Homeworking
As the economic storm passes through, it has left in its wake a real need for contact centres to review how they operate. Flexible rostering is one potential winner for operators who want to reduce their ‘fixed’ overheads. The best way to achieve this is to introduce a ‘variable’ cost model with home-based agents – otherwise known as ‘homeworking’.
A number of proven approaches have now emerged generating tremendous results in both productivity gain, and employee satisfaction for those that get it right. Staff who work at home do not require a seat in a central call centre – thereby reducing the long term facilities costs. Also they are willing to work flexibly with multiple, intraday shifts. In some instances, they can be scheduled to work in units as short as 30 minutes – making them ideal resources to absorb peak increases in call demand and also to roster into twilight shifts.
Why is homeworking such a good idea for contact centres?
Homeworkers change the labour pool dynamic by creating precious work‐at‐home opportunities, which means that operations can attract a completely different demographic. Studies show that homeworkers are often more mature (average age of 40) and hence more reliable and experienced. Homeworkers are readily accessible - overcoming any problems with commuter transport links that inevitably cause disruption when the weather is poor
From a technology perspective then the tools to support home workers are now available: Not only has widespread UK rollout of broadband removed the technical barriers associated with accessing IT systems from home, tools now exist that allow supervisors to view homeworker activity in real‐time – to record and playback calls, use instant messaging to stay in touch with staff – so that the homeworker becomes a fully integrated member of your team.
As a result, home workers are becoming an essential component of a virtual call centre staffing pool.
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