Most business leaders agree that recruiting qualified call center agents can be challenging. The job requires so many different skills that it is difficult to find candidates with all of them.
To be effective, call center agents need to gain customers’ trust, which means they must be empathetic and good listeners. They must also be good problem solvers and understand the company’s products and services.
Call center agents are the first and often the only people your customers talk to. So, they act as the face of your company and represent your brand. A good call center agent can win over angry customers and turn them into loyal evangelists for the company. Those with a solid understanding of their company’s products and services can turn challenges into opportunities and act as sales consultants, crisis counselors, public relations liaisons, and communications experts–often on the same call.
Research shows that organizations that are recognized for providing good customer service consistently outperform their competitors. And according to Zendesk, 66% of business-to-business customers stop doing business with a company if they have a bad customer service experience.
Why You Need Call Center Skills Tests
Call centers have extremely high turnover rates compared to other industries. According to Quality Assurance & Training Connection (QATC) research, the average turnover rate for call center agents is 30%–45%, and some organizations see over 100% attrition annually.
High turnover hinders productivity because call centers must budget for continual recruiting and hiring expenses, and managers can never build an established team. Experienced employees must often work overtime to keep operations running smoothly. A team of inexperienced call center agents can also impact customer experience delivery because callers want to talk to someone familiar with the company’s products and services.
HR leaders know that the best way to improve retention is to hire call center agents with the right skills. Therefore, they implement an industry-leading assessment solution like the eSkill Talent Assessment PlatformTM and use call center skills tests in their hiring.
Call Center Skills Tests You Should Use
Many assessments in the eSkill Assessment Library can help you determine whether call center agent applicants will be successful at your company. Most call center clients use the Call Center Operator and Call Center Skills Tests. Both cover topics such as written and verbal communication, customer service, and adaptability.
You can also build customized call center skills tests that perfectly match your jobs. Select questions from the Call Center Operator and Call Center Skills Tests and add questions from other skills tests such as Emotional Intelligence, Problem Solving, and Time Management to gain more insight into applicants’ abilities.
Around 77% of all jobs, including those in the call center industry, require at least basic computer proficiency. So, many organizations require that applicants take a call center computer skills test.
Why Call Centers Need Simulations
As experienced recruiters can attest, the best way to identify top candidates is to present applicants with on-the-job problems and watch how they resolve each situation. So, organizations use simulations such as the following to hire call center agents.
Eliminate Unconscious Bias in Hiring
HR leaders know it is critical to hire the best-qualified candidates. However, they acknowledge that unconscious bias often influences decisions, despite their best efforts to prevent it. Eliminating subjective bias is important because studies show that companies that promote gender and ethnic diversity are more productive than their competition.
Call center and computer skills tests ensure all applicants are evaluated fairly and objectively because hiring decisions are data-driven instead of based on gut feel.
Get Started with Call Center Skills Tests
Using call center and computer skills tests in your recruiting helps you hire applicants who will be successful on the job and have a high probability of staying with your company for the long haul.
Call center and computer skills tests also save you time and money. Your team can screen large volumes of applicants in minutes instead of wasting hours reviewing resumes from unqualified applicants. Many eSkill clients have reduced hiring costs by up to 70% and decreased time-to-hire by almost 60%.
Do you want to learn how call center and computer skills tests help you identify top candidates for your call center? Contact us to request a demo.