2. Is Help Desk Turnover a
Problem?
In surveys dating back as far
as 1999, up to 46% of support
managers considered help
desk turnover to be a serious
problem.
Helpdesk turnover has always
been an issues and has no
improved substantially in the
last 15 years.
Average help desk turnover
rate today is at 38.3%.
Statistically, 2 in 5 helpdesk
workers will leave their
position this year.
3. Why Do Help Desk Employees
Leave Their Positions?
Lack of experience: Lesser experienced
technicians are more likely to vacate their
positions.
Feeling ineffective at one’s job: Technicians
with lower first call resolution rates are
more likely to vacate their positions.
The previous reasons go hand-in-hand
because lesser experienced agents are
less likely to resolve problems quickly due
to lack of experience and feel ineffective at
their positions.
4. Why Do Help Desk Employees
Leave Their Positions?
High amounts of job
stress.
Lower customer
satisfaction increases job
stress and leads to higher
turnover,
Telephone support has
been cited as being the
most stressful form of help
support, and excessive
phone time leads to higher
turnover,
48% of the help desk staff
surveyed work on the
telephone more than 80%
of the time
5. Benefits of Low Turnover
It is less costly to retain employees than
to hire and train another employee.
Employee retention improves the bottom
line of the company.
• Lower cost.
• More knowledgeable employees.
• Higher customer satisfaction.
• Future promotions into
management.
• Mentoring for new recruits
reduces training costs.
6. Retaining Help Desk Workers?
Make employees feel
more effective
More contact with
management
More feedback and
opportunities to improve
Celebrate success
Reduce job stress
Job rotation
Frequent small breaks
for telephone operators
7. Retaining Help Desk Workers?
Contracts that require the employee to pay
back the cost of training if they leave in the
first two years.
This method can amount to extortion as
employees are stuck in poor jobs and forced to
pay back large sums of money to leave.
Produces only short term retention results as
contracts reduce the need to make changes that
improve the work environment.
This option is used by New Horizons Learning
Centers and they receive a lot of negative press
because of their methods.
8. Benefits That Improve
Retention
Improved Soft benefits
help retention better than
money
Fast track advancement for
qualified employees instead
of promotions based on
seniority.
Increased options to grow
and learn such as employer
funded training or flexible
schedules that allow time for
training.
Nontraditional work
environments such as flex
time & telecommuting that
allow employees to balance
work and home.
9. Are Retention Programs
Effective?
Not well enough, turnover is still high
compared to national average and
similar industries.
Average US turnover rate in 2013 was
15.1% for all industries vs 38.3% for
help desk positions in the US.
Average US turnover in the hospitality
industry, a high stress industry, in 2013
was 29% vs 38.3% for help desk
positions in the US.
