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GOOD PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CONTACT CENTRES

SECTION 5: PEOPLE

Contact centres are very much a people business and represent an important source of mass employment, with approximately 46,000 people employed in the contact centre sector in Scotland alone. According to Merchants Benchmarking Report 2001, staff costs account for 67% of total operating costs, which makes the impact of labour critical to financial performance. It is therefore not surprising that organisations are waking up to the fact that strategies deployed to recruit, train and manage are critical to a contact centre's success.

Recruitment

Since the role of a contact centre advisor is very different from a typical clerical role, the development of a robust recruitment process to reflect these differences is critical in ensuring the right people are recruited. This process will greatly influence and drive the culture of the contact centre.

Job descriptions and person profiles:

Key to the recruitment process is the development of a job description and person profile. This requires an understanding of the components of the job and the characteristics needed to fulfil it. In a new start-up situation, it is sometimes difficult to determine exactly what the job will entail. However, an understanding of customer demand and of the objectives and purpose of the contact centre should assist in compiling relevant job descriptions and person profiles. In addition, it is always worth paying a visit to an established centre that is undertaking a similar function.

The job description should provide a clear explanation of the main tasks and responsibilities associated with the role. As far as possible, it should focus on the outcome, in other words resolving customer queries rather than taking telephone calls. Some organisations include in the job description the factors or measurements of success which can be used to form the basis for appraisal and performance management.

The development of the person profile requires an understanding of the key competencies needed to carry out the role. The skills framework promoted by the industry sector skills council for various grades within contact centres provides excellent guidance in this respect. The framework provides a complete list of skills from which a selection related to the role under consideration can be drawn. These are likely to include generic skills related to customer focus, problem solving, team working, resilience, relationship building and communication. If psychometric profiling is included in the process by which the person profile is built up, this may well increase its validity.

Selection methods:

A reliable and valid selection system, consistent for both internal and external candidates, is recommended. In addition to the traditional face-to-face interview, here are some typical approaches:

• Telephone interviewing: The telephone interview is a structured, cost-effective method of examining specific competencies identified as key to the role. It is normally used as the first stage of any selection process and is very useful in screening applicants. The expectation of the role can be clearly communicated to applicants at this stage, enabling 'self de-selection' early on if the job is not what they want.
• Assessment centres: Assessment centres are now commonly used for many contact centre operations. They allow the opportunity, through various tests, group discussions and activities, to evaluate in depth specific competencies and skills, for example keyboard accuracy, teamwork, personality traits.
• Psychometric tests: There are many psychometric tests, available on the market, which are specifically designed for the contact centre sector. They can add a great deal of value to the recruitment process, since they can act as valid predictors of job performance, but should not be used as the sole basis for selection decisions.

The recruitment process should be dynamic and flexible and reflect the changing needs of the contact centre environment. A focus on evaluating success - 'does our process provide us with the right staff?' - is critical in ensuring that there is continuous refinement and improvement.

Training

The dynamic environment of the contact centre requires a constant focus on skills development and training. Training is a vital management tool. An effective training strategy that covers both induction and ongoing development is integral to any successful contact centre.

• Induction training: Induction training programmes vary in length, but an average time is 3-4 weeks. This programme is a key influencer in culture emergence and, as such, care should be taken to ensure it results in the desired performance and behaviour. This is the experience that will influence the psychological contract in other words the set of unwritten expectations about norms of behaviour - what the individual expects from the organisation and what the organisation expects from the individual. Any comprehensive induction programme should cover, at a minimum level:
  • aims and structure of the organisation and the role and purpose of the contact centre;
  • relevant work processes;
  • knowledge of the particular service(s);
  • customer service techniques across appropriate channels, in other words telephone, letter, e-mail, etc.;
  • IT systems;
  • health and safety;
  • organisational polices and procedures; and
  • team building.
• Ongoing training and development: Ongoing training and development is essential to reinforce the initial training message and support continuous improvement. A motivational programme should be implemented, focusing on the learning and personal development of the individual.

Many contact centres often refer to their team leaders as coaches, thus highlighting the importance of coaching in managing and developing people. Coaching, skilfully deployed, is a powerful management tool that delivers results. Appropriate investment should be made to ensure managers are equipped with the expertise to coach effectively.

Many organisations now incorporate some form of online learning into their training strategies. The effectiveness of online learning depends on how suitable it is and how it is applied, in other words policy- and product-based learning tends to be more appropriate than customer service-type learning. Online learning has a place in the contact centre environment, but caution should be taken over its precise application.

Accredited training programmes for contact centre staff are available in the form of Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs). The Call Centre Association (CCA) has developed a rigorous process to approve or accredit specific training offered by suitable external bodies. A list of approved and accredited external courses can be found on CCA's website. CCA has also developed a recognition award that is obtainable through both approved in-house training, including induction training, and a system of supervised continuing professional development. Credit points are accumulated towards an Associate or Fellowship level in contact centre expertise.

Communication and Involvement

A common area of criticism for Contact Centre staff is that they do not have any control of over the services that their customers are contacting them about. Additionally, since the technology often tempts management to measure everything that can be measured there is a potential for staff to feel over supervised.

Since they are at the direct link with the customer, contact centre staff will often be first to identify solutions to problems or the development of issues that may affect performance. They will often have the answer to these problems and simply need to be asked.

The solution is simple. An effective two-way communication process is required which allows for transfer of information. In this way acceptable proposed solutions will often be presented. The key activities measured in the centre should also form a key part of the communication process. Staff should fully understand not only what is measured but also why this is done and for what purpose. Communication and involvement in how the work is done are critical to building and maintaining good staff morale.

Staff retention and motivation

Contact centres are often portrayed as offering little in the way of career progression, so the challenge for many lies in retaining quality staff. Providing them with more variety through multi-skilling can help to retain them longer. Approaches to training and development should consider efficient ways of making the role more varied and interesting.

There is no single solution to retaining staff, but here are some ideas:

• Adopting an inclusive management style through open communication, staff representative forums and increased one-to-one feedback.
• A focus on training and staff development.
• Find out people's long-term ambitions and why they have applied for a job in a contact centre to make sure you recruit people who are less likely to get bored and move on.
• Organising the workload so that staff have a degree of job and task variety.
• Empowering staff to own, and resolve, customer queries by ensuring that they have the necessary tools and support.
• A programme of socialisation, integration and celebration through various social events and activities.
• A programme of reward and recognition that values the contribution of the individual and the team.

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