I recently blogged about the use of Occupancy as a metric in the contact center and more specifically about how it can be a “bad” metric when used as an agent goal so I thought it was only fair that I expand on what some of the “good” metrics are for agent performance management.
Ideally, agent performance should be measured with a balanced approach so that no one metric/component of performance overshadows another. Without a balanced approach, you will negatively impact other important parts of the business without even realizing it. One common example is Average Handling Time (AHT.) AHT is a standard metric in contact centers and a great measure of productivity when used in relation to other agents. However, if you use AHT as the primary measure of success or put too much weight on it, you can significantly impact the quality of service you provide to your customers as agents focus too much on speed and not enough on quality.
Performance Management is all about balance and you have to evaluate the entire experience for productivity, quality and even compliance before you have a full picture of an agent’s performance. Below is a sample of what a balanced approach to performance management could look like. While some metrics are easy to find and report, others can be quite difficult to get your hands on (i.e. FCR) so not every metric below will work in every environment.
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Productivity |
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First Contact Resolution |
The ability to address the needs of the customer on the first contact/call |
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Average Handling Time |
The average amount of time/contact required to address the needs of the customer |
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Quality |
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Quality Assessment |
The evaluation of quality as determined by the contact center |
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Customer Satisfaction |
The evaluation of quality as determined by the customer |
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Compliance |
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Schedule Adherence |
The amount of time the agents follow their work schedule |
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Regulatory Compliance |
The evaluation of how well agents adhere to compliance requirements |
I’d love to hear from some of you on performance management. How many of you are actually using a balanced approach today for Performance Management? Do you have any tips to share on metrics that you find “good” or “bad” in this process?
Thanks,
Troy Plott
When developing scorecards, whether for Quality Assurance purposes or for performance management, the goal must be kept in mind. The objectives of the organization, department, or individual interaction can be broken down into attributes that define that action. The actions must then be measurable, repeatable, and then able to be tracked. If you choose to focus on items that do not ultimately affect the client interaction, departmental goal, or strategic vision of the organization, then you’re diluting the effectiveness of the balanced scorecard. This is why the items on a balanced scorecard are often referred to as "key performance indicators".
In regards to utilizing schedule adherence as a "goal", I do have a hard time with that. My expectation is that an employee be on time and on the days scheduled, and even be willing to stick around late or come in early when required. I’ve seen situations where allowing the mindset that an employee should be rewarded for attendance to perpetuate caused much strife. Instead, I’m almost a proponent of utilizing negative reinforcement in this situation. If someone’s out more than the "allowed" number of unexcused absences, late more that x number of times, etc., then having some sort of repercussion for their actions might be necessary. The reward for attendance, in my mind, is a paycheck…
Now, I’ll step off my soapbox and say that going above and beyond the expectations in the other measurements should ABSOLUTELY be rewarded and accolades should be given. Then again, I’m a huge proponent of a "pay for performance" incentive program in an organization.
Thank you for providing a forum to express our views and experiences with other contact center/performance management experts.
I think schedule adherence (i.e. going to break when you are scheduled, etc.) is critical but I have always believed that rewarding agents based on attendance definitely sends the wrong message. I laughed when I read your response because I myself have used the paycheck example as the ideal reward for showing up to work, especially in this economic climate. Thanks again for the comments and from one soapbox enthusiast to another, feel free to use our blog site as your soapbox anytime.