Workforce management (WFM) for switchboards is the process of forecasting call volume, calculating the number of employees needed, and then scheduling accordingly so that there are no overstaffed during off hours or understaffed during peak times. Good WFM will reduce hold time, reduce personnel costs, and help employees work regularly. Zenify recorded that 74% of customers changed channels when service was poor, and lack of people during peak hours was one of the reasons.
TL;DR
- WFM = forecasting work volume + scheduling enough people on time.
- Goal: no excess (cost) and no shortage (waiting customers).
- Forecast from historical data by hour/day/week/season.
- Calculate the full number of employees including leave, training, and meetings.
- Measure missed call rate and hold time to verify schedule.
What is Workforce management
WFM includes 3 main parts:
Forecast: call/text volume by hour, day, week, season.
Manpower calculation: How many employees are needed at each time frame to achieve the SLA.
Scheduling: Arranging employees at the right time frame, with enough skills, and enough numbers.
Goal: have enough people at the right time, don't waste wages when they're absent, don't lose customers when they're crowded.
Vì sao WFM quan trọng
1. Lack of people during peak hours = loss of customers
Customers call during peak hours and no one listens → wait → cancel the call.
74% of customers change channels when service is poor, "waiting" is the main reason.
2. Too many people in absence = waste
Paying employees while they are not working is silently costly.
WFM schedules according to needs, not according to the habit of "who is present".
3. Employees work regularly and are less exhausted
Fair schedule, no one is "crammed" during peak hours.
Reduce turnover, recruiting and training costly employees (see Training from QA).
How to do WFM for small teams
1. Collect data every 4-8 weeks
Number of calls/messages by hour, by day.
No need to get complicated, spreadsheets are enough to get started.
2. Find the pattern
Which time is the busiest? What day? How was the end of the month/weekend?
Normal peak hours: morning 9-11am, afternoon 2-5pm, pay day.
3. Calculate the number of employees needed
Work volume (calls + messages) ÷ productivity per employee per hour.
Plus time off, training, meetings, don't count "full 8 hours on the phone".
4. Xếp lịch theo khung giờ
Early shifts/late shifts, peak-time shifts.
New people are ranked with experienced people.
5. Kiểm chứng bằng số liệu
Missed call rate, hold time, number of canceled calls per hour.
Wrong schedule → adjust next week (see KPI call center).
Common WFM errors
Error | Consequences | Fix
No hourly forecast | Peak shortage of people | View data by hour
No deduction for leave/training | "Virtual" calendar, lack of reality | Calculate the rest coefficient
Anyone can be ranked | Uneven quality | Sort by skill
No measurement or verification | The calendar is always wrong | Measure missed calls/hold time