Workforce Management (WFM) is the process used to optimize employee productivity. For proper management, you must assess workload, schedule staffing, and monitor employee performance. In a contact center, proper workforce management is vital to its functioning. As a manager, you need to balance agent requirements with the call volumes. This means that you should never be over or under-staffed.
What does Workforce Management look like for Contact Center Managers?
Contact center managers primarily work with WFM software to monitor inbound volumes and agent requirements. A good manager knows the statistics they should monitor and derive insights from them. Using these insights, managers need to implement scheduling and manage any changes to it. Managers must also ensure that the employees are productive. Following these processes ensures that staffing levels always match service requirements. Not too much, and never too little. Here’s a detailed summary.
- Forecasting by Volume: Forecasting future calling/inquiry numbers is an important part of a manager’s job. Using historical data and calling patterns, managers can prepare schedules in advance. This is done to keep staffing levels in check.
- Agent Scheduling: Contact center agents need a predictable schedule so that they can always be live when required. A manager must analyze workloads, agent availability, and business needs to make these schedules for the agents. They are also responsible for ensuring compliance with labor laws and federal regulations.
- Intraday Management: Beyond forecasting and scheduling, managers are also expected to manage day-to-day performance and customer demand. To maintain operational efficiency sometimes changes to personnel need to be made on the fly. Managers should know how to deal with these requirements and alter schedules as necessary.
- Attendance and Time Tracking: No contact center can survive without time tracking in place. Managers must administer and enforce rules to ensure that agents arrive on time and perform as expected. They are also responsible for reviewing and deciding on time-off requests.
Optimizing Workforce Management in Contact Centers
- Accurate Forecasting: We know that a call center workforce management tool can analyze historical data and call volume patterns. Using specific filters look for insights that help you precisely predict the demand. Doing this ensures that staffing levels match the actual needs and avoids any labor inefficiencies. Look for average handle time, historical call data, and customer interaction trends.
- Flexible Scheduling: Flexible shifts are an important option to ensure agent satisfaction. Agents should have the liberty to manage their shifts based on availability. Yes, schedules are set, but alterations within reason should be entertained. Agents should be able to transfer or take on shifts if and when they require.
- Real-Time Optimization: Call volumes are not always predictable. Certain hours during the day are busy while others aren’t. Be aware of how these requirements change over the day and make changes accordingly.
- Self-Service Options for Agents: Most workforce management solutions offer an agent-facing portal. This allows them to view schedules, manage them, and request time off. This reduces the administrative burden of sharing information manually.
- Automation: Workforce Management Software can be used to automate basic tasks like scheduling and attendance tracking. This improves scheduling accuracy and smoothes the payroll process.
Importance of the Workforce Management Process
A successful contact center requires a solid WFM system that considers customer and employee satisfaction. Picking the right workforce management solution is not enough. You should be proficient with its use. You also need to balance business demands and agent availability. Here’s how a dependable WFM process helps a contact center.
- Improved Agent Performance: A well-planned schedule helps your agents meet service-level agreements. Agents must know exactly when they need to be available, so there’s no confusion. This will lead to better performance and higher customer satisfaction.
- Operational Efficiency: Being able to forecast employee requirements allows you to ensure that the center is never overstaffed or understaffed. This way you can keep labor costs in check without compromising service levels.
- Enhanced Customer Experience: The customers are the real winners of effective WFM. When done right, customers benefit from reduced wait times and quicker resolutions, making it a positive experience for them.
Proper workforce management using workforce management tools helps managers optimize contact center operations. These tools can be used to forecast demand, manage schedules, and adjust these in real time. This paves the way for better resource utilization, improved productivity, and a better customer experience.
