Having great processes in place are not the only place to begin to have great results in your contact center. You have to have the proper recruiting and training staff to ensure your employees hit the gates running.
Often you see job postings that are very generic, such as “GED or High School Diploma” and “must have prior contact center experience. Then it’s just a revolving door from there, agents get hired that really aren’t qualified, who then later become supervisors because they are “good” agents. At this point you just have a cycle of performance issues.
For example, when the job posting says prior sales experience. It should list out the attributes of a sales agent: effective listening skills, effective speaking skills, empathetic, persuasive, a challenger, consultative.
An agent with prior sales experience may possess these skills, but having prior sales experience, doesn’t mean they possess any of the skill mentioned above.
As you are planning your staffing requirements and begin recruiting, take a thoughtful approach to the qualities you really need in your workforce. Be honest with yourself and with your recruits – and provide as much information about the requirements of the position as possible. You’ll be rewarded with a more streamlined recruitment process and, ultimately, better agents and supervisors.
