Using the Hawthorne Effect to Retain Agents

by | Apr 28, 2023

In a post from the archive, Dave Mashburn explains the Hawthorne Affect.

The Hawthorne Affect was discovered during a research study conducted at the Western Electric factory outside of Chicago, between 1924 and 1932.

The researchers found that carefully measuring a person’s performance, in and of itself, improves productivity.

They concluded that the employees worked harder and were more productive simply because they knew that they were being individually monitored.

They also found that being treated special by an attentive and interested supervisor increased performance and loyalty.

Managers who understand the Hawthorne Affect have two simple levers they use to improve retention—proactively measuring an agent’s progress and paying attention to and showing interest in their results.

It’s not all you need to do, but building from this foundation is a great place to start.

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