Recruitment is a key part of the success of any organization. It's not just about finding talent, but also ensuring that quality people are being hired who will both add value to the company and elevate everyone on the team. This article will walk through a contact center recruitment process with tips on how to evaluate candidates based on their core values fit, skills and role fit.

An Overview Of The Outsourcing Recruitment Process

Although each company seeks different skills in their CSRs (customer support representatives), there are foundational aspects of recruiting that permeate across all jobs. The recruitment process, whether outsourced or handled in-house, is a combination of screening and interviewing.

Screening involves writing job descriptions and reviewing resumes submitted by candidates to determine if there are enough skills and qualifications met for the position. Interviews assess how well the candidate can do their job (based on what they've done before) but also ensure that they're compatible with the company personality-wise.

Recruitment Process Part I: Screening

One of the biggest missed opportunities during the hiring process is attracting the right candidates using a strategic job description and reviewing resumes efficiently and effectively.

Top Screening Priority: Writing A Compelling Job Description

Hiring extraordinary people starts with providing clear and compelling information about the work that needs to be done, but it also involves interacting authentically with candidates. Words reflecting ordinary jobs might cause top level talent to pass on working for a company; so it's vital not to use language which is inaccurate or doesn't convey the message that the role is unique.

When focusing on a description of the ideal candidate, a precedent is set for those who might apply now and in the future. More importantly, a compelling job description has potential to inspire others like the original candidate to share this position with friends.

Companies should consider:

• Reevaluating job titles
• Making job listings pop via font sizes, media and maybe even emojis
• Showcasing skill priorities
• Embracing an authentic voice
• Injecting an anecdote on what it's like to work at company

Facilitating The Resume Reviews With Criteria

When sifting through a pile of resumes, assessment entails more than what they've done or where they worked. Companies should consider incorporating a criteria that has been agreed on in order to determine whether the applicant will be competent and valuable in their position. Additionally, explore, with best judgement, whether he or she could grow into other roles in both skill sets and responsibilities.

Recruitment Process Part II: Interviewing

In interviews, the potential hiring team always runs a risk of repeating themselves and getting stuck in small talk.

It is necessary to know the desired outcome for each interview before conducting it with a candidate. Specifying the objectives of an interview prior to entering one will help with remembering which questions to ask and how much time should be spent on each.

Top Interview Priority: Evaluating Personality

A good customer support agent knows how to deal with a person's emotions, especially if the person is frustrated. This person will not take anything about their input personally and will maintain an un-defensive tone while understanding why they are frustrated. Once understood, this empathetic tactic pacifies people (they feel heard) and sets the standard for how your brand manages customers.

Call & response

Evaluating candidates is a process that needs to be done with care and attention to detail. It’s often difficult to fully understand the qualities we need for a successful rep. Without asking detailed questions, it might be easy for necessary attributes to slip by unnoticed. The key is to ask questions that require more than just short answers so you can really dig in and get an understanding of what kind of person they are.

Recruiting Quality Candidates Takes Patience

Understanding the differing skills and strengths of every contact center candidate is essential. Based on a recent Harver report, employee turnover costs companies around $160 billion a year. Ultimately, recruiting and hiring talents that align with company values and are eager to contribute to the team has the potential to save employers money. Additionally, when retention is prioritized through incentives, PTO and the like, candidates have even more reason to provide value to the business by way of referrals.

In the end, prioritizing a candidate and employee experience strategy can have positive implications for recruiting and business efforts down the road.