Customer Impact on Skills
Normally we think that, regardless of how information is obtained, a job requires the same skills and abilities to be successful. For instance, many would assume that a warehouse worker would need the same skills whether s/he receives orders verbally or written on a sheet of paper. However, like with (seemingly) everything else, technology changes things.
Take, for example, call center jobs. By its name, you automatically think they are taking phone calls. Now, of course, many agents interact with customers via e-mail and chat. The customer issues are the same, but, from a selection perspective, we need to examine whether it takes a different skill set to effectively solve customers’ problems on the phone versus through chat or e-mail.
We conducted a study in a call center that handles customers by phone and chat. Agent performance was evaluated throughout the year based on customer ratings of the service provided. The ratings were linked to whether the interaction was via phone or chat (most agents focused on one or the other). Performance was then correlated with scores on the validated pre-employment test all of the agents took as part of the hiring process. The test measured various aspects of personality, problem solving and work history.
We found that the work history items predicted performance for both phone and chat performance. However, the personality portion (agreeableness, customer service orientation, etc.) was a much better predictor of the quality of phone interactions than the chat interactions. The problem solving portion predicted performance for both, but more so for the chat interactions.
One conclusion we can draw is that while the work is the same (agents still need to listen to problems, research the solutions and communicate them to the customer), what makes for a quality interaction is different. Or, at least the expectations of those contacting the center are. It appears that those who call are expecting (or at least appreciate) a warmer, personal interaction than those on chat. Those who pose questions via chat appear to place a higher emphasis on getting the solution than the niceties that go along with it.
The implication of this study is that when analyzing jobs or designing selection systems, it’s important to look at the customer (or end user) expectations as well as the skills and abilities. Different customer segments may have different expectations which could affect the right skill sets for high performance.
For more information on designing effective selection systems, contact Warren Bobrow.
Hypothetically Speaking--Interview Questions and Answers
Making the right hiring decision is critical to your success. However, many interviewers are locked into a pattern of asking hypothetical questions. They mistakenly believe that those kinds of questions are their best chance for evaluating a candidate’s “thought process.”
Based on my experience, you get even better information by questioning the candidate about specific, past experiences so you can delve into the details of the situation, find out more about the impact of their decisions, and inquire about what they learned from that situation.
With hypothetical questions, it comes down to choosing a candidate based on what they say they will do versus what they’ve demonstrated they really do in similar situations. Would you hire a contractor to remodel your kitchen based on a hypothetical plan of how it should be done or based on the lessons they learned from the last kitchen they completed?
The one situation where hypothetical questions may be appropriate is for entry-level positions or recent graduates because they don’t have specific work experience. However, even in those instances, it’s important to get specific details and question their rationale. Include obstacles to challenge their “perfect world” so they have to work through solutions.
Make sure you are hiring the person who has the skills needed to help your organization thrive...not the one who has the best hypothetical plan. Contact Kammy Haynes for help with developing effective interview protocols or training your interviewers.