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Business Process Domain: Skill & Knowledge Transfer
Training, coaching and monitoring.

Description of the process
The objective of this process is to create value for the "student" receiving the skills and knowledge. They are the only customers of this process. When "student" needs are met, this process makes an important contribution to call centre performance:

• The ability to speak to skilled and knowledgeable agents increases customer satisfaction.
• Opportunity to learn increases employee satisfaction, attracts talented employees to the call centre and improves retention of loyal employees.
• Employees who are trained well on products and are skilled at applying sales models improve revenue generation.

The process starts by identifying the major tasks that will enable the knowledge transfer process. Typically these are training, coaching, monitoring and mentoring. The process ends with continuous improvement of employee performance.

Characteristics of a best practice

The major tasks (training, coaching, monitoring and mentoring) are highly integrated to achieve maximum return on the investment. Agents from the call centre frequently fill training, coaching and observing positions. Leaders are also skilled at performing these tasks.

1. Call centres design and deliver their own training.
• Too critical to be outside their control.
• Can benefit from design and delivery by agents who are subject matter experts currently engaged in performing the job.
2. There are dedicated job coaches (peers or leaders) who partner with agents for continuous improvement.
• Employee goals and needs are clearly defined.
• Individual growth plans are specific.
3. Monitoring (observation of calls) is focused on feedback for continuous improvement, not focused on scoring for performance results.
• Feedback consists of trends observed over a period of time rather than exhaustive critiques of individual calls.
• Feedback is consistent, non judgmental and performed by certified observers.
4. Mentoring programs are centered on learning rather than career advancement.

Relationships to other processes

Input to skill & knowledge transfer process:

• Skills obtained in the Hiring & Selection process reduce training requirements (i.e. keyboard skills).
• The Call Handling and Fulfillment processes are major components of training content.
• Training and coaching from the Desktop Tools process is geared to "where to find" in the desktop in order to reduce agent reliance on memory.
• Training and coaching from the Infrastructure and Automated Contacts processes are limited to an understanding of the customer experience, not the technology.
• The Agent Roles/Responsibilities process provides the focus for knowledge transfer.
• The Agent Skills/Competencies process identifies the prerequisites for successful knowledge transfer.
• Coaching, monitoring and mentoring skills are included in the Leadership Roles & Effectiveness process.

• Scheduling of training is an important task in the Force Management process.
• Training standards are used in the Change Deployment process.
• Requirements for training aids (wizards, tutorials) are incorporated into the Desktop Tools process.
• Quality of training impacts agent proficiency reported in the Performance Feedback process.
• Requirements for mechanization of training and monitoring are provided to the Process Tools process.

What's in it for me?

Retain customers and employees

As simple tasks become eliminated by automation, agents will handle more complexity in the future and their value to the company will increase. Investment in training will be more crucial to retain customer and employee loyalty. Customers will expect call centre agents to be their advisors to help them with complex choices. Employees will expect to continually learn and grow.

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This page was last updated July 8, 1999
Copyright PAG Inc. 1999