Why Workforce Management Matters in Healthcare

Metrics – who doesn’t like to capture information that can easily tell a story of success or failure? This is especially true in the call center environment. Managers love metrics and they need them to demonstrate to those in the C-suite that the activities happening on the frontline are contributing to a healthy bottom line. When it comes to workforce management, are all metrics created equal?

The answer, of course, is that all metrics are not equal, especially in the healthcare call center. The automated workforce management software can tell a great story, but is all of the information that comes through truly beneficial to making decisions? In some arenas, metrics are all about activities that need to take place to bring down the price of doing business. In healthcare, it really needs to be about improving the customer experience.

A blog posted recently by workforce management solutions company Monet Software (News - Alert) stresses the point. While some may assume that the customer experience is more of a focus in the commercial environment, there are a number of reasons why it has to be a primary concern in healthcare. One of the most prominent is that the call center often plays an important role in patient care. Patients who do not have to return to the healthcare facility after being released are on their way to recovery.

Call center agents often play key roles in recovery, so it’s important that they are qualified to listen and make the right recommendations. Workforce management helps to ensure the right agents are being scheduled at the right time. Plus, patient surveys can be conducted right after the call to measure how well the agents are doing on the calls. If more appropriate, this information can also be collected through traditional methods like standard mail or email.

The feedback received in these steps is the most direct assessment available to gain a clear understanding of the effectiveness of the call center. At the same time, it’s also healthy to implement call scoring and quality management. Using a recorded call that delivers the right customer experience is a great way to provide feedback to agents and coach them on the standard they are expected to meet. With the right analytics, managers can also identify any issues that could be contributing to a less than stellar experience.

When it’s important to grasp the big picture, report on metrics that can have an impact on performance and drive improvements, workforce management is a great place to start. With the right information, the right decisions can lead to the optimal customer experience. 

Edited by Alicia Young