AGENT WORKFORCES
BY BRENT HOLLAND, INTELLIANTE
ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY ADOBE STOCK
THE CONTACT CENTER TALENT CRISIS – PART 2 AND HOW HIRING UNDERREPRESENTED( AND DIVERSE) WORKFORCES CAN HELP.
Contact centers are facing a talent crisis. Declining populations, shrinking workforce participation, and a widening skills gap aren ' t just challenges; they foreshadow a looming crisis.
The question is no longer how to hire but if there will be enough talent to hire at all.
This two-part article explores bold, innovative strategies to help contact centers navigate this crisis and thrive in a world where traditional talent pipelines are drying up.
Part 1( last issue) provided an overview of labor force trends and tapping an undertapped workforce, beginning with aging and Indigenous populations.
24 CONTACT CENTER PIPELINE
It also examined childcare issues. Part 2( this issue) looks at those whose circumstances and, yes, actions have created walls: individuals with disabilities and those who have been incarcerated, respectively, with a conclusion.
... INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES HAVE HISTORICALLY FACED BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT, INCLUDING MISCON- CEPTIONS ABOUT THEIR CAPABILITIES...
EMPOWERING TALENT WITH DISABILITIES
The Americans with Disabilities Act( ADA), enacted in 1990 and expanded in 2008, has been instrumental in promoting equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities. It protects those with physical or mental impairments that substantially limit major life activities, ensuring they have access to the same opportunities as individuals without disabilities.
Yet despite these protections, individuals with disabilities have historically faced barriers to employment, including misconceptions about their capabilities and undue concerns over accommodation costs.