SMART TRAINING STRATEGIES
Every building project employee needs to be knowledgeable of the latest techniques, so they need to be trained with the best, smart methods.
• Tiered and Bite-Sized: Especially for virtual teams, taking a tiered or " bitesized " approach to training keeps momentum high and encourages employees to do fantastic work every single day.
• On-the-Job Power: The most important part? On-the-job training! This is where all the classroom knowledge comes together. While employees won ' t learn everything in the initial four-to-six weeks, they ' ll know exactly where to find information when they need it.
• Avoid Overload and Follow Up: Don ' t try to cram too much in at once; that can lead to information overload! Plan for follow-up sessions to review topics or introduce new ones later on. Regularly check in with your new hires!
TOOLS AND TECH TO ELEVATE YOUR TEAM
Each employee needs to have and be trained and fully skilled to handle the latest tools they have been equipped with. And that goes for contact center employees too.
• AI Assistants: AI offers many tools that can help contact centers thrive! Finding the right AI application to fit your organization ' s needs can be a game-changer.
• AI for Self-Service: Implementing AI that allows customers to self-serve can significantly reduce call volume and free up customers’ time.
• IVR Harmony: Make sure your IVR system aligns perfectly with your training content. This ensures customers receive effective and efficient service cues.
• Handy Resources: Critical resources and websites are essential. Ensure customers needing assistance can easily find information on your website.
• Vendor Victory: Partner with vendors that truly fit your needs. The right technology and the right people are key to delivering outstanding customer experiences( CXs).
• Customer Centric: Workforce management( WFM) plays an integral role in planning for your staffing. Be proactive when reviewing time off and leave room for unexpected absences. Always plan for new process / procedure training to reduce errors and inefficiencies.
• Time is Money: Time is critical in a contact center; the goal should always be focused on reducing holds, average handle time( AHT), and wait times. It is equally important to utilize agent downtime as an opportunity to review knowledge-based material, emails and follow up on customer communications.
• Relief Always on the Way: New hire training should be regularly scheduled every month or as often as possible to plan for attrition, promotions or celebrations.
FOSTERING A CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE
Culture is the social mortar that holds organizations together, whether it is a construction crew erecting a building or agent, supervisor, and management teams working together in a contact center. Here is how to create a culture of excellence in your center.
• Involve Everyone: Include other departments in your training plan! Most teams are usually excited to share how they contribute and help streamline processes across the organization. Let ' s make it easy to do business with your company!
• Frontline Innovation: Encourage innovative ideas! Often, the best suggestions come directly from frontline employees involved in the day-today action.
NEW HIRES
INCLUDE OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN YOUR TRAINING PLAN! MOST TEAMS ARE USUALLY EXCITED TO SHARE HOW THEY CONTRIBUTE AND HELP STREAMLINE PROCESSES...
• The Success Mix: Based on my experience with many contact centers, success comes from the right mix.
These include consistent call monitoring, dedicated coaching and development, regular one-on-ones( weekly or monthly), key performance indicators( KPIs) that align with organizational goals, and a performance review process linked directly to those goals. Establishing clear accountability ties it all together!
• Goal Getter Fun: Check in with employees working towards goals. See how they ' re doing and find ways to make achieving those goals fun and exciting!
• Test, Test, Test: Always test your processes and procedures thoroughly before rolling them out widely.
WHAT IS THE WHY?
Building an effective, efficient training program takes effort, but the payoff in employee success and customer satisfaction is huge!
Tiffany N. Harris is a dedicated professional with two decades of management experience and expertise in team leadership, training, and process improvement. As an adjunct instructor at the Guilford Technical Community College since 2017, and as an avid community volunteer, she is passionate about helping others. You can reach Tiffany on LinkedIn. DECEMBER 2025 23