Turnover is very high in many call centers. The environment can be chaotic and the demands on agents can be very high, leading many to get burned out and eventually quit. In a recent article, Daniella Puzzo tackles the topic of hiring the best people for agent positions. In order to avoid the cost of money and effort that goes into consistent hiring and training processes, Puzzo says that call centers need to know exactly what they’re looking for in the people they want in their agent positions. They also need to ask the right questions during interviews to elicit responses that help properly analyze the candidates’ personalities. Some of the questions include:
- Tell me about a time when you had to handle a difficult customer.
- Tell me about the toughest decision you had to make in the last 6 months?
- What about the job description enticed you to apply?
- And many more.
To read more about these questions and the other questions that hiring managers should ask during agent interviews, please click here.
Call Center Agents – Hiring the Right People for the Role
What does it take to be a call center agent? It takes a person with grit and determination. It takes somebody who can handle stressful and hectic situations and environments in stride with an honest goal of making customers happy. I know, we’re all here to provide a high quality customer experience, right? The brutal truth is that people often make such a claim without any weight behind it. It’s important to ask the right questions in interviews and get a good read on a person’s personality, not just hire people because of what they put on their résumé. With this in mind, you need to determine the personality type of your ideal agent.
There are certain people who absolutely love communication. They thrive on conversing with others and giving upbeat words of encouragement and advice. They seem to be listening intently to every word you say and always looking for ways to help out if needed. They never take negativity to heart and always find a way to rebound in an upbeat manner when things don’t go 100% according to plan. Does this sound like a pipe dream; as though people like this don’t really exist? If you’re reading this and thinking that way, your assumption is false.
People with this personality type do exist, but it requires thinking outside the box during the hiring process to find them. Don’t strictly hire people based on how they look on paper and get creative with how you ask interview questions. The right people to fill your agent roles are out there, and you will find them if you create a solid hiring game plan. It may take more effort than other methods, but it will result in gaining valuable employees that provide legitimate service and build solid relationships with customers.
This blog post is based on an article from CustomerThink. To read the article, please click the following link: 9 Contact Center Interview Questions (and Answers to Look For) – Daniela Puzzo
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