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• Disability . Contact centers must ensure that their scheduling practices are inclusive and accommodate the needs of agents with disabilities . This may include providing reasonable accommodation , such as flexible work arrangements or specialized equipment .
Accounting for transportation or remote work arrangements has become increasingly important . Contact centers need to ensure that all agents have the same opportunities for success .
As digital channels rise in prominence , the prevalence of omnichannel and blended work streams has grown , with agents simultaneously engaging across diverse platforms or tasks . Managing staffing requirements across contact centers , back-office teams , and digital departments has thus become more intricate .
To navigate this complexity and ensure seamless customer service , leaders in all industries can employ strategic WFM tactics .
One significant approach involves transitioning from callor work-item-based staffing to activity-based staffing . This shift entails examining not only the number of incoming work items but also the count that becomes active within specified intervals across the entire spectrum of communication channels .
This methodology ensures that skilled employees are available at the right times to perform necessary tasks , ultimately leading to efficient operations and superior customer support .
" AS DIGITAL CHANNELS RISE IN PROMINENCE , THE PREVALENCE OF OMNICHANNEL AND BLENDED WORK STREAMS HAS GROWN ..."
-- MITCH TODD
WHAT CONTACT CENTER EMPLOYEE NEEDS THAT SCHEDULING MUST INCREASINGLY ACCOUNT FOR AND WHAT EFFECT DO THEY HAVE ON ENSURING AGENT AVAILABILITY ?
FG : Contact center scheduling must increasingly account for a variety of employees ' needs to ensure agent availability and support employee wellbeing . Some of the key needs that contact centers may need to consider when scheduling agents include :
• Child / eldercare . To accommodate agents ’ responsibilities outside of work , such as caring for children or elderly family members , contact centers have increasingly needed to provide more flexible scheduling options , such as alternative work schedules or remote work arrangements .
• Particular / unique skillsets . Some agents may have particular or unique skillsets that are in high demand , such as language proficiency or technical expertise .
" CONTACT CENTER SCHEDULING MUST INCREASINGLY ACCOUNT FOR A VARIETY OF EMPLOYEES ' NEEDS TO ENSURE AGENT AVAIL- ABILITY AND SUPPORT EMPLOYEE WELLBEING ."
-- FLORIAN GARNIER
Contact centers may need to adjust their scheduling practices to ensure that agents with these skillsets are available when needed . And they may need to provide additional training or support to ensure that they are able to handle more complex interactions .
In general , contact centers that prioritize employee needs and wellbeing when scheduling agents are likely to see better agent retention and engagement , leading to improved performance and customer satisfaction .
By taking the time to understand the unique needs of their agents and implementing scheduling practices that support these needs , contact centers can create a more inclusive and supportive work environment that benefits both employees and customers .
DS : What ’ s interesting is that agent planning and scheduling around certain employee-specific needs like childcare or eldercare became “ easier ” with the shift to gig and hybrid work . Employees can design their workday around their needs with flexible scheduling capabilities versus the traditional 9 to 5 shift .
Brendan Read is Editor of Contact Center Pipeline . He has been covering and working in customer service and sales and for contact center companies for most of his career . Brendan has edited and written for leading industry publications and has been an industry analyst . He also has authored and co-authored books on contact center design , customer support , and working from home . Brendan can be reached at brendan @ contactcenterpipeline . com .
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