Welcome to Our 11th Edition of the Sudale Search Newsletter!
We’ve made it through the whirlwind of summer holidays—barely unscathed, right? As we step into September, we're seeing some exciting shifts in the customer experience (CX) and contact centre world. Despite a challenging market, there’s growing investment in CX, and companies are doubling down on finding the right talent.
In this edition, we’re unpacking some of the key trends shaping our industry right now. From how AI is reshaping the role of contact centre agents to understanding the evolving expectations of different customer generations, there's a lot to digest. We're also diving into why a strong candidate experience is more crucial than ever and sharing insights from our latest sessions to help you attract top talent. So, grab a coffee, settle in, and let’s navigate these changes together.
?
The article "AI Will Increase the Need for Human Contact Centre Agents" argues that AI, rather than eliminating jobs, will enhance the role of human agents. Jason Roos, CEO of Cirrus, explains that AI's ability to handle routine tasks will free agents to focus on complex, high-value customer interactions. As AI improves response times and efficiency, customer expectations rise, making human expertise even more crucial. Roos emphasises that effective AI-human collaboration can boost customer satisfaction by blending the speed of automation with human empathy and problem-solving.
This shift presents hiring challenges, as contact centres must now find agents skilled in both technology and emotional intelligence. How can companies better prepare their workforce to leverage AI's capabilities while retaining the human touch essential for building strong customer relationships?
Learn more about integrating AI with your human agents—sign up for our upcoming webinar! Just email [email protected] with the heading “AI Webinar” to register interest
The article "Exceeding UK Customer Expectations" reveals that younger customers, despite reporting better service experiences, show less loyalty. They prefer quick resolutions, friendly agents, and digital channels, while older customers value first-contact resolution and local support. Younger customers' affinity for digital interactions may drive satisfaction but poses challenges for building long-term loyalty. Digital channels, while efficient, often lack the personalised touch and emotional connection that in-person or phone interactions provide, making it harder to foster deep brand loyalty.
This trend pushes businesses to rethink their customer experience strategy, balancing efficiency with opportunities for meaningful engagement. For recruiters and employers, this presents a hiring challenge: finding talent that understands digital CX yet can also drive loyalty by creating memorable customer experiences.
How can businesses develop digital strategies that not only meet immediate expectations but also create a lasting bond with customers in an increasingly digital world?
?
There are 12.8M job seekers on the market, each role is getting an average of around 118 applications, 500+ for entry level roles, an almost 20% decrease in roles on the market and yet 37% of Employers are reporting “Hard to Fill Vacancies.”
Hard to fill vacancies include niche skillsets, difficult locations and tighter budgets. Assessing where your role stands within the market can be challenging, as well as understanding how to make your skillset stand out amongst the “noise” of the market.
To support those looking we have created a series of videos, highlighting things such as making your CV stand out, navigating first stage interviews, multiple offers and your expectations of Recruiters/ Search Partners in the market (this is new release and in testing phase…) but please feel free to check it out here and please pass along any feedback Hunting For A Role | Stornaway
For our customers we recently ran a session, with some great feedback on “Candidate Experience being Key to Making your Next Rockstar hire.” Don’t miss our deep dive into candidate experience best practices—watch the session now!https://www.dhirubhai.net/events/candidateexperienceiskeytosecur7224789411421446144/theater/
We have been invited to take this key part of the Employee Experience to an international Podcast following this feedback… details to follow.
Please note we are still planning the AI Masterclass, and are just aligning diaries.
A “Customer Centric Mindset” is one of those phrases that pops up in most (if not all) job postings for leaders. Sharing this in your CV and interview can be quite challenging, as often customer experience is more developed from one industry to the next, and it can be quite subjective without context. We would advise gathering evidence in your current role, or from previous role if you are actively looking, of where you have demonstrated a customer centric mindset, and contextualise this to bring it to life from one environment to the next and how you would seek to enhance.
领英推荐
2 candidates as part of a recent assignment for a Head of Customer for an E-Commerce business had such an amazing time in the process, that they became brand “fans” and have a brand-new subscription (previously they were subscribed to competitors).
So, what did the process look like?
·?????? Recruiter Interview (Outsourced)
·?????? Hiring Manager Meeting
·?????? Presentation – 2 key challenges in the business
Feedback – detailed, honest and useful for future applications. In depth feedback around how, they interviewed and the skillset.
Want to create a recruitment process that turns candidates into brand ambassadors? Schedule a consultation with our experts today!
Contact Centre Director – Insurance. Annoyed candidate, confused about the role and a big NO for future opportunities/ roles.
What did the process look like?
After meeting the Hiring Manager in Stage 3, they were told they were going to be offered the role. There were just a couple more “tick box” exercises with Direct reports (cultural interview, asked about salary expectations)… and with the C-Suite team. All positive noise.
Then… radio silence.
2 weeks later, consistent chasing, and was told they decided to hire someone else as their salary was lower…
In honour of this month officially marking the start of the UK Customer Experience judging process, we wanted to introduce 2 of the very talented people who bring this event together!
We sit on the sponsorship panel, as well as the Judging Panel for the awards and everything is run to the highest standard, from briefings, to keeping a high degree of integrity and to the event itself, these guys do a cracking job.
"Transform Your Approach to Customer Experience and Recruitment Today! As the landscape of customer service and hiring continues to evolve, staying ahead means investing in the right strategies. Whether you are looking to enhance your candidate experience, leverage AI for better customer interactions, or develop a digital strategy that fosters loyalty—now is the time to act.
Join our community of forward-thinking CX leaders and HR professionals! Check out our latest resources, join our LinkedIn session on creating unforgettable candidate experiences, and share your insights on how we can shape the future of customer experience together. Get involved today and be part of the change!"
Contact Center Coach | Coaching & Mentoring
2 个月Sudale Search & Select The integration of AI in contact centers and understanding generational expectations are game-changers. Looking forward to exploring these trends and their impact on customer experience. #CustomerExperience #CXTrends
Guiding Customer Experience & Service Strategy for the World’s Best Loved Brands
2 个月Always fun and always insightful, a good read :)