Hiring Great Customer Service Staff is Tough: Take a Cue from the Consumer Experience

By Robert Peasnell, Head of Growth, EMEA

With consumer experience heralded as the prime battleground for businesses, it’s not all about technology. According to PwC, 74% of European consumers want more human interaction in the future, but only 46% agree that the employees they interact with understand their needs.

And the stakes for customer-facing staff keep rising.

With 71% of customers paying more attention to corporate values in 2022 than they did in 2021, 89% of customer experience (CX) professionals confirm that their contact centre agents are expected to be better versed on their brand’s stance on social issues compared to a year ago.

Plus, there’s a real focus on personalised, non-scripted engagements. Boston Consulting Group research shows that NPS scores are 20% higher for businesses that deliver a high level of personalisation, compared to those that don’t.

Candidates Want a Consumer-Like Experience

These trends are mirrored in candidate expectations of your recruitment process.

Take these stat—80% of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services, and 65% find a positive experience with a brand to be more influential than great advertising.

Snap.

Plus, 79% of consumers say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends or family. Negative reviews can have a significant impact on consumer behaviour, making 92% of consumers less likely to use a business.

Same in recruitment.

So, if we check what consumers want from a great digital experience, it’s likely to mirror candidate aspirations.

The key contributors are – the Three S’s – Speed (94%), Seamlessness (92%) and a Sense of Control (92%). Combine that with an individualised experience (83%) and you’ll have a winning strategy.

Is it time to review your candidate experience through a consumer lens?

Post by Robert Peasnell