Flexibility is one of the main reasons for contact centre productivity, but sometimes too much choice is a bad thing. Graeme Gabriel and David Kay explore how we can manage choice in scheduling so that it works for our people. This is adaptive choice.

Flexibility is important. It’s one of the main reasons for productivity increases in contact centres, according to research by Gartner based on agents surveys. 43% want flexibility in hours and other popular choices included: less commuting (30%), more hours (27%), space/ location (26%) and less meeting time (19%). So it’s not a ‘nice to have’. We have to provide flexibility for people. Flexibility around schedules will increase productivity. And it has a really good impact on other things too: sickness, health, mental health and well-being. When you set up ways to provide flexibility, make sure the benefits for business and employee are mutually beneficial.

This article was first published in the 2023 Best Practice Guide - Strength in Numbers: The Value of Community

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