Data Takes on New Importance in Contact Center Hiring

February 25, 2015

By now most everyone in the enterprise is starting to catch on to the fact that the data you capture from calls and other interactions with your clients has some real value beyond just asking if they’re happy or not.  Once it’s finely chopped and diced, such data can reveal insights that savvy marketers can use to advance their company and get some serious ROI.

But there is an even more important way that this data can be utilized, and smart companies are now waking up to it: Data can be used to help recruit some of the best hires you’ve ever had.

Think about it: The hiring process, as detailed as it is, is still somewhat hit or miss. In a , Gavin Gustafson, Communications Manager at call center leader inContact, took a closer look at data and how it relates to the hiring process.

“The data you are capturing during the quality management process is a gold mine of insight for your business. One very underutilized connection is recruiting,” Gustafson wrote. “Measuring the right behaviors in your quality process is critical to leveraging the data in other departments. So, first let’s talk about some of the basic soft skills that are very commonly measured during the quality process. By comparing some of your soft skills scores to customer satisfaction scores, you can identify the most impactful soft skills to customer satisfaction.”

He goes on to point out that some agents with “top-notch, actively listening skills show a positive correlation to customer satisfaction, where as enthusiastic tone really may not have any.” Consequently, he concludes, that latter trait might not be as critical in the recruiting process as was once believed.

While that’s only one example, Gustafson emphasizes that other correlation methods can be utilized to identify a candidates’ strong points to assure they align with the businesses’ goals.

“Utilize this information to recruit individuals that will be successful and drive positive impacts in your center,” he says. “It’s a win-win for your business because agents want to be successful, and if you are taking the time to identify the right individuals, they will be more satisfied and engaged when they are successful.”