Last updated December 2011.

Over the past five years, Sky, in partnership with Brightwave has created an enduring and transformative e-learning culture, which begins for new staff at the induction process. The Get Up To Speed Onboarding Portal is designed to reduce contact centre attrition and enable new sales advisors to engage as quickly as possible with the organisation, its product and customer base while reflecting the company core ethos of 'Believe in Better'. It particularly appeals tothe company’s large number of Generation Y recruits by using social networking (including blogs to connect staff to new recruits) and interactive games.

Sky , with partner Brightwave, won the coveted outstanding achievement award – Corporate at the 2011 eLearning awards.

Find out more about the induction process by listening to an interview Kenny Hendersen here.

Previously

In 2009 Sky UK won a coveted Customer Contact Association (CCA) Excellence Award for Most Effective Training Programme 2009 as a result of their 'Get up to Speed' onboarding portal created in conjuntion with Brightwave.

The Get Up To Speed onboarding portal helps Sky’s large volume of new contact centre staff deliver excellent customer service to its nearly 10 million customers by building product and company knowledge in a fun way before they start work. It particularly appeals tothe company’s large number of Generation Y recruits by using social networking (including blogs to connect staff to new recruits) and interactive games. The online portal also uses a video belt and simulated customer scenarios, as well as incentive mechanisms to encourage repeated completion through a real-time leader-board.

We are pleased to incude this great initative in our Evidence for Change programme.

Sky's business challenge: Accelerate time to target performance for contact centre staff

Sky has a commitment to deliver engaging and entertaining experiences to their customers. In an economic climate where customer service is a real differentiator Sky recognised the potential impact for a successful pre-joining programme. With new recruits often underprepared, an induction period too long and attrition too high, the business case was clear. Brightwave developed the innovative ‘Get Up To Speed’ onboarding internet portal which accelerates time to target performance for all new Sky contact centre staff helping them to build knowledge before their start date.

As a result:

• Retention has doubled
• £700K saving
• 25% acceleration in time to target performance
• 11% increase in sales conversions in week one for new starters

You can find out more about this story here.

Also do complete our minipoll.

Did you like this article? Rate it!