Dear Mona,
Call centers jobs are hot jobs, employees usually tend to leave the company within 6 to 12 months. Most of the Call center employees do not look around for a stable career in a BPO. They think its just fast money.
I think some steps taken HR would surely help in retention of employees to a certain extend
Non Monetary:
1) Career Map: Make them realize the seriousness of their career. Council them regarding their growth plans, make a career map. Make them known about future promotions that they are likely to get from CSR to SR. CSR and thereafter team coach etc.
2) Fun@job: Try to keep some indoor games in the canteen like darts, carom, chess etc. Try to organize some weekend games or quiz and announce some prizes.
Once in a Month try to celebrate birthdays of all employees, whose birthdays fall during that month. Mere getting a birthday cake also would make a lot of difference.
Quarterly try to arrange for some kind of outing like movie, party, picnic. Celebrate some cultural days, makes some change in dress codes like Indian wear, Jeans, some specific colours etc.
3) Acknowledge them with certificates for their hard work - Employee of the Month, Best Performer for the Month etc.
Monetary:
1) Sales Incentives
2) Bonus: Introduce Attendance Bonus, Loyalty Bonus, Employee Reference Incentive etc
Care to be taken:
1) Check if the long leaves are genuine Eg: tickets for holidays, Medical Certificate for Sick leave, Time Table or Hall Tickets for Exams etc.
2) In BPO the main problem is employees leave without serving notice period. Inform the positive sides of serving notice period like experience letter, full and final settlement, response to verification calls etc.
3) Make some strict leave policies like attendance allowance deduction for people taking leave without information, late comings etc.
As Pranati discussed check if the timings are not suitable with some of your potential employees, try to work out with some part time jobs where the collage students find it easy to work and study as well.
It has been rightly said that if the attrition rate is too high, have a check on the Team Head, it may be possible that a little change in the working style would help retention of employees.
Try to have a suggestion box on the floor, and intimate employees that they can have any kind of suggestions put into the box and mentioning of name is not mandatory.
Last but not the least, start conduction exit interview, find out from the ex-employees the reason for their leaving and what the company could have to retain them. Make the data available to the management to improve on.
Best Regards, Tina