Why Workforce Management Should Focus on Agent Satisfaction

Do you have happy agents? In the contact center industry, there is often much focus placed on the satisfaction of the customer base while the agent disposition may be overlooked. Yes, you have expectations for how your agents need to act on the phone, but are they acting or truly satisfied? Are these questions being asked as part of your workforce management process?

A recent Monet Software blog explored this very topic, stressing that the satisfaction and happiness of the agent is about more than just seeking additional pay. In fact, according to the SQM Group, every 1 percent increase in the satisfaction of employment increases customer satisfaction by 2 percent. This is a significant ratio and beneficial in an environment where you can more easily control employee happiness than you can your customers’.

Where does this “control” come from? Consider the variables that are currently at play that you can direct their outcomes. In other words, you can’t control how well your customer was treated when they arrived at work, or the amount of praise they receive for a job well done. You can’t ensure their employer listens to them or provides them with the tools they need to achieve expectations. You can control these things for your agents to help them reach a higher level of satisfaction with their jobs.

Monet Software suggests five things you can do right away to impact happiness for your employee base. The first is to actually listen to them. Workforce management is about more than just ensuring you have the right people at the right time to cover the anticipated call volumes. Make them feel a part of the team and that their opinions matter.

Second, be sure training is designed to empower your agents to perform at higher levels. If coaching and training sessions are based solely on correcting errors, agents will not see them as opportunities, but rather as demotivating. Third, be prepared to take agent suggestions and do something about them. It’s not enough to tell them they are part of the team – you have to act on it. Much of their feedback is likely to be beneficial, so be prepared to do something with it.

Fourth, include your agents in the planning process when it’s time to consider new customer service initiatives or call center practices. This includes actively asking for input and feedback and then sharing results when they come in. Finally, make sure your workforce management solution allows for schedule flexibility. Remember that your agents are people who have lives outside of work and balance is important.

While this is not a complete list of everything you need to do to create a happy work environment, it does provide a great start. The key is to acknowledge the importance of employee satisfaction and start taking the right steps to make it a priority. 

Edited by Maurice Nagle