Skill Optimization: Start Your New Year Off Optimized
Juanita Coley
Advocate for women in Tech ???? | WFM Enthusiast | 2x Best Selling Author | Speaker | 2022 Mrs. Corporate America | Voted 2022 Most Influential Technology Advisor | Top 25 ICMI | Verint Expert
Have you ever looked at your headcount requirements and thought, “Man, this looks wayyyy off!” Or maybe you feel like you’re managing 50-’leven million skills (as my grandmother would say to describe an inconceivably large number).
If this sounds familiar, you’re likely overdue for a skill optimization exercise—and your agent profiles probably need updating, too.
The Link Between Telecom and WFM
A common myth is that telecom (telephony systems) and Workforce Management (WFM) are entirely separate departments with no impact on each other. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Your telephony structure directly affects multiple WFM outcomes, and one of the most critical areas it impacts is forecasting. Let’s break it down with an analogy.
The Supermarket Analogy
Imagine walking into a large supermarket. This supermarket has employees trained to work across various departments:
Each department represents a skill an employee could have. Now, think about this:
Now imagine you have one employee trained in all these skills, and you think you’re covered in every department because of their skill set. The reality? You’ve got one person who can only handle one department at a time—not five.
The Call Center Parallel
This same dynamic plays out in the contact center environment when skill optimization and agent profiles are neglected.
If your telephony system or WFM tool isn’t optimized to reflect realistic agent skills, you’ll run into these common problems:
领英推荐
The Importance of Skill Optimization
Skill optimization is about aligning your agent profiles with reality. Here’s what that process looks like:
Also, this doesn’t mean agents need to be single skilled. However, it does mean you need to be more thoughtful when creating skills and grouping agents. It’s one thing to have billing inquiries, billing disputes, and billing payments skilling vs Billing, Sales, Services skills. Three skills in the SAME department is much different than serving three DIFFERENT departments.
Why This Matters
Neglecting skill optimization creates a ripple effect throughout your WFM processes. It skews your forecasts, disrupts schedules, and ultimately harms both the employee and customer experience. When your telephony structure and WFM aren’t aligned, you’re essentially flying blind, making it impossible to deliver on key business outcomes.
But when you prioritize skill optimization and update agent profiles, you create clarity and precision in your WFM processes. You’ll not only forecast more accurately, but you’ll also empower your agents to perform at their best—leading to better service and happier customers.
Skill optimization isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s essential for aligning your workforce with business demands. Whether it’s ensuring agents aren’t overburdened with unrelated skills or clarifying nuanced tasks within departments, optimizing your skills and updating profiles ensures a smoother operation for everyone involved.
Download Your Free Skill Optimization Step by Step Guide!
Want a simple, actionable checklist to guide you through these steps? Download the Skill Optimization Audit Guide to start aligning your workforce with business needs today.
?
That’s all…That’s the article!
Thee Contact Center Whisperer
That WFM Girl
#CX #EX #AI #CustomerExperience #EmployeeExperience #WFM #WorkforceManagement #BookLaunch #GoBeyond