Agent Candidates FCR Fit Interview Questions
One of the most important responsibilities of managing a call center is to hire customer-centric agents who are a great FCR fit. The interview process is based on the concept of hiring for fit to achieve great customer service, to do so, agents need to deliver First Call Resolution (FCR).
Identifying candidates who are a good fit for the agent job deliver great customer service can be an enormous undertaking. The chances of hiring agents that will provide world-class customer service can be increased by using the following agent selection four steps:
- Pre-Interview Screening
- Personality/Behavioral Test
- Job Simulation
- Face-to-Face Interview*
*the interview can be conducted on-site or video conference
For this blog, we will focus on agent candidate questions that can be used in a face-to-face or video conference interview to help determine if they are a good fit for the job. The Interview should be with the candidate and the call center supervisors.
In addition, the interview team, or just the supervisors, should review all of the information gathered from the first three steps of the agent selection process before they meet with the candidates.
It is important to stress that the personality test and job simulation are good indicators for determining if the candidate can provide world-class FCR customer service. But they are augmented with the face-to-face interview. Therefore, SQM believes that the agent candidate interview is the most important step in the agent selection process. However, using all four steps improves the likelihood of selecting a customer-centric agent.
At the beginning of the Interview, warmly thank the candidate for coming in and let them know how long the Interview will take (typically about 30 minutes). Then let them know that the team will be taking notes to ensure that they have accurate information when they make their decision. Also, let the candidate know when a decision will be made and how they will be informed if they are selected.
The figure outlines questions that can be asked to determine if the candidate would be a good fit and provide world-class FCR customer service. The agent interview questionnaire was designed to give the interviewer specific information about whether the candidate would deliver great customer service.
Again, the face-to-face interview should be viewed as the final step in determining whether or not the candidate should be hired for the agent job. This interview questionnaire could be shortened and used on the pre-interview screening step. This questionnaire asks FCR focused questions and shows the type of information that can be expected as a response.
The face-to-face interview is a two-way process; the candidate is asked questions and can also ask questions. It is essential to let the candidate know the big picture of the organization’s products and services and the call center and organization’s vision, mission, and operating principles. The candidate should also be informed about employment details with the organization (e.g., wages, working hours, breaks, career advancements, bonuses, and recognition).
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First Call Resolution Definition First Call Resolution PPT First Call Resolution Benefits First Call Resolution Strategies First Call Resolution Operating Philosophy Coaching Case Study Survey Data Calculate First Call Resolution Top 10 Call Center Metrics VoC Closed-Loop Outside-In or Inside-Out Journey Mapping Agent Coaching Agent Selection