Shaping the Future: 2026 Priorities for WFM Professionals

Workforce management (WFM) is no longer just about filling shifts and calculating Erlangs. In 2026, contact centres are facing a landscape defined by hybrid working, digital-first customer expectations, and high workforce volatility.

For WFM professionals, the challenge is clear: how do you balance operational efficiency, employee experience, and unpredictable demand – without burning out your team or leaving customers waiting?

To get you started, we sat down with Ray Agar from Peopleware, sponsor of the WFM section of the research, to explore what the data really tells us about where WFM stands today, what’s holding teams back, and how AI is beginning to reshape the discipline:

WFM Priorities for 2026

To help you navigate these challenges more effectively, we’ve also compiled our top recommendations for WFM professionals – based on our latest industry research.

Rethink Your Mix of Shift Patterns

Traditional full-time shifts dominate most contact centres, yet research shows growing experimentation with alternative schedules – with micro-shifts, split-shifts, and stepped/staircase shifts all gaining traction.

For example, 4.8% of centres were using staircase shifts in 2025, an approach that lets agents work longer hours on high-demand days, then shorter shifts when call volumes drop – a “win–win” for both business and staff.

After all, flexibility isn’t one-size-fits-all. Shift patterns should match both employee preferences and customer demand. Mixing full- and part-time shifts often improves the scheduling fit and prevents overstaffing during quieter periods.

And shift reviews don’t have to be just a tactical exercise, as Phil Anderson, CEO of The Forum adds:

“When guided by a strategic vision and supported by a well-developed flexibility toolkit they become a powerful tool for shaping the future of work in your organization.

Keep asking yourself:

Are we still designing shifts around outdated constraints?
Have we truly explored the flexibility we could offer?”

Watch the video below to find out what else was discussed when Call Centre Helper’s Xander Freeman spoke to Phil Anderson, Chief Executive Officer at The Forum, about our research and how contact centre shift patterns are changing:

Take a More Flexible Approach to Absence and Lateness

Absence and lateness remain the top scheduling challenge in contact centres, as cited by 39.4% of respondents. Although this is an improvement on 47.1% in 2024, WFM professionals still need to deploy proactive strategies to tackle these issues – including flexible scheduling and more supportive attendance policies.

“A lot of organizations limit themselves by forcing return-to-office or by sticking to rigid shift structures. Contact centres are actually well positioned to use varying start/stop times and schedule lengths, but not enough companies lean into that.

If more organizations encouraged flexibility and innovation, peaks and valleys wouldn’t feel like such a big scheduling problem.

Attendance policies also make this worse. Too many companies still run with “two or three infractions and you’re fired.” That system discourages people once they’ve hit a danger zone.

A point-based approach can make it easier to manage attendance and keep people engaged.” – Dan Smitley, Founder of 2:Three Consulting

By adopting flexible start and end times, varied shift lengths, and alternative attendance management practices, WFM teams can reduce absenteeism without penalizing staff unnecessarily.

Watch the video below to find out what else was discussed when Call Centre Helper’s Rachael Trickey spoke to Dan Smitley, Founder of 2:Three Consulting, about our research and how contact centres can handle scheduling problems:

Ditch the Spreadsheets

Adoption of hosted WFM (29.1%), specialist forecasting software (20.4%), and on-premise WFM (16.5%) rose in 2025. Despite this, spreadsheets remain stubbornly entrenched – used by 60.2% of contact centres.

Moving away from these legacy tools is a critical first step toward efficiency and consistency.

Spreadsheets may seem “just fine”, but they can’t scale with modern contact centres. By contrast, WFM systems give teams the tools to forecast, schedule, and adjust in real time, while integrating the latest in AI and automation capabilities to reduce manual effort.

Take a Closer Look at What Now Defines Intraday Success

While forecasting and scheduling are crucial, intraday management – the real-time balancing of staff and demand – is often considered the most challenging aspect of WFM.

“Intraday success isn’t about avoiding problems; it’s about managing them. Every single day you’re balancing unpredictable customer demand with equally unpredictable agent behaviour.

That’s not a trend. That’s just the job AND why I think WFM – specifically real-time analyses – is so critical.” – Juanita Coley, CEO of Solid Rock Consulting

Watch the video below to find out what else was discussed when Call Centre Helper’s Megan Jones spoke to Juanita Coley, CEO & Founder of Solid Rock Consulting, about our research and how AI is changing the game in intraday:

The good news is that AI is increasingly seen as a potential game changer for intraday operations. Particularly as AI-powered features can help address long-standing challenges, including:

Real-time adherence monitoring and alerts
Predicting absenteeism and attrition
Automating shift-swaps and time-off approvals

What’s clear is that the bar has risen, and leaders need to take a second look at the art of the possible and what truly defines intraday excellence in their organization.

Empower Agents With Self-Service Scheduling Tools

Empowered agents are more engaged agents. The most effective centres now offer tools that allow agents to self-serve – including to view schedules in real time, swap shifts without manager approval, bid for preferred shifts, and submit time-off requests digitally.

When agents have visibility and control over their schedules, it’s a huge win–win. They can manage personal commitments, and WFM teams can reduce last-minute gaps.

So, ask yourself, could you be doing more to empower your agents right now?

Look at Where AI Can Take Some of the Pressure Off Your Team

Where AI adoption is already happening, it’s being applied to adherence monitoring, absenteeism prediction, automated shift-swaps, and time-off approvals – addressing some of the most persistent workforce challenges.

AI isn’t a silver bullet, but it can take the pressure off WFM teams and improve consistency. Especially for intraday management (as also mentioned above), AI-driven insights allow leaders to make quicker, more accurate decisions while keeping customers and agents satisfied.

Continuously Evaluate and Evolve

WFM is not static. The ongoing shift to hybrid working, evolving customer demand, and emerging technologies means WFM professionals must remain agile.

Contact centres are evolving rapidly, and WFM teams need to iterate constantly, so keep testing new shift patterns, intraday strategies, and AI tools! The key is to learn quickly and adapt, rather than sticking with outdated methods.

★★★★★