are conducted by phone or videoconferencing. You attend new hire training online. So even after weeks of training, you have only talked to the recruiter and trainer. Just two people. You have not toured the contact center. You have not met your future Team Leader or Manager.

In fact, you feel little attachment to the organization that hired you. That makes it easy to “ghost” or quit in the middle of new hire training. There are few interpersonal relationships to leave behind and no attachment to your employer.

 

Remote Agents used to start their career onsite and then move to work-from-home. So, they trained in a face-to-face environment and met colleagues in person. Covid-19 changed that paradigm. We now have virtual recruitment, virtual training and virtual resignations! That makes new hire turnover more likely.

As Training Manager, instructional designer or facilitator, you are not just training new hires on product knowledge, skills and procedures. You need to build employee engagement into your new hire curriculum. Give new remote Agents a reason to stay with your company.

 

Here are three ideas to build employee engagement into new hire training programs:

 

1) Make new hires feel supported:

Make a great first impression. Provide newly hired remote Agents with the best tools:  a fast computer, second monitor, monitor stands, mouse, ergonomic keyboard, good quality headset and ergonomic furniture, if possible. In addition, send them a “Welcome kit” including office supplies, SWAG, logins, passwords and their training schedule. This kit should also include a handwritten welcome note from the trainer to build engagement. Your welcome note should list the trainer’s contact information. So, they can contact you for assistance. You should also suggest a date/time for their first one-on-one videoconference with you. This helps build engagement and create a solid trainer/participant relationship before training starts. This can also help trainers customize their blended learning program for each new hire’s needs.

 

2) Design relationship building into your new hire Agent training:

Being a remote new hire feels isolating. To combat this, schedule daily one on one meetings with each new hire during training. Make new hires feel part of an overall contact center team. Schedule one-on-one videoconferences between each new hire and their future Team Leader. Have the entire new hire class interact online with key contacts, such as Help Desk staff, Workforce Management and Quality Assurance Coaches. So, remote Agents feel reassured about the support they will receive once they start taking calls. Build new hire teamwork by pairing them into “Study buddies” to work on a specific learning module or role play. Build engagement by creating relationships between new hires and their classmates, trainers, coaches, future Team Leaders and support staff. That can lead to fewer new hires quitting abruptly during training.

 

3) Reaffirm new hires made the right choice in joining your company:

Make new employees feel proud to be part of your company. Show how your company is supporting community initiatives. Share testimonials from existing employees or positive survey results from employee attitude surveys. People want to be part of a winning team. People also want their work makes a difference. Show them how they impact customers and the company. Share testimonials from customers illustrating the difference your company makes in their lives. 

 

In short, reduce new hire attrition by making remote Agents feel supported and part of a team. Design relationship building into your training and onboarding. Let new hires know they made the right choice by joining your company. These techniques can improve new hire loyalty and employee engagement.