In the corporate world, we often hear the terminology \u201che\/she is a great fit for this position\u201d or \u201che\/she was just not the right fit for the job\u201d. Finding employees who are a good fit for a certain position is critical to the over-all success of any business.\u00a0 The same holds true among Call Center Agents. People unfamiliar with how call centers work often assume that agents are hired simply to fill seats and receive incoming calls from customers looking to purchase products or sign up for a certain service. However, there\u2019s more to it than that. \u00a0\u00a0Let me explain.<\/p>\n
Companies will hire a call center to help them with various aspects of their daily operations.\u00a0 Sometimes those operations can be for receiving inbound<\/a> calls and sometimes call centers will oversee outbound<\/a> calls, which can often be of a sales nature. Each of these functions are important, but each require a specific skill set in order for the campaign to be a success.\u00a0 So, how does a call center manager ensure that he or she is putting the right agent into the right job?\u00a0 Here are three aspects that, I believe, are helpful in correctly staffing your call center to meet the specific needs.<\/p>\n First, determine what the specific task requires. Is the task of a sales nature? \u00a0Will the agent be contacting current customers in an effort to \u201cupsell them\u201d to a larger cable package for example?\u00a0 The key competency this agent must have is the ability to convince the customer that they will benefit by investing in the larger package that offers more.\u00a0 If the task requires more customer service, different key competencies are needed. Are they a good listener, do they have a solid product knowledge to be able to direct the customer to the product or service that\u2019s best for them?\u00a0 Taking the time to ask the questions of what is needed for the campaign will enable the call center manager to place the right people in the right job.<\/p>\n Personality is something that is unique to each one of us.\u00a0 Finding the right combination and fit for each campaign is something that has to be done by the contact center manager. Some individuals are very people oriented while others are more numbers oriented. Obviously, a people oriented agent will be more successful in a customer service or sales role than a numbers oriented agent.\u00a0 Determining an agent\u2019s personality type is a critical first step in the hiring process as well as the process of assembling the best team for the campaign.<\/p>\n Personal motivators vary from one person to another but they tend to fall into the general categories of Personal Interest, Job fit and Culture fit. Personal Interest, does the agent seem genuinely interested in the job and what it offers?\u00a0 Job fit, what are the person\u2019s competencies and where will they fit best? And finally, Culture fit, does the culture and values of the company meet the priorities of the agent being hired for a particular campaign.<\/p>\n In my years of working in the call center industry, I\u2019ve found that taking the time to look at these three aspects when staffing for a particular client, go a long way in the over-all success of the campaign. Having the right people in the right place at the right time means success EVERY time!<\/p>\nKey Competencies:<\/h2>\n
Personality type:<\/h2>\n
Motivational Fit:<\/h2>\n