Nearly a third of  call centre employees would prefer to stay in a job for at least five years before seeking their next career challenge, according to research by Teleresources Consultancy.

In a survey, almost one in three of the 250 plus respondents, chose five years as the appropriate period. The smallest number (20%) chose three years.

 
The survey’s feedback suggests staff think three years is sufficient to become well established in an organisation, without necessarily benefiting from all of the promotional opportunities on offer. 

Teleresources director, Vanessa Forster, said: “The results support what we already know to be true in terms of better opportunities for structured career progression in contact centres. Gone are the days when a stint in a contact centre was, on average, only a few months. The sector has evolved, expanded the scope of roles available at all levels of experience and responsibility, and put in place the training programmes needed to take people to the next level to really drive down staff attrition.”

Teleresources believes that a change in hiring practices is one of the underlying factors which has influenced this change, in particular, recruiting for competency and motivation.