Written by Sarah Tomlin

Finding a great customer service team is easier said than done. Customer service is an in-demand industry, with more and more businesses recognising the importance of strong customer connections. This day, customer service is more than just answering phones and taking questions, it also involves communicating via social media, email and other platforms. So, how do we make sure we find the right candidates and reduce turnover?

1. Be honest with important information

Transparency is key in recruitment and something you should imply any time you’re hiring. You want to ensure both you and the candidate are on the same page before you move too far into the interview stage. Always let your Customer Service candidates know important information, for example, salary, expected hours, benefits and training opportunities. The more information we give to the candidate, the better opportunity we have to find the right match. Narrowing down the candidates who don’t meet your requirements early on can help you concentrate on those who do.

2. Highlight the positives!

Recent studies have shown that almost one-third of employees leave their job due to a lack of career development or promotional opportunities. This tells us that candidates aren’t looking for just a job, but a career. During the hiring process you should clearly outline the growth opportunities, let them know what promotions are available, and how those promotions happen. Be sure to ask your candidates about the kind of training and goals they’re interested in. Get them involved in their own advancement.

3. Create a realistic preview of the role

Creating a realistic job preview is important and benefits both the candidates and ourselves. 43% of candidates have left a role due to a lack of information and not knowing what the day-to-day responsibilities were. We can prevent this by providing a clear first image for the candidate, giving them the opportunity to know if they’re qualified and interested in the role.

Using these 3 top tips, we can start to narrow down the best customer service candidates, benefiting us, the candidates and the organisations we work with.