Workforce Management Helps Agents Master Time Management

In the contact center, meeting efficiency metrics and targets starts with a great schedule, and it’s management’s duty to put these schedules in place. The best manager in the world, however, can watch the day fall apart when some workers demonstrate that they’re simply not capable of managing their time properly and sticking to a schedule. It’s a problem familiar to most managers, but in the contact center, where every minute counts, it can often be a catastrophe. 

In a recent post for IQ:timecard, blogger Lauren writes that some workers have built-in time management skills, and others simply don’t.

“Some members of your team will consistently be organized, efficient and excellent at time management naturally, while others may need a little extra help to ensure that routine is in place, and targets and deadlines are met,” wrote Lauren. “As a manager or business owner it is your responsibility to do what you can to guide those workers that need a little assistance, putting the right tools and techniques in place where necessary.”

When it comes to this assistance, yelling and screaming – while it might be effective in the very short-term – isn’t going to help…not unless managers are content to spend every day shouting. It’s better to start with a great foundation in the form of effective workforce management software so schedules are more visible to the workers who have problems sticking to them.

“Using this, employees can have instant access to their working times for the week at the touch of a button,” wrote Lauren. “This increased awareness of when they are expected to be at a shift could help to ensure that they get there on time.”

A good workforce management solution can also help you break the day down into smaller chunks of time, which many employees find more manageable to meet. By helping employees build time management skills one hour (or half hour) at a time, the goals seem more reachable. You can even encourage time-challenged employees to help build their schedules, which may help them understand their importance.

When employees can “see” their day ahead (and the day that just passed) more clearly, they may become more invested in meeting targets, according to the blogger.

“Encourage your workforce to spend the last few minutes of each working day by reflecting on what was completed, and starting to plan a schedule for the next,” wrote Lauren. “Any tasks that were not finished can be moved over onto the next day or shift, making sure that they are not forgotten about and keeping up momentum. For remote or shift based workers, having a clear understanding of the days that they are working that week will help them with planning ahead and managing their tasks.”

As always, helping employees help themselves become better time managers will always be a better strategy than dictating mandates, and workforce management software can help them visualize their time better. 

Edited by Alicia Young

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