How to Revamp Your Agent Inductions

Is your contact centre induction programme in need of a refresh?

Here are some tried-and-tested ideas our Editor – Megan Jones – heard on recent site visits to Costa Coffee and Teleperformance, which you can introduce to maximize your impact.

1. Keep the First Day Light and Fun to Ensure a Warm Welcome

Don’t jump straight in with compliance training and admin. Keep the first day light and fun! For example, welcome every cohort of new starters with a “Fired Up and Ready to Go” session.

Don’t bore new recruits on their first day with a tedious to-do list. Instead, give everyone a cup of tea, keep the business information to a minimum, and focus on getting to know each other.

Even when introducing the Director of Customer Service, for example, make sure it’s kept light – focusing more on hobbies and favourite foods rather than corporate responsibilities.

It’s about being human and makes for a great welcome!

A great way to break the ice and build early connections is through fun, low-pressure activities. For advice on this, read our article: 10 Fun Induction Games and Activities

2. Give Every Agent the Same Adjustable Kit to Save Time on Change Requests

Give everyone the same adjustable set-up on their first day – for example, making it standard practice that everyone is given an adjustable standing desk and a footrest – so they can set their desk up to suit them.

This not only saves time with kit requests in the early weeks but prevents any perceptions of favouritism in the team and any early niggles that can negatively affect team bonding.

3. Complete e-Learning Modules Side by Side for a Greater Sense of Togetherness

Just because e-learning can be done at an agent’s desk in isolation doesn’t mean it should be.

So why not bring everyone into the training room to complete e-learning modules side by side for a greater sense of togetherness – with the added bonus that this approach allows agents to ask any questions too!

AI solutions can be a great asset to support agent training. For practical use cases from companies that have done this, read our article: Five AI Use Cases for Agent Training

4. Get Agents out of the Contact Centre to Understand Their Wider Impact

Don’t just focus on what happens in the contact centre – also get agents out to sites and into different departments too.

The earlier the better, as this help agents understand where their actions fit into wider business processes, and what the positive (or otherwise) impact is of correctly filling out a certain box of information, for example.

This can really help to drive a sense of purpose and get their induction off to an all-round positive start.

5. Give Your Agents Hands-On Product Training

Another great way to spice up the induction process is to give agents hands on-experience of the products and services you offer.

Just like at Costa Coffee, where the agents spend time in the same training centre as the engineers do, so they can get a baseline understanding of how to fix the machines too!

This technical training helps them decide very quickly whether the customer’s issue can be fixed via a video chat, or whether an engineer needs to be sent to site. It’s about supporting them to be able to make the right decision as quickly as possible!

This approach helps them to build rapport too, as Andrew Smith, Technical Training Lead at Costa Coffee, explains:

“Familiarization with the different machines gives customers confidence in who they are speaking to – particularly when the agent can clearly say “you need to press the button in the top left corner”.

It sounds small, but knowing these details for each machine really helps to reassure customers and give them confidence that they are speaking to someone who knows what they are talking about.”

Of course, this isn’t a one and done exercise. This technical knowledge is baked into their QA process, so agents can be booked in for refresher training if they need it.

They are also very conscious that when a new machine is added into the mix, they add to the training time – they don’t just squeeze it in.

If you are looking for advice to help make sure agents champion your products and services, read our article: How to Ensure Agents Love Your Products and Services

6. Make It Quick and Easy to Rearrange the Training Room for Different Sessions

Variety is the spice of life, as the proverb goes.

So, make a conscious effort to keep the induction sessions varied and interesting.

One way to do this is to invest in moveable chairs and tables – on wheels – so the training room can quickly and easily be rearranged for different set-ups.

7. Group Agents Into Clearly Numbered “Intakes” So You Can Compare Key Metrics

It can be hard to spot trends and make improvements to the induction process if you are looking at general metrics of new starters across the year.

Breaking agents up into clearly numbered intake groups can make a big difference here, as Jordan Cousins at Teleperformance shares:

“If you clearly divide agents into intake group and separate out their performance stats, you can track key metrics like speed to competency across a cohort of new starters and track any trends.

This approach also allows you to spot where unusual events might have had an impact on the induction phase, as well as to trial new initiatives and training modules and have a large sample of data to cross-reference against.”

8. Be Considerate of Where Your New Hires Are Coming From and What Additional Training They Might Need

Don’t assume everyone has the basics covered! Particularly if you are bringing in school leavers or people who’ve been out of work for a long time (for example, via pathways with your local Jobcentre).

It can make a massive difference to speed to competency by being open and considerate to any additional challenges, with computer skills or English as a second language for example.

Then acting quickly to make sure there is additional training in place – jargon busting and supporting them in their new role as well as possible.

If your recruitment strategy is becoming stale, attracting the same type of not-quite-right applicants, or even failing to get people through the door, read our article: 10 Ways to Attract Fresh Talent Into Your Contact Centre

9. Always Ask Your Neurodiverse Recruits “How Can We Support You to Reach Your Full Potential?”

This approach extends to neurodiverse recruits too!

Whilst their needs may be more complex, a good first step is simply to ask, “how can we help you?” or “how can we support you to reach your full potential?” – and then LISTEN to what they have to say.

If you are looking for advice on how to adapt to neurodivergent people and widen your talent pool, read our article: An Introduction to… Championing Neurodiversity in the Contact Centre

10. Host a Graduation Day to Celebrate Those Who Make It Onto the Floor

And finally, make a big deal of it when agents pass their induction!

You could even host a Happy Graduation Day in the canteen, decorating the space and having a ceremony where their new team comes down to welcome them.

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