How do you assess ongoing training requirements?

Training for the agent shouldn’t stop after the new-hire training is completed. Training is an ongoing evolutionary process. The goal of your call center’s training program is to provide training for the skills necessary to perform the job, plus training for the skills necessary to enhance ongoing performance.

In developing your ongoing training program, it is useful to define what employees need to know and be able to do at 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, and 120 days. For each of these timeframes, a checklist can be developed that outlines critical knowledge or skills so training gaps and performance issues can be identified.

• Some typical questions you might ask at each of these stages are:
• What additional things does the agent need to know?
• What policies and procedures could affect job performance?
• What behaviors should be reinforced?
• What specific tasks can be assigned to allow for growth?
• Is it time to expand the level of authority and empowerment?
• What feedback is needed on each agent’s performance?
• What training objectives have been met or not met?

And in addition to expanding an agent’s abilities in their current role, there may also be opportunities to learn new skills or enhance general skills like time management, stress management, telephone and e-mail best practices, vocal skills, written communications skills, and so on.