Where to Find Workforce Management Skills?

Shane Corey looks at the skills needed for an effective workforce management team.

Workforce management is crucial to every contact centre’s success, and therefore the workforce management professional is one of the most valuable resources. Some contact centres choose to develop their workforce management teams internally. The advantages of this approach are lower costs, along with the opportunities and career-path possibilities that are created for internal staff.

One contact centre with a “hire from within” philosophy does so by means of a workforce intern programme. Contact centre staff that have volunteered for the programme get a welcome break from the phones and are rotated through the various workforce management tasks for a period of time. They then return to their regular duties and are eligible for a position within the workforce team when an opening arises. When a workforce position opens, the workforce management has the benefit of selecting from candidates who have already been screened for aptitude and interest. The contact centre benefits from these interns returning to the front line as advisors on how the workforce management process works.

Other contact centres have a more immediate need to fill a workforce position. This need is particularly apparent when a new workforce management tool has been implemented. Some of the positions in highest demand in the industry are those of experienced workforce analysts with proven experience utilising a workforce management application.

Investing in a workforce management tool without committing to a similar investment in securing or developing the people who use it severely dilutes the potential for return. Workforce management systems provide a powerful computational and analytical platform. That platform must be utilised intelligently, with an insight into contact centre operations and the business needs underlying it to deliver substantial benefits.

A successful workforce management analyst combines computer skills and mathematical ability with a working knowledge of the business and the negotiation skills of a diplomat. Being able to analyse situations and make effective decisions requires training, experience, and a continuing commitment to professional development from the company. Taking a low-ball approach to salary levels and career planning is not the way to attract the quality of employee needed to successfully staff this position.

Whether working directly with applicants or through a human resource department, the contact centre should make sure the job and skill requirements are detailed.

When looking externally, it also makes sense to place additional emphasis on candidates with direct experience using the workforce management tool that is in use (or planned) in the contact centre. Vendor user conferences and industry professional meetings are good networking sources for finding qualified candidates. Once qualified analysts are secured, whether from internal or external sources, the contact centre should make sure they have in-depth training on the use of the workforce management tool, as well as the fundamental theory and concepts of workforce planning and management. It is also important to have a plan for ongoing training to account for new staff, training of existing staff on new features or product upgrades, and professional development to help minimise turnover at this critical position.

Depending upon the size of the contact centre, the many duties and tasks associated with workforce management may be performed by a single person, a team of specialists, or divided among supervisors and contact centre management to get the job done. Regardless of the size of the centre, or how the workforce management responsibilities are divided, it is imperative that the workforce positions be filled with the right people.