Hiring the right people can make or break a successful contact center team. Finding the right mix of skill set and disposition enables faster onboarding, and reduces employee turnover. Undoubtedly one of the most important tasks for anyone in a contact center management role, recruiting the right people for the job can be a tiresome process. The right person is not only qualified for the specific job duties, but is also a good personality fit for your team. Keep reading to learn tips for quickly identifying and securing qualified contact center employees. Before you post a job advertisement, take time to put together a list of desired skill sets, personality traits, and job duties. Refer to this detailed list when reviewing resumes and interviewing candidates. If you don’t take the time to decide on and prioritize the qualities you need most in a contact center employee, you are beginning the hiring process ill-prepared.
“If a person is not performing, it is probably because he or she has been miscast for the job.”
– W. Edwards Deming
7 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Hiring a Contact Center Employee
1. Why am I hiring?
2. What positions needs to be filled, and what are the skills and characteristics of the ideal candidate?
3. How will I market and network to identify qualified candidates?
4. How will I evaluate applicants to identify potential high performers?
5. What assessments will I use to determine suitable candidates?
6. How will I extend offers to the top applicants, and what will I say to the candidates not suitable?
7. How will I welcome new employees to the company, and how will I set them up for success?
Create an Attractive Contact Center Work Experience
Finding the right applicants is about not only attracting top talent, but also providing a great job for those people. Providing a great work experience requires creating a dynamic work culture that encourages collaboration, and provides opportunity for growth and continual improvement. Effective employee coaching from contact center management ensures that agents are engaged and feel included in all corporate activities. Studies have shown that contact center employees who have regular, positive interactions with upper management are happier and more productive than those who do not interact regularly with management.
Promote the Benefits of Your Contact Center
As carefully as you are reviewing applicants’ credentials, chances are they are reviewing yours and the company’s even more closely. Be sure to highlight what makes your contact center unique and why people like working for you. Put yourself in the candidates shoes and focus on the things they would like to know about the organization.
Hiring can be a lengthy process, but do not fall into the trap of hiring someone out of necessity to fill a spot. Hiring the wrong person significantly increases operational costs.
Expenses associated with hiring include interview expenses such as travel, hotel and meals, training and orientation, employment testing, termination costs such as Cobra, unemployment and potential litigation expenses should the candidate decide to sue you for wrongful dismissal, plus relocation costs, and outplacement or career transition costs. But mostly it’s because you need to repeat the entire hiring process to replace the wrong hire, which includes time and expenses. Costs of Hiring the Wrong Person, Harrison, Stone & Associates
Take time to hire the right people. Making a poor decision will cost more than you realize.