New Year, New Hires? 5 Must Read Articles

The start of the year can be an exciting time for contact center leaders.  With a fresh start comes different possibilities. New budgets, new goals, perhaps new technology.  And in many contact centers, new agents. While all of this is energizing, it can also be stressful.  Luckily it doesn’t have to feel so daunting.

Are you planning to hire new staff in 2016? If so, take time to formulate a strategy for success before you begin the recruiting process.  No matter your budget or the size of your team, these five articles will ensure smoother recruiting, hiring, and onboarding in the coming year.

1.    Contact Center Hiring and Recruiting on a Budget

Considering a few unique ways to recruit the best talent without breaking the bank? Jeremy Watkin shares the strategies he used to recruit and interview candidates for positions in his small contact center. If you’ve ever considered the idea of peer interviewing, you’ll definitely want to read this article!

2.    Head of the Class: Essential Qualities of the Most Successful Agents

We all want to hire best in class agents, but what does it take for agents to succeed in today’s omnichannel contact center? Before you write and publish job descriptions, stop to think about the type of talent you hope to attract. Dave Bethers shares several qualities to consider in this article about successful contact center agents.

3.    5 Tips to Source and Recruit Exceptional Agents

Once you’ve nailed the job description, how do you make sure the right candidates find it? Hiring expert Kevin Hegebarth has several tips to share. Before you head over to Craigslist, read this advice.

4.    How to Reduce New Hire Ramp Up Time

The hiring process doesn’t finish when the chosen candidate accepts the offer. Onboarding and training are often the most difficult (but essential) parts of the process.  Time is valuable, so decreasing agent ramp up time can brand you the hero. Learn the secrets by reading Jeff Toister’s article.

5.    When New Hire Training Transforms the Customer Experience (And When It Doesn’t)

New hires can have a significant impact on the customer experience—whether it’s a positive or negative one depends on how your center approaches the hiring process. This article by Chris Frascella offers guidance on hiring the right people, providing the right new hire training, and being serious and diligent about ongoing professional development. The advice is valuable for contact center leaders, but also worth sharing with friends outside the industry.

We hope you learn something new from each of these articles! Keep an eye on icmi.com for further advice on hiring for success in 2016. We’ll share articles, tips, videos, and infographics throughout the month.  Let us know if you have advice to share! We’d love to highlight your experiences in a future blog post.

Happy New Year and happy hiring! :)