100 MKS Call Centers

A PROJECT REPORT ON

“STRESS MANAGEMENT IN CALL CENTER”

SUBMITTED BYPRIYANKA BARASKAR

PROJECT GUIDE

PROF. MUGDHA .S.BAPAT

K.V. PENDHARKAR COLLEGE

STRESS MANAGEMENT IN CALL CENTERS

Declaration

I Priyanka.G.Baraskar of K.V.PENDHARKAR COLLEGE hereby declare that we

have completed this project on “Stress Management in Call Center with the case study

of WNS” in the Academic Year 2010 as a part of our academic fulfillment. The

information submitted is true and original to the best of our knowledge and belief.

__________ _____________Date Priyanka.G.Baraskar

CERTIFICATE

I Prof.Mugdha.S.Bapat do hereby certify that Priyanka.G.Baraskar., student

of K.V.PENDHARKAR COLLEGE T.Y.BMS has completed their project on “Stress

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Management in call center with the case study of WNS” as a part of his academic

fulfillment in the Academic year 2010. The information submitted is true and original to

the best of my knowledge and belief.

________________ ________________Signature of Signature of the

Project Guide

Authorized Signatory for ITM

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INDEXSECTION I

INTRODUCTION TO STRESS

1. INTRODUCTION TO STRESS ………………………..4-13

2. INTRODUCTION TO CALL CENTRES……………...15-21

3. STRESS IN CALL CENTRE.......................................22-33

4. STRESS MANAGEMENT IN CALL CENTRE……36-47

5.PERSONAL EXPERIENCES …………………………...48-59

6. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION……….62-67

7. ANNEXURES 1. PAPER CUTTINGS

2. CERTIFICATES

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1

INTRODUCTION

TO

STRESS

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1. POEM ON STRESS

What's that st iffness in my neck? Feel that lump come in my throat Stomach dropping to my knees Feel l ike I just missed the boat

Panic rising to my head Heartbeat racing, breathing fast Can I do it? Will I fail How long will these feelings last?

Apprehension overwhelms Nervous twitching, fingers curled Tension headache, aching back All these symptoms now unfurled

Now my body's overun Hormones racing from my glands Must release i t, let it out How to do i t 's in my hands

Lost our way of fight or flight Stored up anger, unreleased Words and shouting flung about Now it 's time that raging ceased

Relaxation, that 's the key Integration of the mind Exercise, good food to eat Leave those worries far behind

Hold that stress out at arm's length Draw it, write it, let i t go Roll i t in a lit tle ball Throw it out, release that woe

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Find the tools you have inside Make a choice to be serene Welcome stress, become its friend Don't put life in quarantine.

Objectives-:The reason behind preparing project on “STRESS MANAGEMENT IN CALL

CENTERS” is to find alternative solutions for the core issues hampering the development

of call centers. In order to do so, it was imperative to understand and study the key problem

in call center after a small survey it was found that stress itself is the main problem for the

employees in call centers. Following were the objectives of the report –

1. To study the prevailing stress factors in call centers.

2. To study the effects of stress in human being.

3. To know how the management manages stress in call centers

4. To show that employees are the asset of any organization if they are happy and satisfied,

their efficiency improves, and thus increases the profitability of the organization.

5. To visit call centers and learn why are they paid so lot of money.

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2. STRESS

Definition-: Stress can be thought of any event that strains or exceeds an individual

ability to cope.

--LAZARAUS AND LAUNIER 1978

Harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do

not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker.

WHAT IS STRESS?

Stress is the "wear and tear" our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually

changing environment; it has physical and emotional effects on us and can create positive

or negative feelings. As a positive influence, stress can help compel us to action; it can

result in a new awareness and an exciting new perspective. As a negative influence, it can

result in feelings of distrust, rejection, anger, and depression, which in turn can lead to

health problems such as headaches, upset stomach, rashes, insomnia, ulcers, high blood

pressure, heart disease, and stroke. With the death of a loved one, the birth of a child, a job

promotion, or a new relationship, we experience stress as we re-adjust our lives. In so

adjusting to different circumstances, stress will help or hinder us depending on how we

react to it.

Stress is a normal physical reaction that occurs when you feel threatened or

overwhelmed. The perception of a threat is as stressful as a real threat. You perceive a

situation as threatening or feel overwhelmed because you are dealing with an unusually

large number of everyday responsibilities. With increasing demands of home and work life,

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many people are under enormous stress. The stress response narrows your ability to think

clearly and function effectively.

We all face different challenges and obstacles, and sometimes the pressure is hard

to handle. When we feel overwhelmed, under the gun, or unsure of how to meet the

demands placed on us, we experience stress. Stress is what keeps you on your toes during a

presentation at work or drives you to study for your midterm. But when the going gets too

tough and life's demands exceed your ability to cope, stress becomes a threat to both your

physical and emotional well-being. Stress is a psychological and physiological response to

events that upset our personal balance in some way. These events or demands are known as

stressors. We usually think of stressors as being negative, such as an exhausting work

schedule or a rocky relationship. However, anything that forces us to adjust can be a

stressor. This includes positive events such as getting married or receiving a promotion.

Regardless of whether an event is good or bad, if the changes it brings strain our coping

skills and adaptive resources. The end result is the subjective feeling of stress and the

body's biological stress response. Stress may be considered the 'wear and tear' our bodies

experience as we adjust to a continually changing organizational environment

EXPLORING THE QUESTION OF CONTROL.

Within organizational change, people will experience things they cannot control.

Some employees have to make some difficult or painful changes where desirable choices

seem non-existent. Unfortunately, people may direct their attention to the things they

cannot control, resulting in reduced awareness of available choices and feelings of being

trapped. This results in higher stress levels and decreased work place effectiveness.

Working with employees to identify what they could and could not control about the

changes they were experiencing lead to realizations like the following:

What we cannot control What we can control

Decisions made by government

Some decisions made by top management

How we behave or act

Our thoughts

Our contribution and performance at work

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Other people

Consequences of our behaviour or actions

Our choices

What we say to others, positive or

negative input

Most stress consists of a collection of strong emotions and the negative self talk that adds

fuel to keep them alive, as shown on the sheet below. common words relating to stress are

1.1

9

TRAUMATIC STRESS

CHRONIC STRESS

EPISODIC ACUTE STRESS

ACUTE STRESS

STRESS


This exercise helps participants sort out the work place stressors, what they are telling

themselves about them, and the physical and emotional effects they experience.

3. CATEGORIES OF STRESS

3.1

Stress can be broadly classified in the following categories:

Acute stress is what most people identify as stress. It makes itself felt through

tension headaches, emotional upsets, gastrointestinal disturbances, feelings of

agitation and pressure. It's easily treatable and can be brought under control in

six to eight weeks.

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Episodic acute stress is more serious and can lead to migraines, hypertension,

stroke, heart attack, anxiety, depression, serious gastrointestinal distress. It's

quite treatable, but it takes general life style readjustments, four to six months,

and often requires professional help.

Chronic stress is the most serious of all. It's the stress that never ends. It grinds

us down until our resistance is gone. Serious systemic illness such as diabetes,

decreased immunocompetence, perhaps cancer is its hallmark. It can be treated,

even reversed, but it takes time - sometimes two to three years-and often requires

professional help.

Traumatic stress is the result of massive acute stress, the effects of which can

reverberate through our systems for years. Post traumatic stress disorder is

treatable and reversible and usually requires professional aid.

4. STRESS PATTERNS

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Generally a call center employee undergoes the following two types of Stress

Pattern

4.1

1. Normal Pattern

This kind of stress is prevalent and inevitable among most of the call center

employees. But this kind of stress does not have any serious repercussions on the

health of the employees. In fact this kind of stress helps employees to work

harder and achieve the required goals.

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2. Crisis Pattern

Stress under the crisis pattern is the most dreaded kind of stress pattern among

call center employees. Once it is identified among employees, employers must

take immediate remedial measures to ensure that it does not affect the work life

and personal life of the employees, which will ultimately lead to low output from

the employee.

5. IS STRESS GOOD

In small doses, stress can be a good thing. It can give you the push you need,

motivating you to do your best and to stay focused and alert. Stress is not necessarily a

negative phenomenon and it would therefore be a mistake to concentrate only on its

pathological effects. A moderate level of stress can be an important motivational factor and

can be instrumental in achieving a dynamic adaptation to new situations.

If health is considered as a dynamic equilibrium, stress is part of it. There is no

health without interaction with other people and with the environment. Only excesses of

stress are pathological.

Some stress is therefore normal and necessary, at work and outside it. Stress is good

because the increased levels of hormones flooding through the body increase performance.

There is a point, however where stress levels increase beyond the body's ability to deal

with it, and performance drops off very quickly and people 'burnout'.

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5.1

2

INTRODUCTION

TO

CALL CENTERS

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1. ABOUT CALL CENTERS

1. The part of an organization that handles inbound/outbound communications with

customers.

2. Industry term referring to a company phone center that handles such services as help

desk, customer support, lead generation, emergency response, telephone answering service,

inbound response and outbound telemarketing

3. A functional area within an organization or an outsourced, separate facility that exists

solely to answer inbound or place outbound telephone calls; usually a sophisticated voice

operations center that provides a full range of high-volume, inbound or outbound call-

handling services, including customer support, operator services, directory assistance,

multilingual customer support, credit services, card services, inbound and outbound

telemarketing, interactive voice response and web-based.

CALL CENTRES

Are one of the most rapidly growing forms of employment in India today and also one of the most controversial, having attracted negative press coverage

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for the stressful ‘pressure-cooker’ working conditions which apply in some of the larger and more highly-regimented centres. Reports have also focused on staff recruitment and retention difficulties experienced in local call centre ‘hot spots’. Many of these problems appear to be associated with having large numbers of workers concentrated together in one location.

The study concluded that whilst no reliable statistics exist on call centre employment in India it is undoubtedly expanding quickly and probably currently accounts for between a quarter and three-quarters of a million jobs in India.

Furthermore, the rapid growth and speed of change in the sector has created very volatile conditions in the industry.

BENEFITS OF CALL CENTERS

Call centers are facilities that are specifically set up to manage telephone

calls from customers. They are intended to provide orderly cost efficient telephone-based

services. They serve as the primary telephone interface with customers for specific

services provided by the agencies. The call centers have structured environments where

calls are handled by a group of skilled professionals who provide the service required by

the caller or transfer the call to someone designated for that purpose.

The key customer benefits of the call centers include:

Convenient customer access to the services required

A positive experience from operators skilled in providing telephone services

Accurate and appropriate responses

High level of customer satisfaction

Improved efficiency

Monitor performance

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Outsource & Self doing

Call center can either be of the companies own or they can even outsource this job to other

organization which is more preferred as compared to owning their own call center system.

This can be because of following reason.

Lower labor costs in offshore call center outsourcing

In many call centers in either North America or in Europe, labor costs are the largest share

of operating expenses. In India, labor costs are much lower, about 10- 20 percent of what it

is in the US. Because of this operating expenses are more evenly distributed across labor,

systems and telecom, and real estate and utilities. The savings, for some of these

companies, have been truly phenomenal going up to as much as $250 million annually.

Labor costs in India are quite low compared to the U.S. Someone answering complicated

financial questions on the phone in the U.S. may expect $40,000 a year, but in India, labour

costs are a fraction of what they are overseas.

A skilled and abundant work force

Many call centers in America or in Europe hire high school graduates. These employees

often appear to lack commitment and motivation, as can be observed by the high attrition

rates, about 40 percent or higher.

In India however, call centers hire university graduates from the enormous pools of skilled

labour (India alone produces 2 million English-speaking college graduates and 300,000

post-graduates annually). Although just some 5% of Indians are proficient in English, in a

country of more than one billion people, this still represents a labor pool of more than 50

million people. For these employees, a call center profession is not just a temporary job,

but a career they are committed to.

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SOME OF THE STATISTICS

In a talk on how the US will actually benefit from outsourcing rather than incur losses,

Azim Premji, the chair man of Wipro, said that the US economy was projected to save

about $11 billion from outsourcing to India in the current year. · "Indian IT professionals in

the US spend $1.2 billion contributing to the domestic economy there. Indian firms paid

over $350 million to the US social security in 2002-03 and this amount is expected to cross

$1 billion in the next few years," he said.

In a recent report by Inductis, to understand the magnitude of the impact on the US

economy of offshore outsourcing, figures showed that 8 billion dollars was saved over the

last four years.

The Inducts report also showed that GE which employs 18,000 workers in India has

seen a total savings of 350 million dollars a year.

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and off shoring is expected to grow substantially in

the next five years. Approximately $300-400 billion of services will be moved offshore

and/or outsourced. India's share in the outsourcing market is likely to be 2/3rd.

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2. SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS

o Highly skilled, English-speaking workforce.

o Abundant manpower

o Cheaper workforce than their Western

counterparts. According to Nasscom, The

wage difference is as high as 70-80 percent when compared to their Western

counterparts.

o Lower attrition rates than in the West.

o Dedicated workforce aiming at making a long-term career in the field.

o Round-the-clock advantage for Western companies due to the huge time

difference.

o Lower response time with efficient and effective service.

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o Operational excellence

o Conducive business environment

WEAKNESSES

o Recent months have seen a rise in the level of attrition rates among call centers

workers who are quitting their jobs to pursue higher studies. Of late workers

have shown a tendency not to pursue call center as a full-time career.

o The cost of telecom and network infrastructure is much higher in India than in

the US.

o Manpower shortage

o Local infrastructure

o Political opposition from developed countries

OPPORTUNITIES

o To work closely with associations like Nasscom to portray India as the most

favoured call center destination in the world.

o Indian call centers should work closely with Western governments and assuage

their concerns and issues.

o India can be branded as a quality call centers destination rather than a low-cost

destination.

o $69 billion call centers business by 2010

o $97.5 billion IT (consulting, software solutions) market by 2010

THREATS

o The anti-outsourcing legislation in the US state of New Jersey. Three more

states in the United States are planning legislation against outsourcing

Connecticut, Missouri and Wisconsin.

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o Workers in British Telecom have protested against outsourcing of work to

Indian BPO companies.

o Other call centers destinations such as China, Philippines and South Africa

could have an edge on the cost factor.

o Slowdown of demand

3. STATISTICS OF INDIAN CALL CENTRES

1. RECENT RANKINGS OF INDIAN CALL CENTERS.

Top 15 Call Center in India

SR.No 2004-05 2005-06

1 WNS GENPACT

2 WIPRO BPO WNS

3 HCL TECHNOLOGY BPO SERVICES WIPO BPO

4 IBM DAKSH HCL BPO SERVICES

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5 EXL SERVICES ICICI ONESOURCE

6 MPHASIS BPO (FORMERLY MSOURCE) IBM DAKSH

7 INTELENET GLOBAL PROGEON

8 ICICI ONESOURCE AEGIS BPO SERVICES

9 GTL EXL SERVICE HOLDINGS

10 PROGEON 24/7 CUSTOMER

11 24/7 CUSTOMER.COM MPHASIS BPO

12 DATAMATICS TECHNOLOGIES

INTELENET GLOBAL SERVICES

13 HINDUJA TMT GTL

14 TRANSWORKS TCS BPO

15 TRACMAIL TRANSWORKSSOURCE: NASSCOM 2005 SURVEY

THE CURRENT AVERAGE SALARIES IN THE BPO WORLD IN

INDIA?

o Customer Care Representatives [CSRs]: Rs 8,000 - Rs 15,000 per month

o Team Leaders: Rs. 17,000 - Rs 26,000 per month

o Managers: Rs 3 lacs - Rs 5.5 lacs per annum

o Training Heads: Rs 8 lacs - Rs 12 lacs per annum

o Training Managers: Rs 5 lacs - Rs 8 lacs per annum

o Trainers: Rs 2 lacs - Rs 5 lacs per annum

SEGMENTS SKILLSCall center Good communication and language skills, accent understanding team

leadership, basic computing skills

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1. MAIN REVENUE AREAS FOR INDIAN BPO COMPANIES?

India's BPO Market in 2008

Service Line First Estimate (1999) Second Estimate (2001)

HR 5.4 3.5-4.0

Customer Care 4.1 8.0-8.5

Payment Services 2.9 3.0-3.5

Content Development 2.6 2.5-3.0

Administration 1.3 1.5-2.0

Finance 0.7 2.5-3.0

Figures in $ billion

3

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STRESS

IN

CALL CENTERS

1. STRESS FACTORS IN CALL CENTRES

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STATUS BAR , OLDSTERS

MONOTONOUS JOB

LESS TIME TO SPEND WITH FAMILY

INTENSITY


3.1

1. MONOTONOUS JOB

The primary source of stress reported is inherent to the nature of the job: spending

all day on the phone dealing with people one after another, day after day, is difficult. Doing

it under constant pressure to keep call volumes up, with no time between calls to ‘recover

from an awkward call’ or from ‘customer rejection’ is even more difficult. And doing it

with ‘very little authority or autonomy to rectify problems’ that arise is perhaps the most

difficult of all. Many studies report agents as wanting to ‘just get off the phones’. It was

pointed out that managers face an inherent conflict between the need to reduce staff

boredom and labor turnover, and the pressure to concentrate staff energies on telephone

based work.

2. WEIRD WORK TIMINGS

No prizes, for guessing the most severe ailment afflicting employees, working in

Indian call centers. Because of the time difference between India and the United States,

Indian employees work graveyard shifts, arriving at the office in the early evening

(6:30pm) and returning home shortly before dawn (3:30am). The adjustment to such odd

hours is hitting India hard, and carrying with it a host of health problems: digestive disease,

hair loss, back pain and stress to name just a few. Since this is a unique Indian problem,

again, no solution appears in sight. Obviously this affects first timers more severely, as

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STRESSFACTORS IN CALL CENTERS.

WEIRD WORKING TIME

VERBAL ABUSE

CONFLICTING ROLES TARGETS

LACK OF COMMUNICATIONS

FEAR OF INSECURITY


they take time to acclimatize their biological clocks, but even experienced people or

managers are not able to completely escape from it. Some call centers are looking at

devising innovative mechanisms like flexible shifts with sleeping arrangements in the

office premises as possible solutions.

3. CONFLICTING ROLE REQUIREMENT ON EMPLOYEE.

This more nuance positioning may provide more insight into call center conditions,

as it allows considering the response of employees “forced to interpret the often

contradictory demands management place upon them” including “contradictions over

service quality versus the quantity of work output”. Staff faces some fundamental

contradictions over unity versus conflict, uncertainty versus certainty, quality versus

quantity and these are at the heart of the reproduction of stress, resistance and control. This

focus on the “contradictory” nature of demands strikes at the heart of the second inherent

sources of stress in (primarily inbound) call center works: the quality/quantity conflict.

Typically, organizational rhetoric in inbound call centers is concerned with ‘customer

care’, or ‘keeping customers happy’ (providing quality service), yet these goals are

juxtaposed with an ongoing pressure to keep call times down and call volumes up. This can

be easily understood as follows - Call centers are rooted in contradictory tensions and

structural paradoxes, and confront a number of trade-offs on that basis. These set a context

for attitudes towards the organization and can impose conflicting role requirements on

agents. A core example is that of the pressure for quantity versus the aspiration for quality,

the guiding logic of which is the conundrum of trying to get closer to the customer while

routinizing, centralizing, reducing costs and prescribing standards. The dichotomy is not

completely straightforward, it is important to note that part of providing quality service

from a management perspective is making sure customers do not wait too long for their

calls to be answered, even though the push to keep queue waiting times short is typically

categorized as part of the pressure towards quantity. As pointed out in the study by

Investors in People 2004, “efforts to attain what is perceived to be the desired balance

between the quantity and the quality of calls presents a perennial challenge”.

4. INTENSITY

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Another stressor in call center work is its intensity. There is widespread consensus that

“call centers are a new, and particularly effective, manifestation of the increasingly capital

intensive ‘industrialization’ of service sector work, and work performed in them is highly

intensive and routine”.

Investor in People, 2004 quotes a call center employee describing the

intensity of the job. “It’s almost like the army. It’s much regimented. You punch in with a

time clock. You come in and you sit down, and the numbers are all computerized. As soon

as you finish a call, the minute you hang up another call comes up just this constant, all

day, repetitious constant sort of like beating on a drum, but day after day ”, says call center

employee. Descriptions such as “exhausting,” “robotic,” “controlled,” and agents

discussing the nature of their work often used are “machine-like”.

An organizational viewpoint of the situation is totally indifferent, they say:

Call centers are information handling organizations. As currently characterized, the job of

the agent is to be the voice of the organization, interfacing with the client or customer. The

organization rehearses the things it wants said and feeds them through the agent. The agent

is largely constructed as a mouthpiece rather than as a brain. A call-center worker who

articulated his feelings about the organization’s expectations of its agents in very similar

terms, Rahul: You are standing waiting to be used by the technology, and it’s a physical

embodiment of that. You are standing, waiting until that call comes in to use you to make

money. And you are simply another part of that machine. When this feeling of being a cog

in a machine which never stops as it grinds on, repeating the same actions over and over

again, is combined with ‘the cumulative emotional demands presented by the interpersonal

nature of the work’, stress is inevitable.

5. TARGETS

A major feature of some call center work that may

engender stress is performance targets. There are

various types of targets, which may vary between

inbound and outbound centers. Inbound centers

typically have targets for call duration, ‘wrap

time’, and daily call volume. Outbound centers

often also have sales or ‘completion’ targets,

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which are closely monitored and upon which pay may be partially based. In addition, in

some sectors, inbound call centers are attempting to introduce the practice of cross selling,

where agents attempt to sell additional products to the customers who call in for another

purpose. In these centers, sales targets similar to those in outbound centers are

often in place.

According to behaviorists, targets are a significant source of stress for workers

as more and more importance is placed upon meeting them in an increasingly competitive

business environment. Sales targets, in particular, are difficult to accept, or meet, for staffs

who often consider themselves as service personnel, particularly when they are set

centrally and implemented locally: “Cross-selling is seen by employees, not as an

opportunity to engage in creative work, but as an additional and acute source of pressure”.

This is especially the case when sales targets are parachuted in on top of service targets set

originally when there was no pressure to produce sales.

As a CSR in the study emphasizes: “When somebody calls in for a balance you

have to try to get a sale or get them interested as well as turning the call round in 155

seconds” Even in centers that claim not to prioritize targets, researchers have found that

staff often feels significant pressure. Targets simply intensify the stress produced by the

quantity/quality debate, or, as one agent is quoted as saying, “They say that they’re not

really interested in numbers. They say that they are more into quality. Well, that’s a lie.

They’re usually more into numbers than anything”. It is important not to over generalize

however. While most call centers do have some targets, they are a source of stress that is

directly under management control. Some call centers are managed in such a way that

targets are set to realistically reflect local conditions, are interpreted in light of other, more

subjective information, and are not used punitively or to intensify work.

6. LACK OF COMMUNICATION

It is a call center disease that some call centers just gravitate to simply because everyone is

too busy with their job duties and with doing someone else's jobs that communication is

simply forgotten. Sounds harmless but if not addressed, it could slowly but surely drag

down a center's morale, employees' self esteems, work life balance, job security,

employees' productivities and the most important increase stress levels.

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7. VERBAL ABUSE

60% call handlers may experience more verbal abuse than the typical office workers,

because they spend more time on the telephone. The Health and Safety Executive's

definition of work-related violence, 'any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or

assaulted in circumstances relating to their work', explicitly states it includes verbal abuse.

There are no clear criteria as to what constitutes an abusive call, as some call handlers may

feel less threatened than others by callers shouting, swearing and making insulting and

aggressive comments. Individuals may also vary over time as to how they cope with these

kinds of calls and how long it takes them to recover. All these factors should be given

careful consideration in a risk assessment.

It is a known fact that the call center jobs available in India today are all

uprooted from American countries. Approximately 170,000 new jobs have been created in

India over the past few years, leaving the employees from the outsourcing countries

redundant. This has caused a furor among the jobless international population; many of

them end up making abusive calls. While earlier, abusive calls would usually come from

drunken callers, now they come from sober people who are calling only to vent their

feeling about their jobs being off shored, or 'Bangalore' as it is now called, says a Mumbai

call center executive.

Employees working in call centers in India report the highest volume of

abusive and racist phone calls than ever before. "Earlier, people would get abusive if we

didn't answer their questions satisfactorily. Now, I get calls on some days up to five a shift

from people who are calling only to abuse," says a 22-year-old engineering graduate who

works in a major call centre in Malad. This has caused many Indian employees to suffer

from various emotional and physical stresses.

8. NO TIME TO SPEND WITH FAMILY

As the timing of call center persons are weird that is from 7pm onwards 3am or such, full

night goes in working in call centers and after coming home fully tired , he goes directly

for sleep not even having proper conversation with his family, it is truly said in this case

that when world is at sleep call center people is awake and when world wakes up they go

for sleep. It has been observed that even during holidays and Sundays midnight coolies

prefer to take rest at home rather than taking family away for outing.

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9. FEAR OF INSECURITY

Even though there was a huge increase in payment of salaries to workers through the entry

of call centers. People working in call centers always has a feeling of insecurity in their

mind that if tomorrow they are out of call center then they cannot enter into other stream

that they initially choosed easily due to lack of experience in this field.

10. STATUS BAR IN FRONT OF OLDSTERS

Oldsters of the society have a feeling that working in a call center is not a job of

status .they still believe that working in night is not done among good families .many

proposals were broken just because of this reason.

2. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF STRESS

Stress affects the mind, body, and behavior in many ways. The specific signs and

symptoms of stress vary from person to person, but all have the potential to harm your

health, emotional well-being, and relationships with others. Below is a partial list of stress

signs and symptoms that a person undergoing stress might experience.

Keep in mind that the signs and symptoms of stress can be caused by many psychological

or physical problems. Similarly, emotional symptoms such as anxiety or depression

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Intellectual symptoms: How stress can affect your mind.

Memory problems.

Difficulty making decisions.

Inability to concentrate.

Confusion.

Seeing only the negative.

Repetitive or racing thoughts.

Poor judgment.

Loss of objectivity.

Emotional symptoms: How stress can make you feel.

Moody and hypersensitive.

Restlessness and anxiety.

Depression.

Anger and resentment.

Easily irritated and “on edge”.

Lack of confidence.

Apathy.

Urge to laugh or cry at inappropriate times.

Physical symptoms: How stress can affect your body.

Headaches.

Digestive problems.

Muscle tension and pain.

Sleep disturbances.

Fatigue.

Chest pain, irregular heartbeat.

High blood pressure.

Weight gain or loss.

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Asthma or shortness of breath.

Skin problems.

Decreased sex drive

Behavioral symptoms: How stress can affect your behavior.

Eating more or less.

Sleeping too much or too little.

Isolating yourself from others.

Neglecting your responsibilities.

Increasing alcohol and drug use.

Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing).

Teeth grinding or jaw clenching.

Overdoing activities such as exercising or shopping.

Losing your temper.

Overreacting to unexpected problems

3. EFFECTS OF STRESS

1. IRREGULARITY :

Absenteeism is very high in calls centers. Employees tend to be very irregular to the duty

due to various reasons. The professional counseling services to such irregular employees

on one to one basis will help to bring down the absenteeism. The counselor can educate

and explain the importance of attending duties to earn the salary and also to meet the

organizational goals.

32


2. GROWING MENTAL FATIGUE:

In last year's survey, this was not among the top disorders, but this year it has climbed up

the chart, affecting nearly one-fourth of the respondents. Not surprising, since, as the

industry matures, the initial glitz and glamour wears away and the real problems come to

the fore. Not only are there several health related issues, but, on top of that, the gradual

realization that there is limited scope in developing a career owing to fewer growth

opportunities is increasing the frustration levels. Coupled with growing mental fatigue and

increasingly punishing physical environments, depression is the obvious end result. Some

call centers have now devised different stress management programs mainly to counter

depression.

Severe Stomach Related Problems Continuing digestive problems lead to severe stomach

disorders like gastroenteritis, as endorsed by more than 24% of the respondents. Even

doctors in major cities agree-in recent times many of the patients with various stomach

ailments are from call centers

3. EYESIGHT PROBLEMS:

Globally call center industry employees are considered a high-risk group for eye-related

problems. While the quality of monitors might impact these disorders, sitting continually

without adequate breaks seems to be the truer reason. The number of people affected seems

to be on the rise-last year only 19% complained; this year it has gone up to 23%. At some

point of time, this problem might also afflict the IT services industry, but for the call center

industry, no remedy seems to be in sight.

4. EAR PROBLEMS:

More than 16% of the respondents inform that they have hearing problems. Again, no

surprises here, since a call center job involves taking calls throughout the shift, sitting with

headphones. While quality of headphones does make a difference, it would not be correct

to completely wish the problem away by thinking that changing headphones will solve it.

5. DIGESTIVE SYSTEM RELATED DISORDERS:

33


Working long and odd hours without any sleep, and eating food supplied by external

caterers everyday, has led to 41.9% of the respondents suffering from digestive problems.

Especially for the large number of girls working in the industry, the problem is even more

severe. Many call centers are now taking additional care to ensure their caterers supply

hygienic food; besides stipulating strict conditions to maintain the quality of the food they

serve

6. OTHER STRESS RELATED ISSUES …

The result of intense, stressful work may be an effect on workers’ health. There are often

high rates of absenteeism and sick leave reported in the literature, although there is

relatively little exploration of these issues, particularly when compared to turnover. Most

often, authors provide a brief list of known health issues. For example, Richardson, Belt

and Marshall write that “Health concerns have been expressed, including tension,

sleeplessness, headaches, eye-strain, repetitive strain injury (RSI), voice loss, hearing

problems and burn-out”, but they do not develop the point. More detailed descriptions of

the causes and effects of these ailments can be found in industry and trades union reports.

For example, the Trades Union Council (TUC) in its brochure targeted at call center

workers, cites the main illnesses to which call center staff are prone: “back strain and RSI,

stress, eyestrain, and voice and hearing loss”.

434


Managing stress

Among midnight coolies

1. MANAGING STRESS IN CALLCENTER

Stress management is to bring your nervous system back into balance, giving you a sense

of calmness and control in your life. Managing stress means balancing various aspects of it

— work, relationships and leisure — as well as the physical, intellectual and emotional

35


parts. People who effectively manage stress consider life a challenge rather than a series of

irritations, and they feel they have control over their lives, even in the face of setbacks.

Although it is not possible to give a universal prescription for preventing stress at

call centers, it is possible to offer guidelines on the process of stress prevention in

call centers. In all situations, the process for stress prevention programs involves

three distinct steps: problem identification, intervention, and evaluation

2. Changing Lifestyle

1) Get enough sleep: . The main problem of

midnight coolies are that all of a sudden when

they join call centers their sleeping patterns

36


changes, which makes them restless. Adequate sleep fuels your mind, as well as

your body. Feeling tired will increase your stress because it may cause you to think

irrationally .so have good sleep during day time keeping other works aside.

2) Connect with others: Develop a support system and share your feelings.

Perhaps a friend, family member, teacher, clergy person or counselor can help you

see your problem in a different light. Talking with someone else can help clear your

mind of confusion so that you can focus on problem solving.

3) Exercise regularly: Find at least 30 minutes, three times per week to do something

physical. Nothing beats aerobic exercise to dissipate the excess energy. Physical

activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress. During

times of high stress, choose things you like to do. It also is beneficial to have a

variety of exercise outlets. Be physically fit in ways appropriate for your age, rather

than being sedentary.

4) Eat a balanced, nutritious diet: Be mindful of what

you put in your body. Healthy eating fuels your mind,

as well as your body. Take time to eat breakfast in the

morning, it will help keep you going throughout the

day. Eating several balanced, nutritious meals

throughout the day will give you the energy to think

rationally and clearly. Well-nourished bodies are better

prepared to cope with stress.

37


5) Reduce caffeine and sugar: Avoid consuming too much caffeine and sugar. In

excessive amounts, the temporary "highs" they provide often end in fatigue or a

"crash" later. You’ll feel more relaxed, less jittery or nervous, and you’ll sleep

better. In addition, you’ll have more energy, less heartburn and fewer muscle aches.

6) Don’t self-medicate with alcohol or drugs: While

consuming alcohol or drugs may appear to alleviate stress, it is

only temporary. When sober, the problems and stress will

still be there. Don’t mask the issue at hand; deal with it head

on and with a clear mind.

7) Do something for yourself everyday: Take time out from the hustle and bustle of

life for leisure time. Too much work is actually inefficient and can lead to burnout.

Recognize when you are most stressed and allow yourself some reasonable breaks.

When things feel especially difficult, take a walk or change your scenery. Most

importantly, have fun. Do things that make you happy.

3. Changing thinking and emotional response

1) Have realistic expectations: Know your limits. Whether personally or

professionally, be realistic about how much you can do. Set limits for yourself and

learn to say “no” to more work and commitments.

38


2) Reframe problems: See problems as opportunities. As a result of positive thinking,

you will be able to handle whatever is causing your stress. Refute negative thoughts

and try to see the glass as half full. It is easy to fall into the rut of seeing only the

negative when you are stressed. Your thoughts can become like a pair of dark

glasses, allowing little light or joy into your life.

3) Maintain your sense of humor: This includes the ability to laugh at yourself.

Watch a funny movie: the sillier the plot the better. The act of laughing helps your

body fight stress in a number of ways.

4) Express your feelings instead of bottling them up: In order to live a less stressful

life, learn to calm your emotions. A good cry during periods of stress, or sharing

your concerns with someone you trust can be healthy ways to bring relief to your

anxiety.

5) Don’t try to control events or other people: Many circumstances in life are

beyond your control, particularly the behavior of others. Consider that we live in an

imperfect world. Learn to accept what is, for now, until the time comes when

perhaps you can change things.

6) Ask yourself “Is this my problem?” If it isn't, leave it alone. If it is, can you

resolve it now? Once the problem is settled, leave it alone. Don't agonize over the

decision, and try to accept situations you cannot change.

39


4. Managing stress during stressful situations?

1) Manage time: One of the greatest sources of stress is over-commitment or poor

time management. Plan ahead. Make a reasonable schedule for yourself and include

time for stress reduction as a regular part of your schedule. When you try to take

care of everything at once it can seem overwhelming and as a result, you may not

accomplish anything. Instead, make a list of what tasks you have to do, and then

complete them one at a time, checking them off as they're completed.

40


2) Give priority to the most important tasks and do those first: If a particularly

unpleasant task faces you, tackle it early in the day and get it over with. You will

experience less anxiety the rest of the day as a result. Most importantly, do not

overwork yourself. Resist the temptation to schedule things back-to-back. All too

often, we underestimate how long things will take.

3) Delegate tasks and break up big projects: Being efficient and effective means

you must delegate tasks and prioritize, schedule, budget and plan your precious

time. Aim to work in short, intensive periods, which allow you to rest in between.

Break big projects into smaller, more manageable tasks so you don’t feel

overwhelmed and nothing gets done as a result.

5. Some more tips.

1) Take a mental vacation: Take a moment to close your eyes and imagine a place

where you feel relaxed and comfortable. Notice all the details of your chosen place,

including pleasant sounds, smells and the temperature. Or change your mental

"channel" by reading a good book or playing relaxing music to create a sense of

peace and tranquility

41


2) Take a warm bath or shower: Wash the stress away and give yourself some time

by yourself to reflect and quiet the mind. Soaking in the bathtub can make you feel

like you are a world away from your reality.

3) Use aromatherapy: Originating in ancient China, aromatherapy is based on the

healing properties of plants; from which concentrated aromatic oils are extracted.

The vapors of these “essential oils” are then inhaled and carried via the

bloodstream, which controls the release of hormones and emotions.

4) Care for a pet: Petting an animal can help reduce stress and lower blood pressure.

If an office is having a pet, for example say a dog then the employees can reduce

their stress by spending some time with it. As they many people like to express their

emotions before pets

5) Keep a journal: One strategy that many people have found effective in coping with

stress is keeping a journal, sometimes referred as a “stress diary.” Writing thoughts

down has a marvelous way of putting problems into perspective. Putting your

worries into words may help you see that you don’t really have that much to worry

about, or it may help you get organized and manage your stress, rather than letting

42


it manage you. Regardless, keeping a journal should help you identify your

concerns and establish a plan for moving forward. In your journal:

a. List the situations that produce stress in your life (e.g., moving to a new

location, work demands, balancing priorities, job promotion, etc.).

b. Describe how you cope with each type of stressful experience.

c. Evaluate your responses. Are they healthy or unhealthy, appropriate or

unproductive?

6) Handling the abuse

Usually a caller is calling in because they're frustrated, angry, upset, concerned—

something has happened and they're not happy. Therefore, it is crucial that agents

and especially the call center manager note these occurrences and become better

prepared and informed on handling them for the sake of their workers and their

callers. In these situations the task should become how to handle this type of

emotional call rather than instantly labeling it "abusive" and not acceptable.

7) Job rotation

a. Job sharing/intern program cam be instituted in a call center. CSRs who

meet or exceed job expectations are eligible to do a rotation for three months in other

groups. CSRs work half a day on the phones, the other half in the Correspondence

Dept, or in the Research Dept, Work Force Management, or Quality Assurance. This

breaks up their day, teaches them new skills, & provides us with a pool of trained staff

whenever needed. Thus it is suggested to have a job rotation program that alternate

telephone staff to do administrative tasks to break up the day to day grind.

8) Stress Management Training

43


Stress management programs teach workers about the nature and sources of stress, the

effects of stress on health, and personal skills to reduce stress-for example, time

management or relaxation exercises. It also assists to improve the ability of workers to

cope with difficult work situations. Stress management training may rapidly reduce

stress symptoms such as anxiety and sleep disturbances; it also has the advantage of

being inexpensive and easy to implement. However, stress management programs have

two major disadvantages:

The beneficial effects on stress symptoms are often short-lived.

They often ignore important root causes of stress because they focus on the worker and

not the environment.

9) Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Employee Assistance Program is of prime importance when employees need a

thorough revision about the stress levels in their job. EAPs provide individual

counseling for employees with both work and personal problems.

At the organizational level a call center needs to broaden its outlook, because under this

approach instead of a single employee the firm focuses on dealing with stress in the

entire organization.

Under this approach the firm tries to reduce job stress by bringing in a consultant to

recommend ways to improve working conditions. This approach is the most direct way

44


to reduce stress at work. It involves the identification of stressful aspects of work (e.g.,

excessive workload, conflicting expectations) and the design of strategies to reduce or

eliminate the identified stressors. The advantage of this approach is that it deals directly

with the root causes of stress at work. However, managers are sometimes

uncomfortable with this approach because it can involve changes in work routines or

production schedules, or changes in the organizational structure.

As a general rule, actions to reduce job stress should give top priority to

organizational change to improve working conditions. But even the most conscientious

efforts to improve working conditions are unlikely to eliminate stress completely for all

workers. For this reason, a combination of organizational level change and employee

level change is often the most useful approach for preventing stress at work.

10 ) Reflexology-style

The tightness that you feel after

sitting in front of a computer for

hours can be overwhelming. You can

manipulate points on the feet to

reduce tension. to slip off shoes and

give urself a massage, reflexology-

style.

“Use your thumb and fingers to

gently rotate each toe, applying on-

45


and-off pressure by rocking your thumb from the first joint to its tip. Inching your thumb

along, work all surfaces of each toe. That’s called thumb-walking. Do that across the ridge

where your toes meet the ball of your foot. When you get to the outside edge of your foot,

at the base of your small toe, thumb-walk in a circle. Then stretch your toes, flex and

extend your feet, and do a few ankle rotations. Take a moment to enjoy the relief, and

you’re ready to get back to work.”

6. As the Manager

As the boss, one can ensure that subordinates are not put under undue stress and also that

they are helped to get out of stress situations as quickly as possible. The steps are

Recognize the stress levels

Show concern

Encourage talking

Listen

Empathize

Explain and show how it can be done

Provide support

46


Discuss and involve them in decisions

Show respect to the individuals

Avoid insult, denunciation, abuse, reprimand, particularly in public

Avoid manipulation, coercion, blaming

All the above, render support and help to reduce anxieties. It is not suggested that the

demands on people should be lowered. People like challenges. They must be given

challenging assignments. That is the only way to growth. But if there is a sensing of

extreme stress, it should be managed through reassurance, not by withdrawing the

assignment.

5

Personal47


Experiences

1. SAMPLE SIZE

SR NO. CALL CENTERS VISITED SAMPLE SIZE

1 CONVERGES 20

2 SUTHERLAND 20

3 WNS 20

4 CITI GROUP 20

48


2. PEOPLE SURVEYED

CONVERGYS SUTHERLAND EMP. ID NAME EMP. ID NAME2.1E+08 Amit Desai IN051318 Aamir Ghori1E+08 Diveesh Thayyil IN051299 Amith Kottayi2.1E+08 FredJames Paul IN051294 Ashish Vaghela1E+08 Harmanbir Bajwa IN051314 AsifMohd Shaikh2.1E+08 Joydeep Ghosh IN051295 Azhar Patel1E+08 Leon Pereira IN051306 Ekta Bajaj2.1E+08 Lloyd Isaac IN051312 Gaurav Dasgupta2.1E+08 Madhuri Shinde IN051302 Irfan Tisekar1E+08 Mrugesh Patel IN051307 Joseph Fernandes2.1E+08 Nainesh Shetty IN051297 Kalam Salik2.1E+08 Neethi Rao IN051301 Manish Sharma1E+08 Parag Tarkar IN051300 Merit Richardson2.1E+08 Piyush Khanduri IN051305 Monil Hodar

49


1E+08 Praveen Sequeira IN051310 Nikhil Tawde2.1E+08 Ralman Pereira IN051317 Nikhil Parkar2.1E+08 Robin Bharde IN051304 Nisha Dias2.1E+08 Roma Francis IN051308 Prashant Kamble2.1E+08 Sagar Soni IN051296 Prathamesh Patne2.1E+08 Sameer Tawde IN051316 Priyank Patani2.1e+08 Vinay Warrier IN051309 Siddharth Shinde

WNS CITIGROUP EMP. ID NAME EMP. ID NAME10833 Afaq Dalvi 109804 Abhishek Jani10834 Allwin Abraham 109800 Anup Raja Allase10835 Angelo D'Souza 109815 Ashadeep Sharma10846 Anshul Maithani 109803 Charanjit Singh10826 Anusha Johnson 109805 Chirag Shethia10848 Aqeel Nathani 109806 Dagmer Rodrigues10832 Berlin D'souza 109801 Dikshit Shetty10845 Chintan Takwani 109820 Doris Pereira10827 Deepak Das 109814 Kaushik Chatterjee10850 Durgesh Malandkar 109817 Kumar Pai10840 Imran Nathani 109818 Milind Soni10844 Kamarjahan Shaikh 109809 Mohammed Abdullah10841 Kenneth D'souza 109816 Rahul Sangani10847 Monica Mishra 109823 Raj Kukreja10838 Mubin Sayed 109811 Ravi Gude

50


10837 Naresh Sharma 109812 Richard D'souza10842 Nimrod D'souza 109807 Roshan Sholapur10831 Sachin Gaikwad 109802 Shivanand Thakur10828 Sanat Hegde 109810 Shyam Nair10830 Vishal Sisode 109821 Xavier Mendonca

The list of names they are addressed with are as follows -

- Technical Support Officer - TSO (Convergys)

- Technical Support Officer (Sutherland)

- Process Officer - PO (Citigroup)

- Collections Executive - CE (WNS)

3. STRESS SURVEY

It was really a very pleasant experience for me to get appointments with the HR managers

of WIPRO, WNS, CONVERGES, SUTHERLAND, AND CITI GROUP. And take a

survey in all of this call centers and furnish my projects with real facts and to give the best

results and suggestions to improve conditions of call centers.

A small survey was conducted in order to gauge the exact conditions in a call center. The

study was conducted on targeted respondents that included the young population employed

in the outsourcing business and with undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate education

51


Survey Results:-

1) You deal with

International calls Domestic calls

2) The shifts are-

Permanent Rotational Flexible

3) Your normal day at work is-

Exciting Easy going Hard Boring

52


4) The environment of your workplace is-

Very Good Good Satisfactory Poor

5)5) Do you lie awake at night worrying & planning the next day?Do you lie awake at night worrying & planning the next day?

Yes No Maybe

53


6)6) Do you have frequent headaches or migraines?Do you have frequent headaches or migraines?

Yes No Maybe

7)7) Do you have difficulty in concentrating?Do you have difficulty in concentrating?

Yes No Maybe

8) Do you have cold or clammy hands, dry mouth or shortness of

breath?

Yes No Maybe

54


9)9) When conflicts arise do you overreact?When conflicts arise do you overreact?

Yes No Maybe

10) Do you get along well with your colleagues?

Yes No Maybe

11) Do you feel that you are under too much pressure?

Yes No Maybe

12) Does your communication with family and friends seem

disturbed?

Yes No Maybe

55


13) Your relationship with your boss/ team leader is-

Very Good Good Satisfactory Bad

14) According to you, your work targets set by the company are-

Achievable Hard to achieve Impossible to achieve

56


15) In case of inability to achieve the targets your TL/ Boss-

Has a talk with you Screams at you Gives you another chance

16) Suggestions given by the employees are acknowledged by the management.

Yes Somewhat No

17) MAJOR STRESS FACTORS IN CALL CENTERS

57

Out of 100 employees-:

40% felt shift timing is one of the reason…..70% felt pressure of the work is one the reason…..50% felt monotonous job is one of the reason…..30% felt improper environment as one of the reason….. FOR STRESS IN THEM

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10


18) Does employee find their future bright in call centers

58

Shift Pressure Monotonous Improper Timings of work job environment


19) STRESSED OUT EMPLOYEES

5. COMMON MEASURES TAKEN

59

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

72% Yes stressed out

28% No stressed out

Yes No


The common thing that I came to notice after taking an interview in all the four call centers

was as follows-:

Everything gets measured and this puts employees under pressure. They are now

making efforts to help their employees cope with stress because it is an occupational

hazard. For example, night shifts are rotated on a regular basis. They organize various

events like family gatherings and Valentine’s Day celebrations to lighten the atmosphere

in the office. According to an HR manager at WNS, an employee could be stressed because

of a tough supervisor or if he is not able to perform well in his job. So, there is a lot of

emphasis on the training of team leaders (TL) and supervisors to avoid a strained

relationship between the employee and the TL.

Converges has an executive who is required to spend at least two hours daily at the

shop floor talking to employees about their day-to-day life.

In Citigroup they arrange for ‘feel good’ activities like an outdoor picnic or an

official dinner once in three months. This helps employees to talk to their senior

management in an informal environment. Employees are also given recognition by being

designated as ‘employee of the week’ and ‘employee of the month’.

In converges they arrange sports events on a monthly basis. An assistant manager ,

“We organize sports events like cricket tournaments to ensure that our employees are

engaged in physical activities.”

At Sutherland they conduct in-house workshops at frequent intervals in which

employees rejuvenate themselves through yoga and meditation they also play games and

indulge in activities like dumb charades and scrabble. Sutherland appoints professional

counselors who talk to the employees about both professional and personal problems like

long working hours and family demands. Besides teaching breathing exercises and yoga,

the counselors help the employees to look at things from a different perspective. They are

encouraged to take ownership and be accountable for their job in the organization.

60


61


6

Conclusion and

Recommendations

1 RECCOMENDATIONS

62


Stress management plan

Low morale, health and job complaints, and employee turnover often provide the first signs

of job stress. But sometimes there are no clues, especially if employees are fearful of losing

their jobs. Lack of obvious or widespread signs is not a good reason to dismiss concerns

about job stress or minimize the importance of a prevention program.

Step 1 - Identify the the source of stress-: The best method to explore the scope and source

of a suspected stress problem in an organization depends partly on the size of the

63


organization and the available resources. Group discussions among managers, labor

representatives, and employees can provide rich sources of information. Such discussions

may be all that is needed to track down and remedy stress problems in a small company. In

a larger organization, such discussions can be used to help design formal surveys for

gathering input about stressful job conditions from large numbers of employees.

Regardless of the method used to collect

data, information should be obtained about

employee perceptions of their job conditions

and perceived levels of stress, health, and

satisfaction. The list of job conditions that

may lead to stress and the warning signs and

effects of stress provide good starting points

for deciding what information to collect.

Regardless of the method used to collect

data, information should be obtained about

employee perceptions of their job conditions

and perceived levels of stress, health, and satisfaction. The list of job conditions that may

lead to stress and the warning signs and effects of stress provide good starting points for

deciding what information to collect.

Objective measures such as absenteeism, illness and turnover rates, or performance

problems can also be examined to gauge the presence and scope of job stress. However,

these measures are only rough indicators of job stress-at best.

Data from discussions, surveys, and other sources should be summarized and analyzed to

answer questions about the location of a stress problem and job conditions that may be

responsible-for example, are problems present throughout the organization or confined to

single departments or specific jobs?

Step 2- Design and Implement

Interventions. Once the sources of stress at work

Hold group discussions with

employees.

Design an employee survey.

Measure employee perceptions of job

conditions, stress, health, and

satisfaction.

Collect objective data.

Analyze data to identify problem

locations and stressful job conditions.

Target source of stress for

change.

Propose and prioritize

intervention strategies.

Communicate planned

interventions to employees.

Implement Interventions.

64


have been identified and the scope of the problem is understood, the stage is set for design

and implementation of intervention strategy. In small organizations, the informal

discussions that helped identify stress problems may also produce fruitful ideas for

prevention. In large organizations, a more formal process may be needed. Frequently, a

team is asked to develop recommendations based on analysis of data from Step 1 and

consultation with outside experts.

Certain problems, such as a hostile work environment, may be pervasive in the

organization and require company-wide interventions. Other problems such as excessive

workload may exist only in some departments and thus require more narrow solutions such

as redesign of the way a job is performed. Still other problems may be specific to certain

employees and resistant to any kind of organizational change, calling instead for stress

management or employee assistance interventions. Some interventions might be

implemented rapidly (e.g., improved communication, stress management training), but

others may require additional time to put into place (e.g., redesign of a manufacturing

process).

Step 3 - Evaluate the Implemented. Evaluation is an essential step in the intervention

process. Evaluation is necessary to determine whether the intervention is producing desired

effects and whether changes in direction are needed.

Time frames for evaluating interventions should

be established. Interventions involving

organizational change should receive both short-

and long-term scrutiny. Short-term evaluations

might be done quarterly to provide an early

indication of program effectiveness or possible

need for redirection. Many interventions produce

initial effects that do not persist. Long-term

Conduct both short- and long-term

evaluations.

Measure employee perceptions of

job conditions, stress, health, and

satisfaction.

Measure employee perceptions of

job conditions, stress, health, and

satisfaction.

Include objective measures.

Refine the intervention strategy and

return to Step 1.

65


evaluations are often conducted annually and are necessary to determine whether

interventions produce lasting effects.

Evaluations should focus on the same types of information collected during the problem

identification phase of the intervention, including information from employees about

working conditions, levels of perceived stress, health problems, and satisfaction. Employee

perceptions are usually the most sensitive measure of stressful working conditions and

often provide the first indication of intervention effectiveness. Adding objective measures

such as absenteeism and health care costs may also be useful. However, the effects of job

stress interventions on such measures tend to be less clear-cut and can take a long time to

appear.

The job stress prevention process does not end with evaluation. Rather, job stress

prevention should be seen as a continuous process that uses evaluation data to refine or

redirect the intervention strategy.

Take action-:

After evaluation and implementation see where

are the faults and where are the success

accordingly continue doing the strategy and

practice it regularly. After that you will see that

all the employees are relieved from stress and

all are working happily and efficiently. And a

better working place is created.

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2. CONCLUSIONS

In the world of call centers it is very essential to control stress so as to make

employees feel good and give his hundred percent to the organization. To make employee

to work efficiently it is necessary to make a good working atmosphere in the work place,

stress not only makes people mentally ill but physically also.

We have also learned that stress is not always bad, it also helps in motivating the

workers when in small quantity. Stress can be managed in call centers by taking them to

picnic, organizing family gathering, avoiding monotonous job etc, so managing stress is

not at all difficult it only needs some tactic .

Again as mentioned in recommendation the call centers can first and foremost find

out the factors that are affecting employees and then by adopting proper measures can then

avoid or quarantine the stress factors in working place . The professionals can do

wonders in BPO sectors as well. People are the backbone of BPO industry and it is

certain that professional HR or Human Psychologist can make inroad in this

emerging organization and facilitate the growth of organization in an immense way.

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Documents

100 MKS Call Centers