Training Departments’ Role in Enhancing Agents’ Emotional Intelligence

SixEleven

Emotional Intelligence is one of the skills a BPO agent can be proud of. This is the trait that keeps the agent in their stressful job. Though this is not a skill that can let anyone land automatically a job, it is easily transferable. With this skill, the agent can navigate a conversation and keep composure in the business process.

Agents face a stressful environment every single day. Whether it is communicating through voice or not, an angry client or a customer is a challenge to overcome. This makes the Training Department an integral part of each BPO firm, making them a molding place for Emotional Intelligence. 

What is a Training Department?

Each company has a workplace structure that is supported by the efficiency of its employees. In some companies, Training Departments are included as part of the workforce to cater to the learning needs of their employees. One reason is to maximize the efficiency of the operations by retaining skilled employees.

Training Departments also mold the soft skills of the company employees. Anyone can learn hard skills as one gets used to the work that they do. The fact about soft skills is they reveal how an employee connects with the other employees. Relationship in the workplace is a great way to shape company culture. Bad relationships can affect the functioning of the company itself, making employees leave in no time.

Understanding Emotional Intelligence

Life success relies on 2 intelligences. The first is the Intelligence Quotient and the second is the Emotional Quotient. The first allows an individual to learn the hard skills while the latter, is the soft skills. Without the latter, learning about hard skills will be useless. Collaboration is a great need in the workplace and requires soft skills from employees.

When it comes to soft skills, one can learn them by acquiring emotional intelligence. One can be good at something but doesn’t have trustworthiness because of the failure to build a connection. With emotional intelligence, it is easy for an individual to navigate relationships, wherever they are. Being trusted requires someone to be good in relationships whatever the circumstances.

The Role of Training Departments

Acquiring emotional intelligence allows anyone to easily apply hard skills. To have this type of intelligence, character-building is necessary to ensure that hard skills are learned. This is where Training Departments come into play. Their skilled trainers mold the learners to make them emotionally equipped to face the workplace.

In some BPO companies, Training Departments are an integral part of the entire workforce. It is through this department where future employees of the company will first delve in. Basic skills like empathy and relationship-building are taught. Learners will then later implement what they learn as they are put into a campaign. This makes them to absorb easily the hard skills while maintaining integrity in the process.

Many agents thrive in the stressful BPO environment because they are emulating Emotional Intelligence. Training Departments contribute to this characteristic from the start. Thanks to them attrition rates in some BPO companies are low. It is because when one is emotionally intelligent enough, they will develop resilience as the years pass by.

Practical Strategies for BPO Agents

While Training Departments are good at emulating BPO agents the required emotional intelligence, an agent can do their part. Consider the following practical strategies:

• Active Listening During Customer Interactions

Businesses survive because of their customers. And to retain these customers, great customer service is crucial. Skillful agents are great at retaining customers by doing one basic thing. They are active listeners of customer concerns. Each day is a battle between them and angry customers, and customers are retained through active listening.

• Recognizing and Managing Stress Triggers

BPO Agents are dealing with changing work shifts. If the business of a particular client is located in another part of the world, BPO agents will adjust their work schedule. The majority of the time, BPO agents engage in graveyard shifts. This work arrangement can contribute to restlessness and changing body clock, making BPO agents stressed.

To manage stress, the first step is to recognize it. Once the BPO agent recognizes the stress, they can adjust by managing their routine. Establishing a routine will lessen stress by allowing the body to rest for a specific time duration. It would be hard at first but will be bearable as the BPO agent will get used to their work schedule.

• Building Friendship With Colleagues

Managing healthy relationships in the workplace is an essential part of a healthy work culture. One indication of a healthy work culture is when colleagues work together to develop friendships. A healthy work environment consists of happy people. This can only be developed by building positive connections that contribute to company growth.

• Handing Difficult Conversations With Empathy

Agents and customers communicate regularly in a calculated way of conversing. Some concerns can be answered by a transactional approach. However, angry customers are prevalent most of the time. A skilled agent has a knack for alleviating the tension.

Usually, a skilled agent navigates difficult conversations by empathizing with the customer. This requires expertise that only emotional intelligence can create. Empathy lets the customer assume that the agent understands what they feel, making the resolution easy for the agent.

So, Why Should You Consider BPO Firms With Training Departments

Overall, experience is the most potent tool that anyone can have to navigate the workplace. But for those who want to expedite the experience, it is wiser to consider entering the Training Department first. It lets an agent explore the skills they must have. Whether it is active listening or empathy, experienced agents sometimes forget these essentials.

That’s why, companies and businesses must see if there is a Training Department when considering a BPO firm. It allows them to have talents that are emotionally excellent in handling their customer concerns and difficult tasks.

AboutSixEleven

SixEleven is the first Davao-Based solution-oriented contact center designed to provide quality services in Sales, Marketing and Customer Support in the Philippines.