Workforce Management Defined: A Simple Introductory Guide for New Managers

If you’re a new manager looking to ensure your team is working as efficiently as possible as you target both service and financial goals, the ability to plan your work and then work your plan with a Workforce Management (WFM) solution is a game-changer. 

In a nutshell, WFM tools help you gain a better understanding of your data and, therefore, a better understanding of your workflow, giving you the visibility you need to optimize employee productivity and increase operational efficiency. WFM ensures that you get the right people in the right place at the right time to handle all interactions – and this blog will fill you in on everything you need to know to get started.

Key components of WFM solutions

Forecasting and scheduling

As a manager, an essential part of your daily responsibilities includes ensuring the right number of agents are on the floor at any given time. To do that effectively, it’s essential to use historical data to accurately predict how many interactions to expect and when to expect them. This way, you can schedule the right number of agents at the right times – and visibility into what you need and when you need it allows you to more confidently decide on time off and schedule change requests – creating a better balance between operational needs and overall agent satisfaction.

Adherence

Getting the schedules right is only half the battle. It’s equally important to ensure the agents are actually adhering to their assigned schedules. By tracking adherence in real time, WFM solutions ensure you’re getting the most out of your resources, staying compliant and recovering “wasted” labor dollars. 

Real-time performance management

WFM also empowers managers to plan a coaching and development cadence with agents that won’t be canceled or interrupted by service emergencies or spikes in call volume. Team meetings, one-on-ones, training and other “value – add” discretionary offline activities can be preplanned at times that make sense for the business.

The benefits of WFM for contact center managers

Still on the fence about how a WFM tool could benefit your contact center? Here are just a few of the benefits you could be missing out on without WFM:

• Increased efficiency that comes from reduced idle time and optimized staffing levels
• Improved compliance and mitigated legal risk
• Enhanced employee engagement as a result of enhanced planning – better scheduling and increased development opportunities result in less turnover. 
• Cost savings that stem from leveraging increased visibility to identify and address behaviors that result in wasted labor spend. 

If you truly want to elevate your contact center’s performance, it’s time to transition away from Excel spreadsheets to a WFM solution that will help you leverage your data to make operational decisions. By prioritizing historical trends and predictive analytics over anecdotal estimates, you position your team for success. 

Additionally, while Workforce Management solutions can help maintain compliance with relevant labor laws, it’s always a good idea to stay up to date on your own working knowledge of labor laws regarding breaks and working hours. TCN’s compliance center is a great resource to help you do so.

Why you should choose TCN’s WFM solution

WFM will help you handle your inbound communications more efficiently while taking a more proactive management approach. 

If you’re looking to start utilizing WFM, TCN is here to help. Not only do we provide all of the features listed above, but we also offer the most competitive pricing model on the market. Click here to learn more about what makes TCN’s WFM solution stand out from the rest.