The next wave of workforce engagement: technology becomes smarter, and your people do, too
| Published date | 08 October 2018 |
| Date | 08 October 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/SHR-08-2018-0075 |
| Pages | 243-246 |
| Author | Brad Snedeker |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour,Employee behaviour |
The next wave of workforce engagement:
technology becomes smarter, and your
people do, too
Brad Snedeker
Abstract
Purpose –This paperaims to convey why the contact center has becomecritical to businesses’ success
with customer experience at the heart of driving growth and retention. As a company’s central hub for
customer interactionscoming in from all touchpoints, the contact center holds the key for businessesin
turning those interactionsinto insights. It is the contact center that knows and understands customers’
pain points and how to bestcourse correct, and agents have the power to create a positiveexperience
that fostersloyalty.
Design/methodology/approach –Using insights from Calabrio’s own ‘‘Health of the Contact Center’’
report, as well as other industry studies,this paper reveals why driving a positive customer experience
startsfrom within. Customer demands have becomeincreasingly complex and peoplenow communicate
with more channels than before –all of this is impacting agents, the experience they provide and the
successof the business.And it shows no signs of slowing down.
Findings –Thirty-twoper cent of contact center employees believe thatcustomer queries and demands
will become morecomplex over time. But they do not feelprepared with the right tools: 60 percent agree
that their companydoes not always provide the technology neededto address the challenges they face
when helpingcustomers.
Originality/value –Unlocking a great customer experience starts with a top-notch employee
experience. And that requiresa fresh approach to workforce management solutions. As an established
product category and a topic often discussed among industry experts, today’s contact center leaders
use workforce optimization. However, the rising importance of employee engagement calls for a new
offering–workforce engagement management.
Keywords Employee engagement, Technology, Engagement, Analytics
Paper type Viewpoint
According to a Pew Research Center (2017) survey, four in ten Americans credit
technology for making the biggest improvement to their lives over the past 50 years.
Across industries, digital tools and the Internet of Things have altered and
enhanced the ways we work. In farming, “smart agriculture” is becoming the norm (Ismail,
2017), with drones and sensors allowing for the remote monitoring of crops, while the
healthcare industry is using artificial intelligence (AI) to predict diseases and automate
diagnostic tests (Roe, 2018). By automating and simplifying previously manual processes,
people can focus on the tasks that matter –and see betterresults.
No matter the industry, digital transformation and increased technology adoption has
prompted a universal shift across sectors and changed workforce expectations. People’s
beliefs of what technology can do for them have grown stronger. More humans are turning
to digital tools to help them get things done faster, provide increased access to information
and automate various aspects of their daily lives.
Brad Snedeker is Director
of Innovation at Calabrio,
Minneapolis, Minnesota,
USA.
DOI 10.1108/SHR-08-2018-0075 VOL. 17 NO. 5 2018, pp. 243-246, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1475-4398 jSTRATEGIC HR REVIEW jPAGE 243
To continue reading
Request your trial