These past few years, organizations and individuals have been forced to adapt to changing work conditions, from operating in-office to shifting to a strict work-from-home (WFH) structure and now with most organizations operating in a hybrid work environment. There is a growing concern that company culture and leadership are suffering as a result of the hybrid workforce (Gartner). 

For contact centers, a hybrid work environment offers many benefits, including increased flexibility and a boost in agent productivity. That is not to say that this work environment doesn’t come with its own set of concerns. Gartner, a technological research and consulting firm, has outlined three challenges associated with the hybrid workforce:  

1. Ensure open communication between you and your team 

It is important to ensure that you and your agents establish open communication with one another. Allow your agents the opportunity to raise any questions or concerns they have regarding new policies, what health and safety measures are available, and more. It is essential for you and your agents to communicate with one another about upcoming vacations, scheduled appointments or simply giving someone a heads-up that you will be away from your desk for a long period of time.  

As a leader, you want to avoid the guessing game. Not knowing if or why an agent is offline for a long period of time is concerning and can impact how you assign your agents to different queues. Taking into consideration the availability of your agents is key when assigning them to queues. If a certain agent is frequently offline without explanation, you may need to redistribute your other agents to ensure that queues are adequately staffed with agents to handle incoming interactions. If an agent is continuously offline, without reason, supervisors need to investigate this to understand why and take the appropriate action to address this. Make sure, as a supervisor, you also communicate with your team through regular meetings or updates to ensure your agents have a clear outline of what is expected of them.  

2. Schedule regular meetings with your team 

Whether you meet with your agents weekly, quarterly, or with some other frequency is up to you and your team. Regular meetings provide an opportunity for everyone to raise any questions they have or discuss how they are managing their current workload. Meetings are also an opportunity to set performance goals for your agents. Here are some tips to ensure successful meetings: 

• Create an agenda that outlines all the topics you wish to focus on – this will help you stay on track throughout the meeting. 

• Leave some time at the end of the meeting for employees to ask questions or provide any updates on their end. 

• After the meeting, follow up with your team with the next steps to ensure that any decisions made, or new projects assigned are carried out effectively. 

Scheduling regular touchpoints with your team ensures your team is equipped to manage calls effectively and is on track to meet the organization's goals. Through regular meetings, employees feel valued and supported, thus fostering employee engagement and retention in the long run. 

Gathering feedback from your team eliminates the guesswork of determining whether your agents are happy with their job or if they're experiencing extreme levels of stress. Unhappy employees tend to lead to lowered productivity levels and high turnover rates. 

4. Recognize success 

As important as it is to gather feedback from your employees, it is also essential to recognize individual accomplishments. Employees value positive feedback; it helps to increase morale and makes them more effective in their role. According to McKinsey, agents who don’t receive recognition are more likely to leave their role. In fact, a study conducted on employee retention found that factors such as wages, job security, promotions, and benefits are among the most valued within contact centers (McKinsey). As a supervisor, here are some ways to acknowledge your agents’ hard work: 

• Conduct agent evaluations that allow you to share areas that individuals are exceeding in. 

• Through social media, internal newsletters, or staff spotlights, you can highlight your employees’ successes. 

• Reward your agents with tangible or intangible gifts, such as bonuses or extra time off. 

• Offer professional development opportunities to those that exhibit hard work and dedication. 

5. Track agent performance in real time 

As a supervisor, you can use iceMonitor to observe how your agents are performing in real time or create customizable alerts to track their performance. You can view how your agents are doing, who is on a call, and who is on a break. You can configure iceMonitor to provide information on grade of service (GOS), the average time in queue, the average call duration, and more! Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) is essential to understanding operational efficiency. For example, if you see there is an overloaded queue, reassigning agents to this queue can help manage the influx of call volumes. 

6. Implement one mandatory in-office day 

Implementing one mandatory in-office day of the week fosters greater productivity due to increased collaboration, an increase in morale, and the ability to separate work and home. When your agents come into the office and leave at the end of the day, they are “able to mentally switch off from work” which in turn contributes to lowered levels of stress (Office Angels). Here at ComputerTalk, we have introduced “Workday Wednesdays” as the one day of the week when all staff must be in the office. Our Chief of Staff, Blair Ferguson, introduced the idea at the start of 2023 stating, “we absolutely need to increase our collaboration and the organic innovation that happens when we are all together!” 

Most individuals working in a hybrid work environment choose to come into the office on certain days of the week that align best with their schedule, whether due to recurring meetings or because of other commitments outside of work. Conduct a survey among your contact center employees asking which day of the week people would prefer to make the mandatory in-office day. 

7. Make time for fun! 

It's time to bring back old office traditions or start new ones with your employees! It seems we have forgotten the importance of connecting with our colleagues on a personal level. Potlucks, trivia nights, holiday parties, or other after-work activities are great ways to increase socialization within your organization. Make sure these events and activities are also inclusive of those operating remotely by offering an option to join virtually!  

Investing in fun office activities and socializing with colleagues after work can significantly increase morale, leading to a more productive and cohesive work environment. 

Summary 

By implementing these strategies, supervisors can effectively manage their teams in a hybrid work environment, fostering engagement, productivity, and organizational success. If you have agents that are fully remote, learn how you can continue to support them as well!