It wasn’t too long ago that most businesses believed that the answer to winning customers was in the quality of the service or product they deliver. That is no longer the case. Now, an even more influential success factor has emerged: the customer experience (CX).
According to companies surveyed by Adobe and Econsultancy in their 2019 Digital Trends Report, the single most exciting opportunity in 2019 was optimizing CX, outranking the creation of digital content, video marketing, and social marketing. And in 2020, this intangible trend became tangible. Adobe’s recently-released 2020 Digital Trends Report researched companies that are CX leaders as a benchmark for comparison and discovered that 40% of CX leaders exceeded their top business goal by a significant margin compared to just 13% of all other respondents.
Furthermore, research conducted by the Temkin Group noted that the ROI of CX for companies is worth noting. Organizations that earn $1 billion annually can expect to earn, on average, an additional $700 million within three years of investing in CX. That’s right. Investment in CX initiatives has the potential to double a business’s revenue within 36 months.
And, customer wallet share is the reason for this revenue growth. Creating a good customer experience means customers will spend more. In fact, 86% of consumers will pay more for a great customer experience. So, it should come as no surprise then that 88% of companies now prioritize customer experience in their contact centers. Yes, it is that important. While investment in collecting, analyzing, securing, and leveraging customer data to create “customer journeys” and investment in AI is attracting a lot of attention, your human capital behind a superior customer experience cannot be ignored.
Investment in technology that streamlines high-volume hiring and automates the identification of candidates who will thrive in customer service roles is key to improving your company’s CX and, ultimately, your bottom line. eSkill’s customizable customer service assessment helps you make better hires faster and for less, takes the guesswork out of the talent acquisition process, and eliminates time wasted on repetitive tasks.
Focus on What Matters: Soft Skills
eSkill’s Customer Service Assessment focuses on evaluating test-takers’ soft skills such as people skills, social skills, communication skills, attitudes, personality traits, emotional intelligence, and social intelligence. Since soft skills are much harder to learn than technical knowledge but can be the difference between an unhappy customer and a loyal customer, they are the most important factor when hiring customer service staff.
eSkill’s library of customer service skills tests integrates simulations and questions that evaluate soft skills to acquire a real, measurable analysis of test-takers’ interpersonal skills. Quantitatively measuring soft skills takes the guesswork out of determining if applicants are the right fit for a customer service position.
Skills Can, And Should, Be Taught
When faced with an applicant whose interpersonal skills are an ideal fit for a customer-centric role, but who does not have the technical background the work requires, do not write that person off. Being successful in a customer service job isn’t about having every skill in place before you start. Technical skills can be taught.
In today’s tight talent pool, it doesn’t make sense to skip over candidates with the soft skills to thrive in customer service just because they lack some hard skills identified in the customer service skills questionnaire. Instead, you should use the results of the skills test to pinpoint deficits in technical skills like 10-key data entry, financial operations, product knowledge, and software use, to provide training that the new hire would need.
Optimize the Candidate Selection Process
Redefine high-volume hiring practices for customer service roles with eSkill’s automated software.
Digitally transform your candidate selection into an efficient and effective process that will result in better hires, increasing your company’s bottom line.
Collect all the relevant information you need to make data-driven hiring decisions and reduce unconscious bias. Use eSkill’s unbiased, scientifically validated assessments in your selection process and start hiring based on data instead of intuition.
Francesca Gino, professor at Harvard Business School, asserts that unconscious biases in the workplace cause employers “to make decisions in favor of one person or group to the detriment of others,” resulting in a lack of diversity in “recruiting, promotion, and retention efforts.”
eSkill’s technology allows hiring teams to view candidates’ scores without identifying information to create a “blind” hiring process based on data alone. Employers can either use this information to make hiring decisions or to create a short-list of candidates that will move further along in the selection process.
eSkill’s technology automates the arduous and monotonous tasks of the pre-hiring and selection process and saves valuable time and resources. Most tasks in volume hiring are repetitive and don’t require human brainpower. eSkill’s software enables employers to create smart automation workflows that streamline the entire candidate selection process. Easily customize assessments with the assistance of eSkill’s dedicated U.S.-based Customer Success Managers and create pre-hire tests that will improve hiring results for any position.
Whatever customer-facing position you are hiring, eSkill has a convenient and customer service skills testing solution. Easily implement an optimized approach to vetting candidates with eSkill’s user-friendly, legally defensible pre-employment hiring tests.
Learn more about the benefits of using eSkill’s customer service skills questionnaires and simulations to find qualified candidates quickly.
Request a demo today.