HOW AGENTIC AI HELPS COACH, SUPERVISE EMPLOYEES
This type of innovation reduces the burden on human agents. Consequently, it allows contact centers to reallocate talent to more complex or sensitive customer issues. Thus freeing up human agents to focus on empathy-driven service, where human intuition and problem-solving are most needed.
The results have sometimes been dramatic. For example, Klarna uses AI agents for customer chat, which enabled it to cut average resolution time to two minutes from 11 minutes. That being said, in Klarna’ s instance, AI eliminated the jobs of nearly 700 call center agents.
SMARTER SCREENING AND ONBOARDING
The recruiting and onboarding of new agents have traditionally been time-consuming and resource-intensive processes. Agentic AI is transforming this domain by enabling smarter, faster, and more objective hiring practices.
AI-driven platforms can autonomously screen resumes, schedule interviews, and work around the clock for real-time candidate communications. Once a candidate is hired, agentic AI can help tailor onboarding programs by analyzing learning styles and past performance data to deliver personalized training modules. This accelerates the ramp-up time and prepares agents to meet performance standards more quickly.
For example, Concentrix uses TalkPush to screen applicants, route candidates who pass into interviews, and trigger automated offer letters. Concentrix says this workflow has automated approximately 100,000 hires per year.
The flip sides of using agentic AI in HR are less widely talked about. For example, the candidate’ s personally identifiable information( PII) typically has to be spread across more systems when AI agents are involved, making that information more vulnerable.
Additionally, the simple fact that so many resumes are made with AI now may also make call centers reconsider whether screening them with AI agents is worth the cost. Or if alternatives like AI agent skills assessments will lead to more effective hiring automation.
Sometimes, applying AI can go too far, too fast, especially when using it to lower headcount. There are instances of companies having to re-hire employees; Klarna has now conceded as much.
WHY HUMANS ARE NEEDED MORE THAN EVER
Despite its impressive capabilities, agentic AI does not render human agents obsolete. In fact, the increased presence of AI in contact centers underscores the value of human qualities such as empathy, creativity, and complex problem-solving.
Customers still crave human interaction, particularly when dealing with emotionally charged issues or situations that fall outside predictable parameters. Agentic AI can manage many tasks, but it lacks the emotional depth and ethical reasoning required in delicate interactions.
Human agents also serve as the moral compass of customer service. They can make judgment calls, navigate gray areas, and build trust in ways that machines cannot. In industries like healthcare, finance, and legal services, this human touch is indispensable.
Moreover, as AI takes over routine tasks, the role of human agents is evolving into that of a knowledge worker. They are becoming experts who handle
HR TECHNOLOGY
HOW AGENTIC AI HELPS COACH, SUPERVISE EMPLOYEES
In any contact center, coaching and supervision are crucial for maintaining quality and improving agent performance. Traditionally, supervisors had to manually review calls, provide feedback, and manage agent development plans. Agentic AI automates and enhances this entire process.
AI systems can continuously monitor and evaluate agent interactions across channels. They flag quality issues, measure sentiment, track compliance, and provide real-time performance insights.
More than just diagnostics, these AI agents offer tailored coaching suggestions and microlearning interventions directly to employees.
This means agents receive immediate feedback and can make adjustments during their shift. According to Convin, implementing AI coaching can improve agent performance by up to 15 %.
For supervisors, agentic AI provides dashboards with predictive analytics and performance summaries, enabling them to identify at-risk agents and intervene proactively. This shifts the role of supervisors from reactive problem solvers to strategic enablers focused on team development.
By automating the administrative burden of supervision, agentic AI allows human coaches to focus on high-value mentoring activities. It ensures consistency in feedback and enables scalable coaching, even in large and distributed teams.
escalations, interpret AI-generated insights, and collaborate with technology to improve service outcomes.
The success of agentic AI hinges on human oversight. From tuning AI models to ensuring ethical deployment, human professionals must remain in the loop. Rather than replacing humans, agentic AI augments their capabilities and expands what they can achieve.
BEST PRACTICES FOR ADOPTING AGENTIC AI
A hybrid model should be considered when approaching agentic AI in the contact center: and that means using AI to support the agent, while keeping trained humans in the mix for more emotional and / or complex customer interactions that require a certain amount of care.
Consider AI assistants for agent tasks that are real-time and only leave lowrisk queries to those handled by bots. Use these best practices to effectively integrate agentic AI while preserving the human element:
• Start with Human-Centered Design. Build AI systems around the needs of both customers and agents. Ensure AI augments rather than replaces human capabilities. DECEMBER 2025 31