Ongoing advances in technology are continuing to make centralized call centers the efficient and cost-effective choice in many industries. The layout and overall environment of your call center are playing a growing role in overall employee productivity. Call center furniture layouts have traditionally been rows, or maybe even quad groups or conference-type tables. But with the need for social distances measures continuing to be a focus in organizations, some of these layouts simply won’t work in today’s current environment. Here are our suggestions for smart call center furniture layouts to consider implementing in your office today.
Screens for Health and Increased Performance
The health and wellness of our teams must continue to be a business priority as we come to the end of another tumultuous year. For call center furniture layouts, in particular, employees are looking to feel safe and protected. With a dual focus on health and efficiency, the furniture industry has responded by designing creative solutions to provide stylish and protective cubicle designs. By including privacy screens in your layouts, you can provide the protection that your teams need while keeping them connected.
Ongoing advances in technology are continuing to make centralized call centers the efficient and cost-effective choice in many industries
While the health and safety of your agents is and should be your reason for including privacy screens in your workspace, there are acoustic benefits. Managing the volume and background noise of your call center is vitally important to the productivity of your agents, and privacy screens can help create a sound block from one agent to another. Have you ever tried to listen intently to an individual while others were carrying on a conversation over top of you? It is impossible to give your full attention. For customer service agents, this level of care and concern is crucial. Make their already difficult jobs easier with added privacy and noise reduction.
Make Managers a Part of the Team 
Community. It was what we have all missed and what keeps great employees invested in an organization. In order to create a stronger sense of community in your call center teams, integrate your managers into the flow. Gone are the days of a looming manager waltzing the call center aisles. In this layout, the manager is a part of the agent team. Present when issues arise, not racing to address a problem after the fact. They are in a position to mentor their team in the moment instead of micromanaging past occurrences.
One of the biggest gaps in many organizations, as we adapted to working from home, was training and onboarding. As a result of these gaps, new team members often didn’t stay team members for very long. Onboarding is a chance not to just show a team member how the company works, but the real culture and mission behind what the company does. Employees who are invested in their teams and feel a sense of belonging and community are less likely to leave.
The manager should be in a position to mentor their team in the moment instead of micromanaging past events.
According to Quality Assurance and Training Connection, turnover in the call center industry averages 30% and 45%. One of the most effective ways to change these numbers for the better is in the hands of the manager. A Gallup survey found that it takes more than a 20 percent pay raise to make an employee leave a manager who engages them. It would take almost nothing to get a disengaged worker to leave a company.
Curved workstations to Optimize Space
Our third smart call center layout is the curved cubicle. This design is all about optimization and efficiency. First, consider the increased work area and comfort for your agents. Curved desks are designed to keep everything right within reach and help employees avoid unnecessary leaning. Improve posture and all-day-long comfort. With more space to have all of their tools at their fingertips, curved desks improve productivity as well.
Create an environment where your team feels safe, engaged, and comfortable.
Employees can’t work shoulder to shoulder anymore. Never have we had to focus more on the actual physical space available in our offices. Curved workstations can help you do the most with your office space. Available in many configurations and styles, the curved workstation can be integrated into any open office call center furniture layouts.
The power has shifted. Employees are steering the hiring wheel. Create an environment where your team feels safe, engaged, and comfortable. Investing in improved call center furniture layouts might help keep the team you have, and attract more employees to join your team.
Explore StrongProject.com for call center furniture solutions.
