Your Opportunity to Create a

High Performance Workforce

Your reputation is on the line. If you invest in training for your contact center supervisors and managers, will you get a
return on investment? What benefits can you expect to see? You have read the articles: Training supervisors and managers
on contact center operations and strategy has a far-reaching, positive impact on the future performance of the contact
center. But, can you justify the investment to bring this training to your location? This whitepaper will highlight common
benefits of conducting supervisor/manager training and lay out the business case for investing in this training based on
ICMIs experience in training contact center professionals for over 26 years.
Leaders report that initiating onsite training for management teams produces long-term, sustainable improvement in the
contact center. Antoinette Roberts, Director, Regional Operations, Delta Dental of Michigan, notes, The enthusiasm for
change was ignited by in-house training and benefits of the changes were noticed within 30 days, with significant changes
implemented after 60 days and genuine momentum towards improvement in full swing 90 days after training.
The primary benefits of training reported by leaders include:
 Increased team work
 Enhanced coaching effectiveness
 Improved operational process efficiency
 Improved employee satisfaction
 Increased customer satisfaction

Super-Teams!

Experiencing training as

a team allows individuals
to start to build trust and respect
with each other while developing
an understanding of individual
strengths.

The phenomenon of super-teams vs. superstars has been a topic of discussion for decades. We have all read the stories
about sports teams who managed to have great records without a superstar on the team. Their successes are built on a
solid foundation of trust, respect and understanding of what each player brings to the field. In the contact center, being
able to inspire all of the
supervisors and managers to work together really leverages their effort to produce great results. Teamwork is about much
more than employees enjoying each others company while they are at work (although that is laudable). Teamwork in the
workplace should promote improvement, which can be experienced in many ways. Tony Sandonato, Director of Learning and
Development, Owner Services Contact Centers, Wyndham Vacation Ownership, highlights that with a cross-functional
simulated work experience, participants build new connections.
Well-functioning teams enjoy many benefits. First, better teamwork among supervisors and managers fosters better
communication. According to Sandonato, Experiencing training as a team allows individuals to start to build trust and
respect with each other while developing an understanding of individual strengths. People reach out to others they didnt
know well, or never saw their value quite the same way before the training. Communication occurs more openly through
both formal and informal channels and provides managers and supervisors with the information they need to make sound
decisions. Notably, the communication extends beyond the immediate team. Agents feel more informed. The executive
management team enjoys more thoughtful, relevant escalation of information and receives more informed, actionable
ideas from the supervisors.
Second, process efficiencies are also realized as a result of better teamwork. Supervisors and managers have a more
holistic understanding of the workload and feel more responsible for making changes following the training sessions.
Senior call center managers note that even though supervisors have always enjoyed a level of discretion in how
assignments are prioritized and completed, the confidence that a supervisor is moving in the right direction with his team
allows him to share creative problem solving ideas with a team that is prepared to take action. Several organizations
report that over time, supervisors also displayed more independence at initiating improvements.

Your Opportunity to Create a High Performance Workforce

Another benefit of teamwork is that cohesion reduces conflict and political positioning; employees are instead spending
time collaborating and improving. The training process allows participants to explore each others perspectives and recognize the strengths of individual team members. The reality that a supervisors team includes his/her peers is often a revelation to some participants. This enhanced understanding of functions in the organization eliminates the need to position for
power and focus on real, meaningful activities.

Coaching Effectiveness
Contact centers commonly monitor, but many centers need to expand the focus of monitoring to include effective coaching.
Experiential training with supervisory teams enhances a clear coaching strategy. Wanda Henry, Director, CRC Solutions,
SaskTel shared, I believe the content of the course was exactly what we needed to improve consistency and drive home
key coaching elements. Effective quality monitoring and coaching is a critical success factor for the management of the
contact center. Without a unified front in coaching, many agents will lose faith in the management team, and the
organization, given the lack of guidance and support provided, and therefore will become unmotivated or disengaged.
A unified front in coaching is important for many reasons. For example, extended hours of operations in contact centers
will increase the likelihood that some agents may not have access to their direct supervisors on a regular basis. This means
that the relationship these agents have with other supervisors is a critical part of their work life. It is important that agents
can trust that they are being coached and developed consistently, regardless of which supervisor is delivering the coaching.
Communicating about which skills are being developed with individual agents increases the credibility of all supervisors and
enhances agent buy-in resulting in more timely feedback and effective decision-making.

One aspect that supervisors realize through training is that agents

are coached for issues beyond contact handling. More specifically,
supervisors understand that coaching efforts should include a whole
host of activities, including: Skill and performance development,
contact center culture, attendance and adherence, gaining agent
buy-in, how to monitor, interpret and respond to metrics and
managing stress and development for a career path. With this deeper
understanding of the scope of coaching that they should be engaging in, a reported outcome of supervisor training has been that it
produces better adherence to processes, policies and procedures.
Given this deeper understanding of the scope of coaching they
should be engaged with, another reported outcome of training of
supervisors is that it produces better adherence to processes, policies and procedures.

After the training,

candidates for
advancement had a clearer
idea of what would be
expected in the new role
and were better prepared
for the job.

Another significant impact of how training improves coaching effectiveness is that it ignites enthusiasm among agents
to want to become supervisors in the contact center. A customer service manager for a custom manufacturer observed,
After the training, candidates for advancement had a clearer idea of what would be expected in the new role and were
better prepared for the job. Another executive at a healthcare organization commented that prior to training, her agents
were not interested in open supervisory positions. In fact, she had to hire most of the supervisors from outside of the
company. Since providing training for supervisors, the agents have noticed the positive impact supervisors can make and
find the job much more appealing. Since the training, two supervisors were promoted from within the contact center and
four more agents are being groomed for supervisory positions. The list of agents expressing interest in advancement
continues to grow every day.

Process Efficiency
Many management teams are tasked with the challenge of doing more with less; an ongoing issue in most contact
centers. Are we getting the best return on our investment that we can? Could we be using our technologies, people or
processes more efficiently? Contact center managers are being asked these questions nearly every day.

Your Opportunity to Create a High Performance Workforce

ICMI finds that the first attempt at making process improvements after training will produce many viable opportunities.
Senior managers often report that initial successes on process improvements kindle many follow-up suggestions for
process improvements. The caliber of suggestions for these improvements advances dramatically with experience.
Antoinette Roberts reported that the enthusiasm for change is contagious and agents are soon active participants in helping
to improve operations. When combined with improved communication with other departments and business units, an
increased willingness to make investments in improvements is evidence that the support for change is a vehicle for
improved operations both monetarily and with resource allocation. The credibility to effect change has increased the
ability to fund efforts.

Agent Satisfaction
When an organization makes the investment to train and develop
supervisors, agents are the direct beneficiaries. After training, supervisors
are better prepared to set and clarify expectations to their agents, and
agents have reported that supervisors are more believable, consistent
and fair.

Studies show that

for every 1% increase
in employee satisfaction,
organizations enjoy a
2% increase in customer
satisfaction.

Having increased trust and confidence in their supervisors encourages

agents to be more active in fostering these positive relationships.
Potential problems are identified and shared earlier than in the past.
Agents report appreciation for their supervisors willingness to listen to their perspectives and ideas. Organizations that
invest in in-house training benefit by addressing problems before they become risks to the business.

An example of this comes from a unionized call center that found its contract negotiations have taken on a different tone
than in prior years, now that its supervisors had gone through training. The supervisors had a better understanding of the call
centers dynamics, were more equipped to make suggestions for contract changes and presented a sound business case
for those changes.
Agents will also enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done. When supervisors understand their role in developing agents,
agents receive better coaching, training and development. The amount of errors and rework decreases and first call
resolution increases. These results benefit both the customers and the organization.
Improved agent satisfaction is a natural add-on benefit after the training. Supervisors become more confident in how to
prioritize job functions so that agent coaching becomes a priority instead of a chore. Agents understand that they are
making important contributions to the organization and that their efforts are appreciated. As a result of coaching, agents
adhered to schedule and attendance increased at most centers. One reason for this development is that supervisors are more
consistently and confidently addressing attendance and adherence. Agents are able to understand the business reasons for
the policies and buy-in to how they can make a positive difference in the contact center for customers.
Employee satisfaction surveys indicate that
customer satisfaction also increases. This is
attributed to the increased coaching,
communication and consistency of their
supervisors. Studies show that for every 1%
increase in employee satisfaction, organizations
enjoy a 2% increase in customer satisfaction.
Furthermore, increased employee satisfaction
translates into lower attrition rates. The cost
to select, hire, train and develop a new agent
is generally equal to the cost of employing an
agent for one year. The savings from providing
well-trained supervisors could justify the
expenditure made in training by itself.

Why Agents Stay!

Appreciated
Valued
Career
Morale
Coaching
Communication
Goals
Training
Supervisor
Authority
Pay & Benefits
Policies
Software
Schedule
Work Stations

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

Source: SQMgroup.com

Your Opportunity to Create a High Performance Workforce

Customer Satisfaction
Customers hear when employees are happy and respond positively. Customer satisfaction is a natural response to dealing
with confident, informed and knowledgeable agents. Clear expectations with agents promote improved communications
with customers. Agents assist in establishing expectations and the organization is better prepared to back them up with
streamlined processing and improved efficiency.
Additionally, customers enjoy the enhanced processes and appreciate fewer frustrations. Customers appreciate organizations
that care about customer service and respond with increased loyalty. Loyal customers are easier to do business with, as
they know how the process works and require less support. Also, satisfied customers are willing to spread the word about
a company that has made them happy increasing referrals.

Building a Business Case

Understanding the benefits of a training initiative is necessary to create the business case. Senior executives that have been
successful at securing funding for training and value training as a solid investment advocate surveying and initial assessment
testing. This step allows organizations to clearly understand knowledge gaps with supervisory teams as well as understand
fully where the starting point should be. Tony Sandonato advocates that, With in-house training you can present theory
and competency and then apply it with real work scenarios by venturing into a workshop mode. This allows you to build
a learning objective that includes an actual business outcome, which is a very easy ROI for the business. There is no reason
this theory and application cant be applied to negotiation, coaching, interviewing, creative problem-solving skills, staffing
model forecasts and so on.
Comparative advantages benefits that can be realized by reducing costs or increasing productivity - are also identified.
Some examples of this include:

1. Low value work being replaced by higher value work (e.g. supervisors spending time

coaching agents instead of recording workforce management exceptions)

2. Reduction of errors (what the error cost, how often it was occurring or how often it is now occurring)
3. Elimination of duplicate or needless work
Other advantages can include things like: Shorter process, less time spent getting information or placing orders, increased service, faster service, and
increased quality. These benefits are quantifiable because they open the door
to a better relationship with customers, stakeholders and employees.
Some of these advantages are tangible and easy to identify. To quantify tangible benefits, contact center managers focus
on assessments of current and future states and document assumptions. Then, benefits can be quantified and explained.
Once people are comfortable with these assumptions,
this becomes a fairly unemotional approach.
Tangible benefits are frequently obvious (such as process improvements, cost reductions, cost avoidance) and directly translate
into financial returns.
Intangible benefits are more difficult to describe, quantify and align dollars to. Contact center managers know they exist
and struggle to find a way to explain the value. For example, what does an increase in customer satisfaction mean to the
profitability of the company? To explain intangible benefits, savvy managers can quantify value in several ways. They can
break the benefit down into tangible benefits (e.g. satisfied customers purchase X% more often or tell Y friends - 50%
of whom eventually become customers as well), or they can consider the ability to charge for the activity. Lastly, they can
assess the ability to increase price.

Your Opportunity to Create a High Performance Workforce

The table below shows the value of training that resulted from streamlining a process based on learnings from the training.
The supervisors in this example looked at an inefficient process and estimated that improvements could save agents 10
minutes per work-day. With this information, they calculated the amount of labor that could be spent doing tasks more
valuable to the organization. The supervisory team also identified that the change reduced the number of errors related to
the process. With the help of the CFOs office, the cost of the error was then calculated. These improvements lowered the
number of escalated calls, and the requests for help, which reduced the support required for the issue. When the center
considered the savings from these three perspectives, it was able to calculate the amount that training saved the organization.

The Value of Training

Increased productivity
Per day improvement (minutes)

10

Total annual improvement

$177,000

Annual days in building: 236

Reduced errors
Cost per error

$25

Errors per week

2.3

Total reduction in errors

$162,840

Number of agents: 300

Average hourly wage: 15

Reduced support
Per day improvement (minutes)

Total reduced support savings

$88,500

Total Savings

$428,340

Conclusion
There are many great reasons to invest in training for supervisors and managers; one of the most important is preserving
your high investment in labor. Labor and labor-related expenses are by far the largest portions of a contact center budget.
As identified herein, training helps to preserve and increase the value of this investment by developing and retaining
quality agents, creating more effective and satisfied supervisors and insuring that your managers are making informed
decisions and employing strategic vision.

Resources
Batt, Rosemary, The Economics of Teams Among Technicians (2000). Articles and Chapters. Paper 276.
http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/articles/276
Desmarais, Mike. Employee and Customer Satisfaction Link. Rep. Web. 2 Feb. 2012.
http://www.sqmgroup.com/pdf/emp_cust_satis.pdf.
Katzenbach, Jon R., and Douglas K. Smith. The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-performance Organisation.

London: McGraw-Hill, 1998. Print.
Rosen, Sherwin. The Economics of Superstars The American Economic Review, Vol. 71, No. 5. (Dec., 1981), pp. 845-858.

Stable URL: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-8282%28198112%2971%3A5%3C845%3ATEOS%3E2.0.CO%3B2-R