What are the best practices for managing remote and hybrid contact center teams in a cloud-based model?

For contact centers that are in segments like health care or financial services, the standard out of the box solutions may not be enough. You may need to speak with your IT team regarding DaaS products. Bring your own device (BYOD) models are essential to properly scale work from home models and DaaS may be the best way. But be aware that not all DaaS platforms are properly designed for telephony usage so if voice is a channel, then you have to make sure you select the right ones that can do it with your current CCaaS platform.

Data security is non-negotiable! ?? Especially in a cloud-based model, we're extra careful about choosing the right provider and making sure our agents are trained on best practices. It's all about finding that balance between accessibility and protection. Also for things that need to be HIPAA and PCI compliant we make specific instances for these clients to make sure they have everything covered.

Using in house and BPO for support requires tight calibration and managing by metrics. Ensure QA is a priority, monitor for compliance (PCI, HIPPA etc.). When promoting individuals ensure the team knows what they did to deserve it so it can be emulated. Post metrics (indiv, site, vendor) broadly for gamification purposes.

Keeping quality high is a constant focus, even with remote teams. ?? We set clear goals and expectations, and make sure everyone has the tools they need to succeed. Regular check-ins and performance reviews keep us all on track. Being able to do this throughout your entire agent base automatically is definitely a game changer.

Managing remote and hybrid contact center teams in a cloud-based model requires clear goals, essential tools (internet, headset, CRM, knowledge base), and performance tracking through cloud analytics. Regularly assess agents against established goals, provide ongoing training, and prioritize effective communication through video conferencing and messaging platforms. Prioritize employee well-being, implement recognition programs, and offer flexible scheduling for a balanced work-life approach. These practices ensure consistent and high-quality service delivery in a remote or hybrid work environment.

Communication is KEY when your team is spread out. ?? We rely on tools like video calls and instant messaging to stay connected, and we make a real effort to build a sense of community even when we're not in the same physical space.

In a cloud-based contact center model, fostering collaboration and communication is crucial to combat feelings of isolation. Utilize cloud-based platforms (video conferencing, instant messaging, file sharing) to facilitate regular communication among agents, supervisors, and managers. Create virtual teams and groups based on skills or projects to encourage peer-to-peer learning. Organize online events like webinars or quizzes to build rapport and trust among teams working in different locations and time zones. Cultivating a culture of collaboration helps maintain a connected and engaged remote or hybrid workforce.

With hybrid teams collaboration and communication are THE most important tools for ensuring success. Communication especially needs to be prioritised, just like a manager needs to have good regular cadence of communication with their on site staff, this needs to occur with the hybrid staff, also making sure video is on during these sessions is important. Leaders should also make the effort to get our and see these employees as often as is practical, and get the teams together for collaboration as much as is practical. Hybrid environments can allow people to really thrive if they are given the trust and autonomy alongside the support they deserve.

It is very common for team in Contact Centers to be geographically separated, often across multiple countries for large enterprises. Add to that the fact that people work remotely. In this setup, giving the right tools are important so the agents feel empowered to solve customer problems (Think good quality Knowledge Management, Next best Responses, Ease of using the tools etc.). Providing the right tools would enable agents to work more efficiently and better in a distributed environment.

A frequently overlooked aspect of managing remote teams is the diversity of home environments, which contrasts with the uniformity of an office setting where facilities and connectivity are shared, including amenities like a communal lunchroom. As a manager, recognizing the variety of work-from-home (WFH) situations is crucial for equalizing the 'productivity platform' from an organizational standpoint. Optimal results from WFH employees are attained when managers invest effort to comprehend the unique baselines from which each individual operates and bolster these frameworks to foster consistent productivity.

Keeping remote teams engaged is SO important! ?? We make sure to recognize and reward our agents for their hard work, and we offer opportunities for growth and development. Happy agents = happy customers, right? - Being able to identify this based on call sentiment is also very helpful in keeping motivation high and preventing agent burnout!

Managing remote and hybrid teams in a cloud-based model necessitates effective engagement and motivation strategies. Recognize and reward achievements with gestures like thank-you notes, bonuses, or incentives. Provide growth opportunities through coaching, mentoring, and training to keep teams engaged. Solicit and act on their feedback through surveys, polls, or focus groups to demonstrate appreciation, respect, and trust. Engaging and motivating teams ensures productivity and satisfaction in a remote or hybrid work environment.

Do you know the moments that matter to your agents? Are you aware of the sensitivities to work hours, time between calls, the emotional strain on high-intensity or complex calls? Having a high-confidence in the moments that matter can help you with WFM as well as agent engagement, attendance, and attrition. Too often the contact center is focused on the operational metrics and not the indicators from the staff that will reveal when burnout and dissatisfaction are impending. Consider a solution that uses your ACD and WFM data to detect the moments that matter and provide insights to each of your agents well-being whether centrally located or working virtually.