We very much value those folks. Not only do agents need to have good communication skills, they need good system skills. Linda Lauritzen, director of Global Call Center Services at Manpower Inc., concurs with Moretti's assessment of the demand and says it will only continue to grow. When Manpower catches wind of a possible contact center closure, Manpower contacts the other company and starts recruiting, she says. I recently read a survey where CSRs used to account for 3 percent of the workforce.
Companies are highly motivated to get agents with experience.
It isn't a job that is similar to industrial layoffs, where it seems people are less inclined to transfer skills from their original industry to a brand new one. CSRs have more flexibility than other workers because they've been grounded in providing customer service. Some do require retraining, though, because CSRs' responsibilities vary from industry to industry. Because CSRs cross such a broad spectrum, Manpower requires all prospective agents to undergo thorough, call center-specific testing to assess phone skills and voice quality. Other intangibles include whether the agent is ready to work immediately and has the skills to be a good agent.