According to Robert Half, one in five hiring managers says the greatest customer service challenge they’re facing is hiring staff. More than 365,000 customer service jobs are posted annually. That means that even in the age of automation and AI, there’s still a high need for talented call center agents and customer service professionals.
However, finding the right fit for your team can be daunting. With hundreds of applicants sometimes applying for a position, how do you ensure you choose a candidate who’s a fit for the job and your team?
Below, we go over what to look for when filling call center agent positions and how to retain agents and reduce employee turnover.
Looking to improve your call center agent engagement and your customer reviews?
Do I still need to hire call center agents in the age of AI?
The short answer? Absolutely. Technology can do many things, but AI can’t replace human agents. AI can automate repetitive tasks or tackle customers’ frequently asked questions but can’t replace human expertise.
Additionally, according to the National Customer Rage survey, the number one frustration among customers is the inability to speak with a human. This means while AI can help agents do their jobs better, it can’t replace them.
How much should I compensate my call center agents?
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to determining pay. Experience, education, cost of living and other factors are all important considerations when determining compensation.
Tools like salary.com and PayScale can help you determine the appropriate compensation for your team. Besides salary, consider offering other benefits such as paid time off or flexible work arrangements, such as remote or hybrid work.
What to look for in an effective call center agent
Effective call center agents are vital to the customer experience and company success. So, how do you identify the right people for the job? Below, we go over some key things to consider when filling your call center positions.
1. Strong communication skills
Communication skills are critical to success in any customer service or tech support role. Clear communication can lead to faster issue resolution and create a better customer service experience.
When filling positions in your contact center, look for candidates who communicate professionally and demonstrate good phone etiquette. You’ll also want to evaluate their ability to communicate effectively through other channels, such as email and chat support.
2. Empathy for the customer
More than nine out of 10 customers believe empathy is critical to providing high-quality customer service. Empathetic call center agents can help foster stronger relationships between the customer and your business, as well as increase brand loyalty.
Empathetic call center agents benefit not only the customer experience but also your business. According to Forbes, brands that have an emotional connection with customers have an 85% higher sales growth than those that don’t. This means empathetic agents are a win-win for your customers and business.
3. Adaptability to new technology
The world of customer service is changing rapidly thanks to new technology designed to help agents do daily tasks more efficiently and effectively.
For example, many call centers are transitioning away from giving agents libraries of physical devices that can quickly become outdated. Instead, they prioritize virtualization, also known as virtual emulators, to help agents offer a more efficient, personalized customer service experience.
When hiring new agents, look for people who are comfortable learning new tools and technology. Even if they’ve never used a specific tool before (as tech stacks can vary by organization), they should be willing to learn and adapt.
4. The ability to thrive in a hybrid work environment
The traditional, five-days-in-the-office work week is dead. Most experts agree that a hybrid model is the future of work. Nearly three-fourths of companies say they currently have or are planning to implement a hybrid work model.
A strong hybrid customer service strategy offers businesses significant cost savings and can help increase employee satisfaction. You'll want to look for talent that's adaptable to a hybrid work model. You'll also want to ensure they can communicate effectively with customers and their colleagues in the office or remotely.
Since employees will work from home for two or three days a week, you'll also want to ensure they're comfortable using remote work tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Asana or Microsoft 365.
5. Problem-solving skills
Self-sufficiency and problem-solving skills are beneficial to any role, but they’re especially critical for call center positions. Sometimes, customers may have a particularly complex tech support request or your business may experience high call volume.
This may require agents to be resourceful to resolve challenges independently without the help of a team member or manager. Good problem-solving skills can help agents address tech support requests quickly and effectively.
6. Emotional resilience
Customer service can be a demanding job, even in the best of workplaces. Sometimes, agents may have a higher caseload, which takes up more time. As customer rage increases, a lot of it is directed at individual agents.
If agents aren’t careful, this can be a quick path to disengagement and burnout. That’s why it’s important to screen for agents with emotional resilience. You’ll want to make sure you hire professionals who are able to deal with difficult customer service interactions without burning out.
7. Consider candidates with transferable skills
Experience in a field is always valuable. However, focusing only on candidates with call center experience could mean unintentionally overlooking someone who’s a great fit.
For that reason, when evaluating a candidate’s experience, don’t focus on job titles alone. Consider their transferable skills that are relevant to the job. For example, people transitioning out of the military are often adept at collaboration, adaptability and communication.
A former teacher could use their teaching skills to coach customers through troubleshooting an issue on their tablet. To identify the top talent for your call center, evaluate candidates’ qualifications beyond the job title on their resume.
How do I retain my call center agents?
It’s not enough to hire people to staff your call center; you need to ensure they don’t want to walk away. The average turnover rate for customer service professionals is a whopping 45%.
High agent attrition rates can do a number on your business. Research shows the cost of replacing an employee can be as high as twice their annual salary.
That means if you’re paying call center agents 45,000 annually, you could spend up to $90,000 to replace each agent that walks out the door. So, how do you create an environment that stops turnover? Here are a few tips:
- Create a strong contact center agent onboarding program
- Consider implementing a hybrid work environment or other flexible work options
- Invest in improving employee engagement
- Dedicate resources to agent training and development
Hire the right talent for your call center
Finding the right candidates for your call center needs can be challenging. However, by following the tips in this guide, you can hire professional and efficient call center agents that meet the needs of your customers and your business.
Are you looking for a way to help your call center effectively scale support? Ozmo for Agents empowers agents with trusted, consistent answers to help your customers get the right answers the first time. Learn more about the future of tech support today.
