CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

However , LLMs could also create agents ’ job insecurity because of the potential to replace their roles , which risks leading to higher turnover .

Agent Recruiting and Assessment . Integrating LLMs into agent jobs will change essential agent skills and qualifications .

One such skill is the capacity to recognize LLM hallucinations ( i . e ., misinformation produced by AI tools ). Agents must possess deep system and procedural knowledge and problem-recognition skills to evaluate whether LLM recommendations are valid . Further , centers may prioritize applicants with the capacity to communicate effectively , solve problems , and collaborate with LLMs to bolster performance .

Although headlines ( like in the Harvard Business Review ) often focus on talent assessment applications of AI , many applicants use LLMs to improve their test performance and game the system . That is also made possible by most companies allowing prospective frontline workers to apply and complete pre-employment testing remotely .

There are growing concerns that applicants are turning to LLMs to help decipher personality , situational judgment , and cognitive ability tests . Applicants need only enter the test question and response options into an LLM to get a recommendation on the best answer . To the extent that applicant behavior undermines a test ’ s predictive power , the pre-employment test stops being useful .

Are there changes in the demography of individuals applying and working in the contact center ?

“ In my experience , I ' ve witnessed two noteworthy trends within the call center space , both of which are aligned with the principles of diversity , equity , and inclusion ,” says Mark Pereira .

“ Here they are :

1 . Caregivers returning to work . It ' s heartening to see caregivers , often including parents of young children or those looking after elderly family members , rejoining the call center workforce .

The option to work remotely has given them the flexibility to balance their caregiving duties and contribute to their families ' financial health . This promotes gender diversity in the workplace .

I recall speaking to an agent who was overjoyed to be part of the class because she could support her family by providing an extra income while caring for her two-year-old son . This was made possible because she joined our call center . The ability to come into the office allowed her to meet colleagues .

2 . Baby Boomers and Gen X . With the transition to remote work in call and contact centers , many centers have welcomed experienced professionals from the Baby Boomer and Gen X demographics .

From what I ' ve learned , most of them have either continued to work or got back to work due to rising expenses such as healthcare or groceries , to name a few . These seasoned agents bring valuable customer service skills to call center operations , honed through years of face-to-face interactions and rapport building .”

“... APPLICANTS ARE TURNING TO LLMS TO HELP DECIPHER PERSONALITY , SITUATIONAL JUDGMENT , AND COGNITIVE ABILITY TESTS .”

-- BRENT HOLLAND

Labor Costs . Incorporating LLM technology can reduce longterm labor costs . By automating certain tasks , contact centers hope to reduce headcount , leading to cost savings in wages , benefits , and training expenses . However , LLMs require considerable ongoing administrative and worker training costs .

MARK PEREIRA : Generative AI has made a considerable impact on customer service . Since most companies want to reduce costs to increase profits , they are turning towards reducing their customer service teams and looking at AI as their one-stop shop for all customer service interactions .

And employees , current and prospective , know it . I came across an Ipsos study via LinkedIn which reported that many younger workers feel that this technology will cost them their jobs .

This trend seems like a nearsighted error as I believe these companies have left their customers behind , as customers are left screaming at a chatbot or AI voice assistant and demanding to speak to a human customer service agent .

Don ' t get me wrong . I feel Generative AI has several benefits to offer customer service teams , such as helping new agents find answers to customers ' questions fast , thereby improving AHT or summarizing complex information into digestible chunks , or even assisting agents to take better notes by summarizing a call .

I ' ve also noticed that AI has been used for a few years to shortlist resumes with specific keyword ( s ), which is especially true for companies receiving many resumes for a single job posting .

Regarding agent turnover , I ' ve noticed systems that collect agent absenteeism and their metrics , such as schedule adherence and AHT to name a few , to recognize trends and identify agents high on the scale to leave a company . Once the agent ( s ) are identified , the agent ' s team lead or supervisor can discuss with the agent how to possibly turn things around .

DECEMBER 2023 11