American Support, a provider of back office support services for the telecom industry, announced today that they have been named as one of the 50 Most Engaged Workplaces in North America. The list is maintained by I Love Rewards and focuses on companies that “…inspire enhancements to the workplace by highlighting the championing and the growth of employee-centric organizations worldwide.”

American Support joings the ranks of such notable companies as American Express, Zappos, Bayer, Century 21, Mercedes Benz, Molson Coors Canada, and Sirius.

American Support Honored

The selection criteria for the award is based on eight factors:

1. Leadership
2. Communication
3. Culture
4. Rewards
5. Recognition programs
6. Professional/personal growth opportunities
7. Accountability/performance
8. Vision/values/CSR

Matt Zermon, American Support’s CEO and President, was happy to receive the award and highlighted the company’s culture:

“This is another great honor for our company. One in four Americans feels like they work in a dictatorship. But through efforts to bolster communication channels, to clear paths toward internal advancement and to reward a job well done, we have created a work environment that is interesting and exciting for our employees.

At the core of the American Support story is a commitment to putting people first. A strong company is built by strong people; people who are healthy, content at home and fulfilled in their work.”

Building Better Work

I’m a strong believer in employee morale as fostering productivity and, in the long run, reducing costs to the business. Employees that care about how the business is doing and their work are more creative and better problem solvers. In addition, contact centers with high engagement and employee satisfaction can dramatically reduce attrition. It’s well known that the call center industry generally suffers from a high turnover rate. A lot of turnover contributes to excessive costs on staff training and recruitment. New employees are also more prone to mistakes and need more help, further increasing costs in the call center.

Fostering communication and a team based environment, as American Support has done, can help contact center employees feel like they matter. Advancement opportunities and reward systems also can make your workplace more sticky–more likely to retain valuable employees. Who wants to work the entire life on the phone as a support representative? Clear ways to move up help foster a sense of progress and goals.

What do you think about American Support’s engagement award? How can other businesses apply engagement tactics to reduce attrition and increase productivity? Does morale correlate with getting things done? Share your thoughts in the comments below.