By Javier Lopez, Call Center Manager, XPS Solutions

Are you hiring the right representatives for your call center? Do you know what it takes to have a smooth hiring process?

Most likely your answer is going to be a resounding “Yes”.  Finding the right candidate for your company is usually a time consuming, yet highly crucial process.  You definitely want to be careful who you hire.  If you rush this process you could end up with the “bad apple”, which in turn can cause negative impacts like high turnover rate, bad morale, not showing up to work…  You get the picture.  The hiring manager and recruiter have to be on the same page, if that is not happening I would suggest to make it happen!

It’s time to find out what it really takes to hire the right person!

Let’s get started!!

Understand your business

What I mean by understanding your business is actually knowing what it takes to be a representative out on the floor. This allows you to figure out what kind of representatives are qualified for your type of call center.  A lot of hiring managers/companies feel that hiring a staffing agency is the way to go, and if that is working out for you, more power to you! In my opinion,  you are giving a significant responsibility to someone that has probably does not have the industry experience you need.  Very dangerous!  Will you get the number of candidates ready for your upcoming class with a staff agency? Sure, but you might be putting your company at risk.

Give applicants an opportunity 

If you make a decision to disqualify an applicant without conducting a phone screen you may be making a big mistake! If you are a recruiter or hiring manager and reading this, you probably know what I’m talking about!!  Making a premature decision without really giving an opportunity is often short-sighted.  It’s not all about how fancy the resume is, it’s about personality and the drive of the individual.  I was once told that it is better to have an individual willing to learn, rather than having a highly-skilled individual that may be more resistant to change.

Communication 

You might be either a hiring manager or a recruiter, but at the end of the day if there is not effective communication between both roles, you will not be successful.  Typically a hiring manager wants the recruiter to understand exactly what the type of agent is needed and hire fast!  Here at XPS Solutions, we’re fortunate that our recruiter not only knows what kind of reps we need, but also has experience as an agent.  This is awesome!  It makes the hiring manager’s role much, much easier.

Team work 

Your typical relationship between a recruiter and a hiring manager is that the recruiter is normally an “order taker” rather than being a partner. In this scenario when the recruiter isn’t usually involved in the hiring decision, you will unintentionally eliminate a different point of view which, at times, may cause you not to pass on a qualified rep.  On the other hand, by having a “partner” and you both having some say in the hiring decision, this process creates ownership, which equates to better hiring decisions and simultaneously keeps both individuals engaged.  The goal is not to be a simply task oriented endeavor, but rather creating ownership – now that is what creates success.

There will always be differing opinions on which hiring processes are right for your company.  Just bear in mind that a solid road map, truly understanding how good outcomes result, and sticking only to proven processes is the key to success.