Regardless of the business climate, investing in your people is the best way to overcome the current and future challenges in UK customer care
Intensified by surging customer expectations, digital transformation and fierce competition for talent, UK contact centres (CC) and customer experience (CX) organisations face mounting workforce challenges. However, by implementing a well-designed, strategic workforce development plan, customer care businesses can overcome the obstacles to thrive even in the toughest business climate.
Workforce challenges in UK customer care
Contact centres and customer experience businesses have traditionally battled high employee turnover, negative industry perceptions and increasing operational complexities. Factors such as low pay compared to other sectors, lack of career progression and high stress drive an average annual attrition rate of 26%– almost twice the national average and contributing to talent shortages, costly recruitment cycles and declining employee morale.
Simultaneously, the sector is confronting:
Increased workloads: Call agents are handling more customer interactions – while only a minority of contact centres have raised salaries to match the high demand
Digital disruption: The rise of AI and automation is changing job roles, requiring a fine balance between technical and human-centric skills
Demand for skills: A widening skills gap, especially for communication, empathy and digital capabilities, leaves firms struggling to recruit and retain talent
Changing worker expectations: Flexibility, wellbeing, supportive leadership and meaningful work have emerged as key requirements for modern customer care professionals.
Strategic workforce development – a five-point plan
To overcome these hurdles and future-proof their operations, customer care organisations should adopt a strategic, skills-based approach to workforce development. This is what that looks like:
1. Conduct a skills audit
A comprehensive skills audit forms the foundation of any strategic workforce plan. By systematically identifying the competencies required for current operations and future growth, organisations can pinpoint skills gaps, highlight high-potential staff and devise targeted upskilling programmes.
Benefits: Surveys, interviews and performance reviews can collectively map the business’s talent landscape, allowing for smarter workforce planning and resource allocation.
2. Provide training for managers
Managers are critical to workforce success. Investing in their development, especially in talent assessment and coaching skills, promotes a growth mindset throughout the organisation. Equipped with better tools, managers can spot, nurture and advance employee potential, leading to higher engagement and lower turnover.
Benefits: Well-trained managers foster inclusive, high-performing teams, creating pathways for internal promotion that support retention.
3. Give workers what they want
Today’s customer care agents expect more than competitive pay. Key expectations include flexible working arrangements, supportive and trustworthy leadership, family-friendly policies and robust mental health support. Research indicates that 53%of workers want flexible hours, while a significant majority seek wellbeing resources and a workplace where their contribution is valued.
Benefits: Meeting these needs boosts morale, reduces attrition and enhances employer branding.
4. Focus on skills, not experience
Leading organisations now recruit and promote based on skills and potential rather than tenure. This shift places greater emphasis on soft skills such as adaptability, communication and problem-solving, as well as hard and digital skills, fostering a more agile and capable workforce.
Benefits: Ongoing, tailored training ensures talent remains aligned with rapidly evolving job requirements and customer expectations.
5. Take a long-term approach
A commitment to continuous learning and reskilling is essential to sustain a future-ready workforce. Regular investment in training ensures employees grow alongside organisational needs, supports retention and demonstrates genuine commitment to professional and personal development.
Benefits: A long-term approach creates a culture of adaptability – vital in a sector where roles and technologies are constantly evolving.
Impact on the customer care sector
Strategic workforce development actions offer deep, positive implications for customer care organisations:
Improved retention and engagement: Staff who feel valued, supported and developed are more likely to stay and contribute at an elevated level
Enhanced customer experience: A skilled, engaged workforce is better equipped to solve problems and delight customers, strengthening loyalty
Increased agility and innovation: By focusing on skills and continuous learning, organisations can better respond to changing business needs and customer demands
Improved employer branding: Organisations that emphasise workforce development become employers of choice, attracting the best talent in a competitive hiring market.
Ultimately, strategic workforce development is not just a response to pressing challenges within the UK customer care sector, it’s a transformative lever for greater customer satisfaction, operational efficiency and sustainable growth.
Learn more
For an in-depth overview of UK customer care, including more on workforce development, download the Brook Street 2025 Customer Care Trends Report now.
