It’s Not about the Individual – It’s about the Team
1 May, 2004
By: Dr. Jon AntonFew people would argue that contact centers are unique. In fact, one of the most distinctive characteristics of a top performing center is that all process managers are focused on ensuring that each agent delivers a high-quality contact with the customer. Ideally, the contact center management team includes all the individuals that manage 16 critical processes that impact the call.
However, sometimes contact center management focuses mainly on the “Employee Development” process. Important as this process is, the other 15 processes are also mission-critical in the delivery of optimal call experiences for your customers. Hiring the “right” management team to pull together all the processes, to solve problems, and to “make it happen”—is a primary challenge of the contact center leader.
In this article, we will explore the steps of hiring the right management team so that all 16 processes are operating with optimal results. Then we will show what is required to make other process managers successful—namely, the real teamwork within a contact center.
Team Building
Managers directly impact the performance and retention of the people working with them and for them. In fact, most employees cite poor relations with their managers as one of the top reasons for leaving their jobs. And some estimates suggest that the financial impact of manager turnover can vary from 1 to 5 times its annualized salary and benefits, depending on the complexity of the role. This does not include the indirect, but substantial, costs such as low employee moral and negative customer impact.
So, managers responsible for hiring need a process that makes them consciously competent, in fact brilliant, at identifying the team of talent they need. Simply put: the more consistent and structured the recruiting and selection process, the more predictive the hiring decision will become. And keep the following Don’ts and Dos in mind:
Don’ts
• Don’t assume that a top performing agent would make a top performing manager – there is little correlation between the two.
• Don’t confuse screening with selection. Screening filters out candidates who lack minimum qualifications for the position. Selection determines who among the qualified candidates would be the best for the position. How many times has a manager taken a candidate to the final stages of the interview only to discover that the candidate lacked important qualifications? Ineffective screening wastes everyone’s time.
• Don’t skip the selection process and move from screening to hiring
• Don’t allow pressure to fill an open position force you into a bad hiring decision. Make sure all candidates go through a consistent and thorough hiring process..
Dos
• Before hiring, get clear about what is driving your center’s success. What key performance indicators are critical to your business model? What culture are you trying to build? Are you moving from inbound service to a cross-sell environment?
• Drill down to the specific job requirements for each position on the management team. For every position:
o Document the attributes (internally wired potential) of the person to manage each process and work well on the team.
o Document the skill set of the person most suited to manage each specific process.
o Identify the competencies to excel at the position and work well with the team.
o Ensure that the applicant has both the emotional intelligence and articulation skills to interact successfully with your team.
Balancing the Selection Score Card
A superior selection process is critical to achieving your center’s outcomes. Based upon research provided by Banks and Dean, a three-pronged selection strategy (like the one noted below) produces positive results. In this model, each component of the process is weighted equally and occurs sequentially so that information obtained from one step of the process can inform the next step. This approach brings balance, measurement and consistency to the selection strategy.
• Step 1: Scientific Measurement
The application of science to the selection process turns the random into the predictive. Psychometric instruments that are rigorously validated and related to the performance requirements of contact center management teams will add predictability to selection. Psychometric tools allow interviewers to compare a candidate’s strengths and inherent potential to a benchmark of other successful performers in that position, which helps build an effective team. Such tools also help remove the influence of interviewer biases and “gut feelings,” while quantifying the candidate’s potential to succeed. Ultimately, psychometrics provide great insight on attributes important for working with and fitting into the team (i.e., communication style, empathy, social judgment and ability to collaborate).
• Step 2: Structured Interview
Even the most talented interviewers need a structured process to make the best hiring decision. Structured behaviorally based interview questions are far more predictive than unstructured questions. Behaviorally based interviews bring consistency to the process, because they incorporate competencies specific to the position and critical to the organization.
Once your center identifies the right competencies, you should:
• Define the specific behaviors for each of these competencies
• Build behaviorally based questions and follow-up questions around each competency
• Develop anchored ratings for each competency
Competency: Creates Teams and Partnerships
Specific Behavior:
• Develops and maintains collaborative and trusting relationships throughout organization
• Seeks out and uses diverse input and perspectives
• Leverages capabilities of all team members
• Celebrates team achievements
• Has inherent emotional intelligence
• Communicates and articulates issues and solutions
Behaviorally Based Question—Two examples:
• Tell me about a time when you worked with your team to achieve a given result. What was the goal and how did you all contribute to the desired outcome?
• Give me an example of a time when you did not agree with the direction that you had been given from your manager/peer. How did you work through the situation? What did you learn? What were the results?
• Step 3: Fit
The fit interview is the last step in the selection process. The hiring manager now combines the information collected from the psychometric assessment and structured interview with his/her own intuition about the candidate. This is when the interviewer holds a candid conversation to identify the match between the candidate and the position, the supervisor and the team. Will this job opportunity meet the candidate’s work style, expectations and values, and vice versa?
This is also the time to examine where the candidate scored outside of the recommended hiring ranges on the psychometric instrument. How does the individual compare to other members on the team? Examples include:
• A highly independent candidate when the environment calls for team players and consensus decision-making
• An individual who is uncomfortable with conflict in an environment that requires dealing directly and constructively with conflict
• An individual who may not have the potential to manage interpersonal relationships effectively
Conclusions
Every selection decision becomes a return on investment decision. You must plan to take your time to systematically select the best fit candidate available for the position and for the team. Having the right management team is mission-critical to achieving “Center of Excellence” status in your customer service contact centers.
Centers of Excellence
In the performance benchmarking of customer service contact centers, Benchmark Portal is able to position each center on a Balanced Performance Matrix. To determine where a contact center is on the Performance Matrix, multiple efficiency effectiveness metrics are collected to calculate an efficiency and effectiveness index.
Contact centers that operate at the highest possible levels, and have the lowest operating cost, have truly optimized their “people, processes and technology.” They are designated among Purdue University’s certified “Centers of Excellence.” After analyzing the characteristics of centers in this category, it has been found that the combined talent of the contact center’s management team is one of the key drivers needed to become a “Center of Excellence.” Frankly, nothing seems to be more critical than ensuring that you have the right people on your team to manage the key supporting processes.
Where Do You Rank?
The easiest way to gain valuable insight into the current operations of your call center is to go to www.BenchmarkPortal.com and take the free RealityCheck™ questionnaire. After completing the 11-question survey, your call center''s performance will be compared to those in your industry and ranked in terms of both efficiency and effectiveness. You get a report immediately after submitting your data. So what are you waiting for? Get started and see where you’re at today!
