You can increase employee retention in your business, and save thousands of dollars on replacement costs, with a strong VoIP system.
It’s a time-consuming task to hire the right employees for your business, but it’s another task to ensure they remain with your company for many years to come. In fact, it’s critical that businesses have a high rate of employee retention because high employee turnover will cost you.
Why? The replacement cost for just one employee averages at about $15,000 per year. Multiply that by the number of employees you lose, and you’ll have a big figure that you’ll wish you avoided from the start! So, how do you increase employee retention?
Here are some of the most common ways to increase employee retention:
- Hire the right people. Easier said than done, but you should evaluate how employees are selected for employment. Do they truly fit the competencies and workplace culture of the business? Make sure the business has a sound strategy for discovering and sourcing talent.
- Have a robust employee onboarding process. Competence drives confidence. Create an employee onboarding process that gives employees the proper training and confidence to perform well in their jobs.
- Employee development opportunities. Prove to your employees that the business is committed to their professional advancement. Provide professional development opportunities so that their careers and the company benefit.
- Use a business VoIP phone system. The phone system used by the business is often overlooked, but when carefully chosen, makes a world of difference. Phones are the communication backbone of nearly all businesses.
Aline is a cloud-based, VoIP phone system that makes your business more efficient and easier to manage. Click here for a free quote from Aline!
How can a VoIP system increase employee retention?
1. Streamlined Internal Communication
During the busy workday, interruptions and foot traffic can cause disruption and slow productivity. With internal chat built into your business VoIP, you can message a coworker instantly without having to leave your desk. You can even improve morale by sending your coworker an emoji or meme throughout the day.
Internal chat is especially useful for customer service and sales employees who need a quick response and can’t place the customer on hold. Even remote workers find this feature helpful because they cannot simply flag coworkers down when they have a question or walk over to their desk.
Live video conferencing is another tool that adds a personal touch no matter where you are. Do you have a scheduled call with your staff, but find that standard conference calling isn’t enough?
Many VoIP systems allow users to video conference straight through their business phone system for scheduled meetings or on-demand. Sales representatives appreciate it for when meetings cannot be done in-person because they’re able to read emotions more easily than when they’re on a phone call.
Video conferencing can also boost morale for employees who work remotely and in prolonged isolation. Team building is just a click away with VoIP!
The peace of mind you gain from knowing that coworkers are available over chat or video call will go a long way in promoting teamwork, efficiency, and company morale.
2. Employee Flexibility
With the accessibility of company resources through the internet, more employers are allowing employees to work remotely part-time or permanently. Even the recent COVID-19 pandemic forced nearly all American office workers to work remotely.
For many, the first challenge to working remotely was their phone situation. They either had to lug home an office phone or use their personal cell phone for making phone calls to coworkers and customers. The struggle of hooking up equipment and the frustration of giving out a personal cell phone to clients can be a lot for employees.
To ease the burden, a business VoIP like Aline allows users to use a mobile business phone app. The app has its own built-in dial pad so that when an employee makes an outgoing call, the caller ID that appears on the recipient’s screen is always the business phone and not the personal cell phone number.
Sales staff will appreciate the flexibility of a VoIP phone app because they can work longer hours if they choose or turn the app off at night so they won’t receive calls. Flexibility like working remotely is key to creating a work-life balance for employees that is simple to execute.
3. Assist on Demand
In order to increase sales or customer service success, sometimes coaching is needed. When an employee feels confident in their work, he or she is more likely to remain with the company. Business VoIP offers several tools to help you effectively coach employees.
Call recordings instantly record all employee calls. Was there an objection that came up in a discussion that left the sales rep speechless? Just like how athletes study game films, sales teams can analyze previous sales calls. Instantly access the call recording, analyze the conversation, and formulate the proper way to overcome the objection the next time it comes up in discussion.
In some instances, an employee may need assistance on a call right away. Whisper coaching allows the supervisor or manager to chime in on the discussion in real-time and provide tips as to what to say.
It’s just like when the head coach of a football team talks to his quarterback through a headset. With a little bit of teamwork, the team wins and when the team wins, players will want to remain on the team.
Let’s review how to increase employee retention
- Drive Company Morale and Streamline Communication. Business VoIP’s various communication tools like internal chat and video conferencing unite employees and teams wherever they’re located.
- Increase Flexibility. With the mobility of business VoIP, employees can work from anywhere and never have to haul equipment home from the office. More flexibility is more reason for an employee to remain with your business.
- Competence Builds Confidence. Who likes leaving a job they’re good at and enjoy? No one! VoIP’s various coaching tools such as call recordings and whisper coaching gives managers the coaching tools they need. The ability to properly assist employees drives competence in their work and builds confidence in their job.
Aline is a cloud-based, VoIP phone system that makes your business more efficient and easier to manage. Click here for a free quote from Aline!
Conclusion
Employee turnover is costly and an aspect that you shouldn’t neglect. With the right processes in place and technology like business VoIP, employees will remain with your company for years to come. Click here to speak with an expert more on how you implement VoIP into your business and eliminate high employee turnover!