"The key to creating a successful workplace culture is to, first,
define the culture you want and then manage to it."
Réal Bergevin
NuComm's defined culture is founded on these simple, but important beliefs:
- Treat people with honesty, dignity and respect and they will treat your customers the same way.
- Provide people with continuous learning and opportunities, and they will view employment with you as a career, not a job.
- Equip people with the proper tools and training to succeed and reward them frequently for excellent performance.
As a result of applying these principles, NuComm boasts a turnover rate that is significantly lower than the industry standard, providing even more strength and experience to the organization. And, while NuComm demands a high degree of loyalty from employees, it returns that support with a stated policy of not letting staff go during periodic downturns in business. Its commitment to employees has earned NuComm a reputation as an employer of choice in the communities where it operates. (The Web site alone receives about 175 unsolicited resumes per week.)
 For recruiting, NuComm has a rigorous, seven-step hiring process for new call center representatives (and other employees) that not only includes interviews and resume checking, but also three hours of written testing. Results are compared against NuComm's top performers.
Typically, 80% of applicants for positions are not hired. The remaining 20% hired must then pass NuComm's training program, which focuses on its business and operations models. It is during this period that trainees are inducted into NuComm's values and beliefs. As such, NuComm actually prefers to hire applicants with no previous call center experience.
Once hired, new recruits are allocated to a specific client program. As well, recruits are provided with extensive, ongoing monitoring and feedback to ensure continuous improvement. Notably, all NuComm CSRs must complete weekly online tests designed to support continuous improvement and the culture.
Also notable is that NuComm's turnover rate is only about 25% annually or about 2% per month - very low for this industry.
Opportunities for Advancement
With NuComm's rapid growth, employees have many opportunities for advancement. In fact, NuComm has an in-house management certification program designed to assist high-potential employees advance their careers.
With a stated policy of encouraging CSRs to build long-term careers with NuComm, the majority of vacant positions are posted internally and inside resources are explored before searching outside. About 75%-80% of middle management has been promoted from within NuComm's organization.
To be eligible for internal promotion, a CSR must meet or exceed the minimum expectations set for their campaigns for the last quarter (that is, sales, attendance, call service time, schedule adherence, etc.).
Qualified internal candidates are then asked to complete a variety of assessments for Management Aptitude, I.Q., Myers-Briggs, computer skills (such as Microsoft Word, Excel, etc.) and job-specific skills. Those who are successful receive a face-to-face or telephone interview with the executive recruiting manager or hiring manager. The executive recruiting or hiring manager must then provide specific feedback to unsuccessful candidates so they can take steps to qualify for future postings.
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