Customer satisfaction is the highest priority in a contact center. If you want to provide top-notch customer service, you need well-trained, competent customer support agents.
However, with burnout rates averaging between 30%-45% in the call center industry, hiring and retaining top talent can be a major challenge.
This means that the hiring process is the most critical step in building a strong and effective call center team. And that’s where a pre-hiring assessment comes in.
A pre-hiring assessment is an invaluable tool in identifying the right candidates, reducing turnover rates, and ensuring long-term success for your call center.
It allows contact center hiring managers to identify and analyze the specific skills and behaviors that are compatible with the call center’s demands, such as excellent communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and customer empathy.
13-point contact center pre-hiring assessment
Our pre-hiring assessment for contact centers covers a broad range of skills and traits you should assess when considering candidates to join your team. Here’s a high level overview:
- Remote readiness.
- Typing speed.
- Customer service experience.
- Problem-solving abilities.
- Technical proficiency.
- Communication skills.
- Multi-tasking abilities.
- Stress management capacities.
- Attention to detail.
- Empathy and understanding.
- Sales skills.
- Conflict resolution skills.
- Knowledge retention.
I’ll walk through each point, why I think it’s important for candidates to demonstrate, and strategies I use to assess candidates for each skill or capability.
1. Remote readiness
If you are 100% on-site, all the time, and you know that contact center agents will never work from home — you can skip this point in the pre-hiring assessment.
For everyone else, you need to ensure that any candidate who plans to work from home (part or all of the time) has an internet connection that can support professional-grade communications. I would have them take a free VoIP speed test at a bare minimum, to measure their ability to make calls reliably.
If you are hiring for a virtual contact center where the expectation is fully-remote work, you should also try to ensure that the employee has a quiet place to work where calls and video conferences will not be disturbed. Many first-time remote workers haven’t thought through the reality of working from home with kids, roommates, pets, neighbors, an upcoming move, etc.
It’s common to provide equipment to new remote hires, but if you aren’t you will need to ensure that candidates have reliable VoIP headset to ensure hands-free, crystal clear conversations with customers.
SEE: Learn whether or not virtual contact centers are viable for companies that handle a lot of volume.
2. Typing speed
Typing speed is a critical skill across all contact center positions. Agents need to be able to type fast so they can:
- Respond quickly and accurately to customer queries.
- Document and transcribe conversations.
- Listen while typing to accurately record client notes.
- Accurately input error-free customer information.
The most common way to assess a potential hire for typing speed is by assigning a typing test. These tests are readily available and often free, making it easy to integrate into the hiring process.
These tests measure the words per minute (WPM) of an individual. A good rule of thumb for call centers is to aim for a minimum of 30 words per minute with an accuracy rate of at least 95%.
If a test results in a slow typing speed or a high amount of errors, this may lead to inaccurate information being documented or a slower response time, which can negatively impact the customer experience. In a multichannel contact center, it’s completely normal for a single agent to be on the phone while answering questions via multiple live chats — verifying a candidate’s ability to type quickly and accurately is a must.
SEE: Discover how a multichannel call center solution can replace numerous apps.
3. Customer service experience
Previous experience can provide valuable glimpses into how a candidate may perform since there are a handful of universal aspects to customer service roles, like of these include:
- Adhering to scripts while maintaining a friendly tone.
- Superior listening skills to understand customer needs and concerns.
- Resilience and patience to handle difficult customer interactions.
Having your candidate submit and elaborate on their prior customer service experience can help determine which specific skills they possess. Role-play scenarios help test the abilities of new hires, which involve recreating a real-life call that the future agent may encounter.
Keep an eye out for listening skills, relational candor, and a friendly tone while maintaining compliance with the call script. You can also keep track of the agent’s ability to solve the theoretical problem you’re roleplaying and take note of how long it takes for them to resolve the issue. The better suited candidates are for providing quality service, the easier it will be for you to improve contact center customer experience.
4. Problem-solving abilities
Employees must know how to think on their feet — and there is always a lot to know. You’ll want to to be hiring from a pool of people who can:
- Resolve complex customer issues swiftly.
- Work through unexpected technical glitches.
- Handle multiple problems simultaneously.
You can assess a candidate’s problem-solving abilities with situational judgment tests or role-play scenarios that mimic real-life challenges. For example, you can provide a scenario where the agent must handle an irate customer while also dealing with a technical issue on their end.
Some helpful metrics to keep an eye out for include the ability to respond quickly to unexpected issues, an overall positive demeanor in the face of conflict, and a capacity to generate creative solutions.
The best call center software or contact center solution will have simple ways for setting up and reviewing pre-hiring assessment calls.
5. Technical proficiency
Technology is continually evolving, so you’ll want to ensure that your potential hires are tech-savvy. From making it through the onboarding process to competently operating the latest contact center technology, you’ll want your staff to be flexible and comfortable with new software and hardware.
At a minimum, a candidate should have or be able to gain the following:
- Basic computer skills (typing, email, navigating operating systems).
- Familiarity with customer relationship management (CRM) software.
- Familiarity with business phone and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems.
- Confidence in learning new technology and adapting to updates..
You can assess these abilities through technical assessments and by providing scenarios where they may encounter a technical problem during a call. For example, you can identify a common problem that your call center experiences with its CRM and ask the candidate how they would solve it.
All potential hires should be comfortable with fielding minor technical issues such as resetting a password, clearing cache and cookies, and updating software. Regardless of their specific areas of knowledge, a positive attitude and willingness to learn are crucial traits for a tech-proficient contact center agent.
6. Communication skills
Communication skills are foundational for proper customer service and reflect a person’s emotional and social intelligence. There’s an art to these skills, as they may require going off script in order to connect meaningfully with a caller.
Look for the following indicators when evaluating a prospect’s communication skills:
- Body language that expresses sincere interest and understanding.
- Tonal inflections that denote interest and focused attention.
- The ability to make relatable and empathetic connections while remaining professional.
- Awareness and care for the caller’s concerns.
- Self-awareness for emotional regulation.
Multiple choice tests allow you to see how a candidate understands the abstract concepts of communication, emotional intelligence, and social intelligence.
But it’s much more powerful to assess those skills in real-time situations. Play the role of an irate customer, and see how they handle it. Present cancellations, refunds, or other hurdles that real-life calls may offer during role-playing.
Some candidates may expect feedback on their performance. Not everyone will want feedback, and I am not advocating for making it standard part of this assessment — this is a pre-hiring screen, not job training, after all. Even so, it can be helpful to have some constructive feedback ready, or tips for positive business communication if they inquire. How candidates respond to feedback is telling in its own right.
7. Multitasking abilities
Time is of the essence in customer service and contact centers, so multitasking is vital for productivity. An employee or contractor who’s skilled in this area can save a lot of time and money by juggling multiple tasks seamlessly. This can improve key call center metrics like reducing hold times and boosting customer satisfaction scores.
The following are essential multitasking skills that a call center agent needs to possess:
- Being able to listen while typing.
- Focusing fully on customer calls in fast-paced or noisy call centers.
- The ability to quickly and accurately pivot between tasks.
A test project that has 2 or 3 moving parts is a good place to start when creating a multi-tasking assessment. Again, you’ll want to create a test that’s as close to a real-life scenario as possible.
8. Stress management capacities
Call centers are notoriously known for being high-stress environments. Since it can be hard to gauge if someone can stay cool under pressure without actually seeing them in action, you’ll want to assess this carefully.
Here are some ways you can evaluate a candidate’s stress management skills:
- Ask about a time when they had to deal with a difficult customer and how they managed it.
- Inquire how they self-regulate and remain calm in tough times.
- Investigate what their ideal work environment is to see if it aligns with a call center setting.
It may be helpful to use a well-vetted stress test, such as the Perceived Stress Scale, to better quantify the effects of stress as well as identify potential red flags.
Additionally, role-playing can provide insight into a candidate’s ability in specific roles. For example, if you think a candidate may struggle to field calls but excel in problem-solving, put them in a situation where they must solve an issue for a customer rather than cold outreach.
Stress is normal in a contact center. Anyone who is going to work there long-term has to thrive under the constant pressure and the rapid pace. The more people who cannot deal with stress that you can successfully screen out before you hire them, the better for all parties involved.
9. Attention to detail
Even one wrong number inputted on a major order can be a costly mistake. So you’ll want to make sure potential hires pay close attention to details and notice these kinds of small discrepancies.
Assessing for this begins when you receive a cover letter and resume from an applicant. Look for clear indicators that they thoroughly read the job description, followed all of the directions in the application process, and responded to the specifics of the job posting.
Since finding errors is likely the most useful way to determine an applicant’s attention to detail, give a test that will identify their acuity. You can use an attention-to-detail test that can help evaluate a candidate’s abilities in this area.
I know that every single job description lists attention to detail, but it’s absolutely vital for contact center work. Bad actors are constantly trying to bypass IVR authentication, for example, and sometimes only a careful human agent stands between a cyber criminal and access to a customer’s bank account.
SEE: Learn how to enforce IVR authentication without annoying callers.
10. Empathy
As a soft skill, empathy can be a tricky thing to quantify when it comes to the hiring process — but it’s nonetheless important for ensuring that your potential hire is the right fit for your customers as well as your team.
Let’s try to define what empathy actually is so you know what to look for in evaluating a candidate’s empathy levels:
- The ability to understand another person’s emotions and feelings.
- Being able to mentally walk through a customer’s journey.
- A genuine interest in other’s perspectives and experiences.
The best way to test for empathy is by using open-ended questions, either in dialogue or written. You can ask about specific situations, or prompt the applicant to reflect on the company’s culture and how they would fit into it.
This allows hiring managers to see how a candidate approaches and responds to various situations without leading them to a specific answer.
You can also request character references, which differ from testimonials in that they focus on the reliability, credibility, and trustworthiness of an individual rather than their skills or capabilities.
SEE: Learn how to measure hard and soft skills.
Keep an eye out for red flags such as impatience when discussing caller issues, a lack of understanding of the importance of customer service, or a lack of interest in the customer’s needs. These can be indicators that a candidate may struggle with empathy and understanding in a contact center role.
You can also download our e-book, 7 Trainable Soft Skills for Outstanding Agents, for an in-depth look at ways to boost customer experience, increase agent engagement, and make your brand memorable.
11. Sales skills
If your contact center is sales-focused, this is one of the primary skills to assess when considering an applicant’s potential. And even if your applicant won’t be dealing directly in sales, a general awareness and openness to the sales process can still be beneficial in providing excellent customer service.
If you’re looking to evaluate sales skills, here are some ideas:
- Ask for the results from their previous positions and how they achieved those results.
- Provide a sales test that is designed for screening B2B sales competencies.
- Look for indications of a competitive spirit or an ability to stay motivated in the face of rejection.
Your company may follow a specific method or sales process, so consider catering your sales assessments to reflect that. For example, if you primarily use one selling technique across your business, have the applicant demonstrate how they would sell a product or service using that technique to determine how familiar they are with the process.
12. Language proficiency
Contact centers offer an edge because they have global reach. And because of this, you might be looking for agents with exceptional skills in one or more languages. The first language test occurs during your interview with the candidate, where you can gauge their speaking skills as you converse with them.
If your organization is seeking English speakers but hiring internationally, you’ll need to assign a few different assessments to establish fluency. Not only do they need to master comprehension and speaking, but they should be able to send written communications with impeccable grammar, tone, and flow.
There are several types of language proficiency tests you could enlist in your pre-hiring workflow, from basic grammar tests to interactive speaking tests. But if you’re seeking a comprehensive option, The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is specifically designed for work-related English proficiency.
In addition to language tests, consider providing a practical test such as having the candidate conduct a call simulation in their non-native language or provide a written response to a customer inquiry.
Also, make sure to request any language certifications or programs in the application to get a better understanding of the applicant’s proficiency.
13. Knowledge retention
Many hiring managers confidently hire agents based on performance promises, only to find that in practice, the new hire struggles with onboarding, training, and understanding the overall role they fill.
If your agents are unable to remember, repeat, or stay consistent with daily work tasks, they may misrepresent the company to callers, make mistakes that cause customer frustration, and take precious time away from the team to ask for clarifications or retraining.
It’s best to provide your potential hire with a small amount of information about the company before their interview and ask them to retain and discuss what they learned. If the candidate can demonstrate retention and apply their knowledge in an interview setting, they’ll likely be better equipped to retain the information necessary to perform their job.
You can also consider creating a module in your call center knowledge base designed for the hiring process and tell the candidate that they should review the information in a set time. Let them know that they’ll be quizzed on what they’ve read, and offer a way for them to share feedback and ask questions to showcase their understanding.