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\nFacing a crisis is inevitable in every industry, and the key to facing the time of crisis effectively is preparation. Businesses who fail to create an actionable crisis onboarding plan set themselves for failure. Nowadays, the world is facing the most significant shutdown in history called COVID-19<\/a>, and the fact is we haven\u2019t been prepared to face a global pandemic that, in a matter of weeks, changes everything.<\/p>\n During these times, call centers are experiencing huge spikes in income calls, and it\u2019s not a surprise that even the most prominent companies face difficulties. For instance, customers who\u2019re trying to reach the most influential banks such as Wells Fargo & Co., or Bank of America experiences up to three hours of hold<\/a> or connection issues.<\/p>\n It is evident that call centers hold the first line during the crisis, and it\u2019s crucial to prepare your business to handle a surprisingly high surge in calls. Since the volume of calls will most likely grow, you have to plan a quick onboarding of new workers to support the business in tough times.<\/p>\n Here are 5 actionable tips you can implement now to quickly onboard new call center workers in times of crisis.<\/strong><\/p>\n #1- Create a Knowledge Database<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re handling hundreds of customers on a regular day, it\u2019s important you can solve their problems or misunderstandings fast to provide excellent customer service. That\u2019s where a creative knowledge database comes handy and here are a few tips for creating an adequate knowledge base:<\/p>\n #2- Introduction to Key Tools<\/strong><\/p>\n Every call center is different, so are the work processes and tools that support these. Introduce new employees to the fundamental tools from the very beginnings, so they understand how to use these tools effectively in supporting their day-to-day activities. For instance, call centers lose resources on scheduling shifts, managing teams, and employee absence. If your business uses automated shift scheduling systems<\/a> or centralized communication tool, it\u2019s crucial to explain to new employees how to use these tools effectively.<\/p>\n It can take time for new workers to get used to a new tool or working environment, so it\u2019s crucial to provide them with the knowledge that actively supports in understanding new tools and its features. You can create detailed video tutorials by senior call center workers who explain the essential tool features or tool walkthrough showing real scenarios and ways to utilize key features.<\/p>\n #3- Implement an Interactive Training<\/strong><\/p>\n During the crisis, aim to prepare new employees as fast as possible to serve a spike in demand efficiently. It requires specialized training, but since time is a critical factor in every crisis, you want to have an interactive training system in place. Consider implementing an interactive training system where the new employees face specific real-life scenarios and have to find a quick solution. Learning by doing<\/a> is one of the critical aspects of rapid onboarding in times of crisis. There are many creative ways to train your new employees in a dynamic environment during the crisis.<\/p>\n One of the ways to implement interactive training is by using a knowledge database and select the most common questions, problems, and scenarios. Once you\u2019ve identified these, you can perform a set of various situations that present different queries and new employees have to solve it efficiently. In the end, you can even implement a feedback or rating system that helps employees to learn from their mistakes and provide excellent customer service in the future.<\/p>\n #4- Use Gamification to Increase Learning Motivation<\/strong><\/p>\n Gamification<\/a> is quite a new concept of learning that increases motivation, satisfaction, engagement, competition, and participation of students. If you\u2019re looking to train highly motivated and engaged employees, which is crucial in crisis times, you should consider spicing up the education process by adding a game feel to it. You have to be creative if you want to onboard highly talented and motivated people to your call center, and here are a few ideas:<\/p>\n #5- Encourage Peer Mentoring<\/strong><\/p>\n Call centers are a fast-paced and dynamic work environment where employees usually work alone on solving customers\u2019 problems, which can lead to a feeling of isolation. It can further lead to an overall sense of insecurity, which is counter-productive for call centers. Encourage peer mentoring in your company as it won\u2019t only help new employees solve problems more efficiently, but also it gives a sense of organizational culture and a deeper understanding of business processes, which results in higher motivation and satisfaction.<\/p>\n Be Creative and Act Fast in Times of Crisis<\/strong><\/p>\n In times of crisis, it is crucial to act fast and have a creative onboarding process. Establishing a self-sustaining information flow is essential, especially for new employees who might feel overwhelmed by the new environment and amount of information. The interactive and gamified learning approach can increase employees\u2019 happiness, satisfaction, and motivation, which is critical in handling the crisis.<\/p>\n\n
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Derek Jones<\/strong> spearheads key initiatives at