Example Recommendation (Training Opportunities)

Side-by-side Training

In side-by-side training, agents sit by an experienced counterpart for a fixed amount of time per day until training completes.

Pros:

Listening to how high-performing agents handle calls can fill in the gaps of those with opportunities
Trainees can rotate through their side-by-side counterparts each day of training.
Empowers high-performing agents to develop their leadership skills for future management potential
Training can begin immediately since no training material needs to be created
Managers can commit their time to other tasks

Cons:

Training effectiveness varies greatly
Little to no control of training content
Productivity drops to less than half across each pair, since the trainee is not handling calls and the trainer is partially occupied with teaching
Agents may feel embarrassed that they are learning from their peers

Focused Training

In focused training groups, a Training Manager runs a group of 3 experienced agents and 3 lower-performing agents; the experienced agents bolster the training session by providing example situations and leading the team through exercises.

Pros:

Training managers can control what material is covered in the sessions
Experienced agents help teach or lead the class in the correct direction
Allows high-performing agents to develop their leadership skills for future management potential
It is not obvious to the agents who is considered a lower-performing agent and is less embarrassing

Cons:

Productivity is reduced to zero for all agents attending a training session
Classroom-type setting is not realistic to emulate live conversation even if realistic role-playing is involved

In Remediation Group Training, a Training Manager runs the session; agents who attend these sessions are all lower-performing agents who need remediation training immediately.

Pros:

Training manager can control what material is covered in the sessions
Fewer resources taken off the floor; only the lower-performing agents are taken off the floor, so productivity is not affected as much
More experienced agents not attending the session can help pick up the slack and/or help run teams while managers are running the training

Cons:

The training session may not be as effective without more experienced agents mixed into the class to provide example situations and talking points
Agents may feel like the training session is punishment for low performance

In One-on-One training, a Training Manager meets with each agent individually to cover their opportunities.

Pros:

Each training session is specific to that agent’s opportunities
Negative effect on agent productivity is minimized; only one agent is taken off the floor at a time.
One-on-One training is typically not noticed at all within a call center
Agents have the most opportunity to speak their mind and get their questions answered
KPIs can be covered in detail without risk of embarrassing an agent

Cons:

Requires the largest manager time commitment
Depending on the layout of the call center, a private setting may not be possible