High turnover rates in call centers are a well-documented problem. Agents face a ton of pressure from tough work environments, which can include lack of support from leaders and workflow problems that make an already difficult job feel impossible.
These issues lead to job dissatisfaction, and they also present challenges for managers who are working hard to maintain a stable and effective team. Better management can address these challenges by making sure agents have a good schedule and plenty of support to manage the workload.
Call center workforce management is key here. The main goal of call center workforce management is to ensure there are enough agents when needed, that everyone’s skills are used properly, and that daily operations run smoothly.
This not only helps agents by giving them a better work environment but also eases the pressure on managers who are struggling with high turnover. When workforce management is done right, it can turn your call center into a place with high operational efficiency and a reliable workforce.
How Call Center Workforce Management Helps Agents Stay
Call center workforce management plays a pivotal role in ensuring agents feel appreciated and supported, which are both essential if you want to keep them for the long haul.
Use It to Reward and Show Agents Appreciation
Working in a call center is no walk in the park. It’s intense, challenging, and demands a lot from employees, so agents who are excelling deserve regular rewards and praise.
Unfortunately, most call centers don’t provide this.
When their hard work goes unnoticed, agents will eventually feel underappreciated and unhappy with their jobs. That’s when they start jumping ship, and you’re left scrambling to find replacements to keep everything running smoothly.
To implement a plan to reward agents for their efforts, start by tracking each agent’s performance. This is simple to do with workforce management software, which can track call handle time, first-call resolution rate, call volume, and customer satisfaction scores. It can even notify you when an agent hits their performance benchmarks.
Once you’ve identified agents who are striving for excellence, you can start acknowledging their efforts through rewards and praise. These don’t have to be elaborate or expensive. Even small displays of appreciation go a long way toward keeping agents happy and encouraging them to keep performing at a high level.
Here are a few easy ways to acknowledge and reward employees:
- Thank them in person
- Give a shout-out to their excellent metrics during a team meeting
- Give them a tangible reward, such as a gift card
- Provide perks, such as priority scheduling or extra time off
- For consistent excellence, a raise can help ensure your best agents stay with you
Maximize Budgets to Better Compensate Agents
Efficiently managing a call center isn’t just about scheduling who works when. It’s about diving deep into planning, where workforce management tools really shine. These tools are your secret weapon for understanding demand trends, forecasting staffing needs accurately, and keeping a tight rein on time and attendance to ensure labor costs stay within your budget.
By nailing this balance, you avoid overspending and unlock potential savings. Then, you can invest these savings directly back into your greatest resource—your agents.
Imagine being able to offer more competitive salaries, richer benefits, or even the kind of perks that really make a difference in day-to-day job satisfaction, like flexible work arrangements or wellness programs.
Here’s how you can turn those savings into real rewards for your team:
- Boost wages: Use extra funds to increase base salaries, making your call center a more attractive place to work.
- Offer better benefits: Consider enhancing your benefits package, perhaps by adding a 401(k) match or improving health insurance coverage.
- Give out perks: Simple perks like extra paid time off, remote work options, or wellness programs can go a long way in showing your agents they’re valued.
Investing in your agents this way does more than just improve morale. It reduces turnover and builds a team that’s more engaged, motivated, and aligned with your company’s goals. When agents see tangible benefits from their hard work, they’re more likely to stick around and grow with your organization.
Get Agents the Training They Need and Promote Them
Today’s job market is fierce, and employees are on the lookout for opportunities to grow their careers and develop professionally. They value clear paths to promotion, which can be a major factor in their decision to stick with a company.
Workforce management provides metrics and quality assurance tools to help you identify where agents excel and areas where they could improve. This allows you to create customized training plans that focus on individual needs instead of using a generic approach. This targeted training supports ongoing professional development, helping agents sharpen their skills and expand their career opportunities.
Recognizing agents’ achievements and consistent performance is key. Beyond just giving praise, it’s about creating opportunities for advancement. Showing agents that their growth and development lead to real advancement opportunities within the company keeps them motivated and helps retain skilled staff. It sends a message that the company is invested in their futures, encouraging them to continue growing with the team.
The Best Call Center Workforce Management Solution
Nextiva is a standout option when it comes to call center software for workforce management. It offers plans for specific business communication tools or a complete cloud-based contact center. We recommend the latter. Choose the Optimum or Ultimate plan to gain access to the workforce optimization tools that will help you nurture your agents’ growth while maintaining high operational efficiency.
Optimum Plan:
Nextiva’s Optimum plan sets your team up for success with coaching capabilities, advanced evaluations, and quality assurance. Essentials such as agent scorecards and screen recordings help you keep an eye on how everyone is doing, allowing you to identify what needs to improve and giving rewards to agents who strive for excellence.
You also get the Enterprise Workforce Management perk, bringing a strategic planner and mobile app into the mix. This means smarter staffing choices and giving agents the location flexibility they crave, making everyone’s day-to-day better.
Ultimate Plan:
Stepping up from the Optimum, the Ultimate plan brings you everything from Optimum and adds Interaction Analytics into the picture. This tool gives you a clear look at agents’ actions during calls and helps you understand customer sentiments. This extra insight lets you fine-tune training, step up your customer service game, and spot your star performers for some well-deserved kudos and growth opportunities.
What To Do With Call Center Workforce Management to Ensure Agents Stay
To truly benefit from your workforce management system, you need to understand all of its features. Many managers initially focus on immediate needs and miss out on advanced functionalities that could enhance operations and make your agents’ lives easier.
Dive deep into your system by thoroughly reading the manual, engaging in all training sessions, and staying informed through the vendor’s knowledge articles. This comprehensive understanding will allow you to fully benefit from your investment. It demonstrates a commitment to your agents’ growth and success and helps you keep them motivated to stay with your company long-term.
