JOB DESCRIPTION
In small call centres, these three human resources management tasks are handled directly by the manager and/or supervisor. In companies with dozens or hundreds of agents, they are divided among many professionals.
Recruiters are in charge of finding the most suitable people for the positions to be filled in their call centre. These busy professionals draft and post job ads, screen CVs based on candidates’ profiles and skills, manage interviews and tests and check references.
Once this part of the job is done, trainers take over. Their goal is to welcome the new hires and communicate information on the corporate culture, its rules and procedures, quality of service and products. Longer and more specific training is then given by operations staff.
HR professionals’ efforts are not only focused on new hires. They are also in charge of organizing ongoing personnel training on new techniques, tools and products. They follow up workplace accidents and manage agent career development by distributing the good (promotions, bonuses) along with the bad (disciplinary sanctions, dismissals).
Finally, human resources managers develop the weekly schedules for agents. It’s not an easy job, due to the shortage of staff and significant turnover in call centres!
SPECIFIC SKILLS
- Have a degree in human resources and/or experience in team management
- Have sound knowledge of labour law
- Be results focused
- Be able to explain complex problems clearly
- Be able to manage one’s emotions and stress
- In Quebec, be perfectly at ease in both French and English
PERSONAL QUALITIES
- Organization skills
- Sense of initiative
- Teamwork
- Interpersonal skills
- Patience
- Authority
WHAT THE PROS SAY
INTERVIEW WITH CLAUDIA, HUMAN RESOURCES TECHNICIAN
Claudia has worked as a human resources technician in a call centre employing 600 agents for a year now. Her company provides customer service and technical support in the telecommunications field.
In charge of recruiting and organizing training, Claudia is a front-line worker. “What I like about this job is having a snapshot in real time of the job market, she explains. “The call centre field is very competitive in Montreal, and succeeding in attracting high-quality employees is quite a challenge. I find it very stimulating!”
Nevertheless, Claudia acknowledges that the labour shortage she is up against every day is sometimes a bit depressing. “I am never happy to see someone that I’ve just hired a week before leave,” she states, “because in a sense, I consider these young people my ‘babies.’ I think that the current generation is increasingly less loyal to employers. Nowadays, they are ready to quit for a dollar more an hour.”
All the professionals agree that human resources management is a key function in a call centre. “It just requires good judgment,” Claudia sums up.