If you have been approaching Workforce Management (WFM) the same way for the last few years, you may be missing important advances. WFM is no longer just about the labor force (agents) and putting butts in seats; its evolution is now about changing floor leadership (managers and supervisors) from ‘baby sitters’ into business people involved in the larger process of guiding the growth of the center in its role in fulfilling corporate goals. This is accomplished through the following practices:
- Corporate goals and interests:
- Understand corporate strategies, its goals, and its expectations of the call center;
- Align the center with those strategies. Also builds internal support for the center.
- Strategies must be shared and explained with the WFM and other teams
- Reports:
- Understand the need of each report, its requestors and its readers,
- Understand the impact each report has on growth and activities of the center.
- Design reports that show how the center is aligned with corporate strategies and will help the center drive business towards achievement of company goals
- Workforce:
- WFM is not about “sweating the agents” – it’s a much larger issue.
- Supervisors, managers, and support staff must be included in the equation
- The ‘right’ talents must be scheduled to meet the ‘right’ business needs in the ‘right’ numbers at the ‘right’ times.
- Technologies:
- WFM software is best utilized when integrated with (and drawing data from) other technologies, using information right down to the agent level.
Workforce Management is no longer just a scheduling spreadsheet or an Erlang-fixated function. If you feel behind the curve on WFM evolution, we urge you to dedicate some time to exploring how you can update your approach. Few areas of the contact center can add more in terms of efficiency and performance improvement than WFM. Embrace the opportunity!
This CallTalk Caramel was compiled and edited by Bruce Belfiore and Kamal Webb from a CallTalk episode with Bill Durr. Click here to listen to this show entitled
CallTalk is a monthly internet radio program featuring the most innovative managers and thought leaders in the customer contact field, interviewed by BenchmarkPortal CEO Bruce Belfiore. “Caramels” distils “Aha!” moments from these interviews into practical, bite-sized nuggets to inform and assist you as a contact center professional.
