The rapid pace of technological change has had far reaching impact across business; ushering in the age of digital transformation. Machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), artificial intelligence (AI), mobility, and cloud computing are a few examples of maturing technologies that are impacting this transformational movement. This transformation is particularly apparent in the realm of customer contact, as new technologies hold the promise of improving both the customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX). It has manifested through the addition of new digital customer interaction channels, such as virtual assistants and bots, Web self-service and social networks. These maturing technologies are being used to infuse new capabilities across the customer contact landscape including analytics to improve performance and bring insights to agent performance and customer interactions.

This trend of new technology adoption feeds directly into the changes happening with workforce management in the contact center. The demographics of the contact center have changed in the past decade. The majority of new agents are being pulled from the ranks of millennials and younger, who favor a more flexible workplace environment, with more work/life balance, and which includes flexible scheduling and the option to work from home. In fact, this trend has dovetails with digital transformation in that workers are testing the waters with employment in disruptive industries that have created the Gig economy and compete with the contact center for resources.

Workforce engagement management (WEM), which is a natural offshoot of workforce optimization (WFO), provides an answer to the challenges of attracting, improving , and retaining a talented workforce. It seeks to improve the employee experience (EX) in contact centers with the same intent as contact centers have sought to improve the customer experience (CX). WEM addresses the challenges and needs of an evolving workforce by providing the tools and insights to create a more engaged, empowered, and efficient workforce.

This insight delves into the critical components for an effective WEM strategy. It looks at the seven strategic areas of workforce engagement that make up a well-designed strategy. These include physical environment, voice of the employee (VoE), refreshed desktop and tools, WFO, gamification, and emerging technologies. It also addresses the challenges and benefits for investing in WEM and what companies should do to create a successful WEM strategy. Included in the insight are a sampling of solution provider profiles and use cases for each of the core areas of WEM, as examples of the benefits attained through its use.

Author: Nancy Jamison