Nowadays not only agents get the opportunity to work remotely but also administrators, as companies downsizing their operations to reduce costs. These must be implemented and regularly surveyed. However, the key step is ensuring that the worker understands and is suitable for remote working. Remote working is not something that you do within the morning sherry party! More self discipline is probably required than in the office.
These days, it’s not only the virtual contact center agents that are getting the opportunity to work remotely. As companies try to reduce costs by downsizing their brick and mortar operations, even company administrators are being set up to work from home offices. How does a company go about setting up remote administrators?
1. Move existing office workers home – this requires careful selection process as home workers do not have the same social support networks
2. Recruit specifically for home workers
The technology piece is critical – issue such as bandwidth and security are important factors to consider.
There are also Health and Safety requirements (from seating to desktop setup) for virtual contact center workers as well as office workers. These must be implemented and regularly surveyed. However, the key step is ensuring that the worker understands and is suitable for remote working. Remote working is not something that you do within the morning sherry party! More self discipline is probably required than in the office.
Web-based management portals and careful understanding of the skills of the admin who would be remote is much important. Web training sharing best practices of known successful routines
First look at the hardware needs at the employee level and make this a requirement of employment. This would need to be coordinated with the company’s security, IT, and telecom personnel. Then give thought to compensation models. Will the employees be paid based on number of calls, total talk time, log in times or some other methodology? Distribution of payroll would also be a concern – checks would either need to be direct deposited or mailed. The final step would be to set up the manner in which the agents are to be supervised. Depending on the spread of the workforce this could be done entirely by remote contact or using a hybrid of remote and direct contact. Some would pay remote workers on a per unit basis as opposed to hourly. That way they commit to work on a weekly basis and can do it around their own schedule – without us having to babysit. Online training and regular (for daily) coaching is important. With leverage actors to ‘mystery shop’ and coach following the call.
A few models to help:1. Move existing office workers home – this requires careful selection process as home workers do not have the same social support networks
2. Recruit specifically for home workers
The technology piece is critical – issue such as bandwidth and security are important factors to consider.
There are also Health and Safety requirements (from seating to desktop setup) for virtual contact center workers as well as office workers. These must be implemented and regularly surveyed. However, the key step is ensuring that the worker understands and is suitable for remote working. Remote working is not something that you do within the morning sherry party! More self discipline is probably required than in the office.
Web-based management portals and careful understanding of the skills of the admin who would be remote is much important. Web training sharing best practices of known successful routines
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