Using Call Center Scheduling to Reduce Agent Burnout

Workforce management solutions are often touted as being of great benefit to the companies that use them. “Do more with less labor.” “Trim headcount AND labor expenses!” But it’s important to remember that workforce management should be used to benefit workers, too.

In the contact center, burnout and its resulting turnover is high. While it may seem tempting to squeeze more work out of your current workforce, consider that turnover costs far more than the few dollars a day you might wring out of your existing workforce.

Overworked and Under Rested

Americans are among the most overworked people in the developed world. According to research conducted by the International Labour Organization, “Americans work 137 more hours per year than Japanese workers, 260 more hours per year than British workers, and 499 more hours per year than French workers.”

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has estimated that average productivity per American worker has increased 400 percent since 1950. This means Americans work four times harder today for a lower standard of living than they had in the middle of the twentieth century. At the same time, paid sick time is on the decline, paid parental leave is almost non-existent, and Americans aren’t even taking the few vacation days they have. No wonder everyone’s burned out.

Workforce Relaxation Managers

It’s call center managements’ job to ensure that workers aren’t becoming burned out and leaving their jobs shortly after time and money have been invested to recruit, hire and train them. A good call center scheduling solution can ensure that workers are working fair, regular hours with enough breaks and time off to prevent burnout. But how do you do this while maintaining high standards?

For starters, look for other means of reducing the contact workload by leveraging technology. Consider automating low-level processes where possible to ensure that work efficiency levels are maintained and the agents are not overworked. Is it time to implement a new self-service technology at the front end to offload more routine questions to automated systems?

Next, on days when you can’t avoid turning up the pressure, look for your most pressure-motivated workers. Create an informal “crisis team” of employees who can thrive (at least for a little while) under resource-deprived conditions. Important tip: when the storm calms, be sure to reward these people and give them some time off!

Finally, use a workforce management solution that allows you to forecast properly and plan down to intraday levels so you’re not taken by surprise regularly with high call volume. Look for a workforce management solution such as Monet Software’s that delivers caller data, easily automates everyday processes, and monitors schedules so agents handle an appropriate amount of calls in each shift.

Edited by Maurice Nagle