Flexible working: a three-point plan for contact centers

This blog was originally posted on Calabrio.com.

Flexibility in contact centers means many things to many people. Most recently, another meaning has emerged that focuses on the growing trend for companies to increase their business agility by introducing flexible or reduced hours working contracts.

This new take on flexibility makes perfect operational and business sense, but how do contact centers employing flexible work contracts ensure that enough agents are in the right place at the right time and keep them motivated to meet fluctuating customer requirements and service levels?

Here is a three-point plan to keep you on track:

Understand the psychology of work

People like to be busy knowing they are offering a worthwhile service that is valued by their employers. Nothing is more demoralizing or frustrating than wasting time sitting around waiting for a customer to call.

Zero hour contracts, where staff work when their employers need them, would appear to be the obvious answer. However, they have sparked a great deal of controversy and are sometimes viewed as an opportunity for unscrupulous employers to exploit staff during times of high unemployment.

Despite the obvious negatives of no fixed income, being constantly on-call without any guarantee of work and feeling undervalued, the positives that zero hour contracts present are flexibility, more free-time, the chance to develop new skills and the freedom to find permanent work are real incentives for people to take the conscious decision to avoid permanent roles.

The biggest challenge appears to be for contact center leaders who fear losing their star performers and attracting the best new talent if they cannot offer a full-time permanent contract. This is where guaranteed minimum hour contracts can help.

Take the middle ground and include time-off-without-pay (TOWP)

The risks of flexible working and reduced hour contracts can be mitigated by following the safe middle ground. This is particularly relevant in environments where demand can be very unpredictable, for example during charity appeals, special offer advertizing or 24-hour shopping channels.

In contact centers of this type, demand depends on a number of factors such as viewing figures and demographics, the popularity of a presenter and the unpredictable demand for hundreds of different products.

One option to maintain flexibility but reduce costs is to introduce minimum hours contracts that offer a fixed yet flexible number of working hours per week, say from 12-20, combined with Time Off Without Pay (TWOP). It is a win-win situation, because managers can better control staff costs and meet customer demand while agents, though not paid for time off when not required, are guaranteed an income and the opportunity to devote more time to their home and social lives without having to ask for it.

Look beyond scheduling

Introducing flexible working contracts is definitely an important step forwards, but it does not quite overcome the problem of enabling quick-build schedules to accommodate these new contracts. To maximize flexibility, Workforce Management (WFM) technology which includes a mobile app to support agents updating their availability to work at certain times/days in advance can be used.

A well-considered flexibility strategy combined with technical innovation offer a fail-safe route to success and improved work/life balance for agents with minimum hour’s contracts. Also employ for WFM solutions with Real-Time Adherence (RTA) capabilities.

These include the ability to:

• Issue email or SMS notifications to people with the right skills to check if they can work at short notice and so plug in any gaps.
  Monitor agent adherence to schedules and compare them with the live
• ACD status – wherever you are using a variety of desktop, tablet or mobile devices.
• Flag up when schedules are in danger of being breached with automated alarms.
• Offer real-time data feed, updated in seconds, to enable fast decision-making and action to be taken.

Take control of this new world of flexibility by understanding the psychology of work, then use this knowledge to introduce flexible working contracts underpinned by technology that goes beyond simple agent scheduling. There is no better way to release the full potential of your contact center and your overall business.

To learn more about enhancing your remote workforce, read Calabrio's report Building next-generation WFM: A definitive guide.