Devoted to the call center industry, the agents on the phones, and their managers

We're always asking call center owners and managers what makes them decide who to hire and who not to hire. Here are three responses:

Ken Carlon, CEO of Optima, which manages outsourced and telemarketing contact centers:

"...I believe that good agents aren't hired they're taught. Training can be more important than hiring practice and this has little to do with the formal classroom training that occurs, but rather the ongoing coaching and feedback received from the floor supervisors that allows agents to develop in to a given company's ideal."

Ken Wisnefski, president of VendorSeek:

"Other than traditional methods of resume scanning and interviews, the hiring process should be contingent on a trial period. The first month or so should be a time for candidates to supplement training with call experience. This 'trial' will illuminate which workers will be the best fit for the job. Even with experience and an excellent looking resume, it is not enough to assess how well an individual will fit in with your particular company; every experience is different."

Michael Steelman, Senior Vice President of Support and Integration for PropertyInfo Corporation, First Data Systems Division:

"[I look for] customer service skills, more so than technical abilities. Technical abilities are nice, but I can teach people that. I can't 'teach' them customer service skills. Anyone I hire needs to be able communicate verbally as well as writing."

Photo: Thiago Felipe Festa