Getting the culture right within your contact center can make all the difference. A positive and uplifting vibe that encourages employee growth and success means better customer interactions, a high level of agent retention, and improved productivity.
With this said, if creating a great contact center culture was easy then every company would have one. It takes a combination of hard work and technology to not only build the culture but also to maintain it. Here are a few ways workforce management (WFM) software can positively impact a contact center culture.
Agent portal with communications framework – One of the worst feelings in a poor culture is always being out of the loop. A built-in communications framework within a WFM software agent portal ensures everyone is a part of relevant conversations. Agents can be added or removed from group messages easily and it’s a great way to prevent phone tag. The solution means important information is communicated clearly and directly from the source.
Different scheduling options provide flexibility – The agent of today isn’t looking to work for a company that locks down their life with a controlling schedule. They want to work somewhere with flexibility when the need for a personal day arises. Two options within WFM software which place the power back in the hands of agents are schedule bidding and shift swaps. Bidding ensures agents can prioritize certain schedules which best match their lifestyle. Shift swaps can also be leveraged when an emergency happens so another agent can fill in right away with the original agent picking up some of their hours later in the week.
Modern time off management system – When time away from work is more on the planned side, a robust contact center time off management system can be a huge boost to agent morale and the culture of a contact center. This technology can incentivize agents by providing a way for high performers to select their time off first, including around popular days such as the holidays. It also lets agents see how likely their time off request is to be approved before they submit it. There’s no longer a need for an agent to be hesitant about contacting their supervisor to start a long back-and-forth conversation about availability for a vacation.
Actionable and streamlined mobile WFM app – Lastly, another way to improve both the time off process and a contact center culture is by providing a modern WFM system that is accessible from anywhere. A mobile WFM app does just this and gives agents the ability to view their schedule and request time off from any location. It also enables a way for relevant agents to instantly receive opportunities for over and under time from wherever they are so there isn’t a need to be by their computer all day. A few taps on their phone and not only is the agent aware of a shift change but their response is automatically updated within the software for a WFM analyst to view.
In short, WFM software positively impacts a contact center culture because it helps to create stronger relationships with agents. The technology provides solutions to improve agent communication while also creating a better work/life balance for all employees.
