Call Center Workforce Management: Benefits, KPIs & Tips

When your call center is facing low customer satisfaction scores, inconsistent employee performance, and lost revenue from poor scheduling management, the first step is to identify the root cause.

Workforce Management (WFM) software uses AI analytics, advanced forecasting strategies, scheduling automation, and even employee engagement tools to help call center managers understand how to better support agents and customers.

In this post, we define workforce management for call centers, outline essential WFM features, explore the benefits of WFM software, and review top providers.

• Overview
• Benefits
• KPIs
• Key Components
• Challenges
• Tips & Best Practices
• WFM for Contact Center Operations Management
• CCaaS with WMF Capabilities

What is Call Center Workforce Management?

Workforce Management is a suite of intelligent analytics, scheduling, forecasting, and performance management tools that optimize everyday call center operations, ensure continued alignment with long and short-term business goals, and improve the customer experience.

Workforce Management includes Workforce Optimization (WFO) to optimize agent performance and Workforce Engagement (WFE) to increase employee engagement and decrease agent attrition.

WFM helps businesses: 

• Make data-driven decisions based on real-time and historical call center activity
• Deliver and maintain superior customer service and high customer satisfaction levels
• Optimize agent schedules, especially during peak times
• Ensure all shifts have agents with all necessary skill sets
• Identify gaps in agent training, top performers, and common customer requests
• Increase team collaboration and employee satisfaction rates
• Improve resource allocation, balance workloads, and streamline complex business processes

Benefits of Call Center WFM

Workforce Management software offers huge benefits to call and contact centers, including:

Improved Customer Experience

Call center workforce management solutions improve the overall customer experience in a variety of ways: by improving agent performance, creating optimized schedules that shorten call wait times, and using AI-powered insights and machine learning to continually improve business processes.

WFM customer survey capabilities make clients feel valued, increasing customer loyalty and customer satisfaction. CRM integrations and automated, in-conversation Agent Assist increase first-call resolution rates and shorten average call handle time–while ensuring customers get personalized, accurate support from the best available agent with the required skills. WFM platforms enable 24/7 self-service across channels, using Conversational AI to guide customers through simple interactions like bill payment as well as more complex support needs.

Cost Savings

Call center workforce management systems lower operating costs by optimizing schedules to reduce overtime and improving the employee experience to decrease agent turnover. Risk management features proactively identify and prevent potentially expensive mistakes and optimize budget allocation. Admins can use forecasting tools to prepare for busy seasons ahead of time, avoiding the expense of hiring additional agents.

Business process automation and self-service keep calls short, lowering the average cost per call. AI speech and text analytics offer high-level insights that identify customer journey and sales process roadblocks, increasing revenue and shortening the buying process. Long-term resource planning capabilities eliminate overspending and identify opportunities to lower business expenses.

Streamlined Employee Onboarding+Training 

While an effective employee onboarding process is essential, creating one takes time and manpower–things call centers never seem to have enough of. Top WFM applications automate the onboarding process by creating an employee form and HR policy repository.

Admins can create custom training materials, self-guided courses, and quizzes, then review new hire progress. Managers can turn call recordings into training playlists, monitor agent performance, offer feedback in real-time, and review AI-powered post-call performance scores.

Personalized, 1:1 agent coaching, training module assignment, and performance gamification encourage ongoing employee training.

Increased Employee Engagement

Employee Engagement Management (EEM) is another essential component of WFM software. Capabilities like peer recognition, performance rewards, challenges, wallboards, and goal-setting help agents feel recognized and incentivized.

Flexible scheduling applications make it easy for team members to update their schedules and swap shifts from anywhere, giving them more autonomy over their work-life balance. WFM also ensures workloads are balanced, preventing agent burnout and poor performance.

More engaged employees are more productive, give customers better service, and are more likely to remain at their current workplace. Employee engagement apps reduce agent absenteeism, clarify performance expectations, and improve agent-manager communication.

Optimized Schedules 

AI-powered scheduling tools are one of the biggest benefits of workforce management software, helping to fill each shift with enough agents.

Admins can reconfigure forecasting methodologies at any time, add/remove specific variables, and view long and short-term scheduling strategies. WFM scheduling tools ensure each shift has the right mix of agents with a variety of roles, hard and soft skills, and performance levels.  Intraday management helps admins keep call queues manageable even during peak times, while adherence monitoring makes it easy to identify no-shows.

Employees can manage their schedules, make/receive automated approvals for PTO requests, review remaining sick days, set scheduling preferences, and more. Optimized schedules mean increased productivity, a better first call resolution rate, and happier customers.

KPIs to Track in Call Center Workforce Management

Smart call center workforce management relies on tracking KPIs to guarantee operational efficiency and meaningful customer service. Below are essential KPIs to monitor, along with their definitions and industry benchmarks based on a study[*]:

Agent Occupancy Rate

What it is: The percentage of time agents spend handling calls and related tasks versus their total available time.​

Benchmark: An optimal agent occupancy rate typically ranges between 75% and 85%. Rates higher than this range lead to agent burnout, while lower rates sometimes indicate underutilization.​

Schedule Adherence

What it is: The degree to which agents adhere to their assigned schedules, including login times, breaks, and other activities.​

Benchmark: A schedule adherence rate of 85% to 95% is generally considered acceptable. Consistently falling below this range may indicate issues with your existing scheduling practices or agent punctuality.​

Forecast Accuracy

What it is: The precision of predicting call volumes and staffing needs compared to actual outcomes.​

Benchmark: Achieving a forecast accuracy of 95% or higher is ideal. Lower accuracy can lead to staffing mismatches, affecting service levels and operational costs.​

Average Speed of Answer (ASA)

What it is: The average time it takes for calls to be answered by agents, reflecting the efficiency of the call center's response to incoming calls.​

Benchmark: An ASA of 20 seconds or less is commonly targeted across most industries. Longer ASA times can lead to higher call abandonment rates and decreased customer satisfaction.​

Agent Attrition Rate

What it is: The rate at which agents leave your organization, either voluntarily or involuntarily, over a specific period.​

Benchmark: An annual attrition rate between 30% and 45% is common in the call center industry. Rates in excess of this range indicate underlying issues such as overall job dissatisfaction or poor working conditions.​

First Call Resolution (FCR)

What it is: This measures how often customer issues are fully resolved on the first call, without requiring a follow-up. The higher the percentage, the more proficient your support team is at solving problems right away.

Benchmark: A global FCR rate between 70% and 75% is considered standard. Grabbing a higher FCR indicates effective issue resolution and contributes to enhanced customer satisfaction.

Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

What it is: CSAT is a direct measure of customer happiness, usually gathered through post-call surveys where customers rate their experience on a scale (like 1 to 5).

Benchmark: While CSAT scores can vary by industry, a score of 80% or higher is generally regarded as a positive bellwether of customer satisfaction.

Technology and Tools for Workforce Management

To run a smooth call center, you need the right workforce management (WFM) tools. The best solutions help you optimize schedules, boost agent performance, and keep customers happy while making life easier for managers. Let’s look at the must-have WFM features and the integrations that make them truly work for you and your business.

Core WFM Features & Capabilities

A solid WFM system should make it easy to handle staffing, track performance, and adapt to sudden changes without unnecessary friction. Here’s what to prioritize:

Real-Time Agent Adherence

Monitors whether agents are sticking to their schedules, so managers can fix gaps before they impact service. Alerts can flag late logins, early sign-offs, or extended breaks in real time.

Intraday Management 

Adjust schedules, call routing, and queue distribution on the fly when call volume spikes or drops unexpectedly. This keeps wait times low and prevents agents from sitting idle during slow periods.

Skill-Based Routing

Matches customers with the best-suited agent, whether it’s based on expertise, language, or past interactions, to speed up resolutions. This reduces transfers and ensures customers get help from someone who truly understands their issue.

Intraday Reforecasting

Updates staffing predictions in real time using live data, so you’re never over- or understaffed. If a sudden surge hits, the system can recommend immediate adjustments.

Shift Bidding

Lets agents pick shifts based on seniority, performance, or availability, keeping them engaged and reducing scheduling headaches. It’s a fair way to balance preferences while meeting business needs.

Tech Integrations That Supercharge Your WFM

WFM tools work even better when paired with the right software, creating a seamless workflow across platforms. These integrations cut busywork, improve accuracy, and help agents deliver better service.

CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho)

Gives agents instant access to customer histories, past tickets, and account details—so every interaction feels personal. No more digging through multiple systems to find the right information.

Helpdesk Software (Zendesk, Freshdesk, ServiceNow)

Automates ticket creation, tracks open issues, and keeps support requests in one place for smoother resolutions. This reduces manual data entry and ensures nothing slips through the cracks.

Quality Assurance (QA) Platforms

Reviews calls, checks for compliance, and provides coaching to help agents keep improving. Some tools even score interactions automatically, giving managers actionable insights.

AI & Automation Tools

From chatbots to predictive analytics, AI helps forecast call volume, streamline workflows, and even guide agents with real-time suggestions. Over time, these systems learn patterns to make smarter recommendations.

CRM and Helpdesk Software Integrations

Third-party integrations, especially with popular CRM platforms and helpdesk software, are another essential Workforce Management capability.

CTI screen pops give agents in-conversation access to essential customer data like account value, order history, agent notes, and even CSAT scores. Helpdesk integrations automate the ticket management process and let admins create a searchable internal knowledge base accessible during live interactions.

Popular CRM and helpdesk platforms include Salesforce, Zoho CRM, Zendesk, Freshdesk, HubSpot, and SugarCRM.

Challenges in Call Center Workforce Management

Managing a call center workforce means balancing efficiency, your employees’ well-being, and customer satisfaction at the same time. Here are a few of the most pressing challenges and some possible solutions to alleviate them:

Dealing with Fluctuating Call Volume

Problem: Seasonal spikes, marketing campaigns, and the unpredictability of running an operation can lead to staffing shortages and rippling effects that slow your business to a crawl. The stress of handling it all can harm your business, all centers with high stress levels experience a 15% decrease in customer satisfaction ratings.[*]

Challenges

• Overstaffing: Unnecessary increases operational costs without providing any real value, could lead to a disorganized chain of command and a lethargic environment
• Understaffing: Not enough staff leads to long wait times, customer dissatisfaction, and causes unneeded stress and burnout to existing employees who cannot keep up with demands

Solutions

• Implement flexible and dynamic scheduling with part-time, on-call, or gig-based agents to cover the gaps during peak seasons
• Keep track of real-time call trends and use that information to adjust staffing on the fly to keep up with demand or save costs during slow seasons
• Leverage AI-powered forecasting tools to predict when your customers are most likely to reach out

Managing Remote and Hybrid Teams

Problem: Fully remote jobs have jumped over the last two years, from 10% in Q1 2023 to 15% in Q4 2024.[*] The shift to remote and hybrid work is giving workers more flexibility but it does make communication, oversight, and engagement more complex due to differing time zones, scheduling, and lack of a physical location.

Challenges

• Difficulties in keeping track of productivity and ensuring agent accountability due to the virtual nature of the work
• Clear reduction in team cohesion and unification due to potential isolation of fully-remote agents

Solutions

• Conduct regular virtual check-in sessions, team-building activities and workshops, and feedback sessions to ensure agents do not feel abandoned
• Set clear and realistic key performance indicators (KPIs) and expectations for your remote/hybrid staff members
• Use performance monitoring tools and collaboration software to give your team members a sense of visibility and presence

Agent Burnout and Attrition

Problem: Studies show that nearly 74% of all call center workers have said they experienced burnout at some point in their careers, that’s nearly a whopping 3 out of 4 workers.[*] It’s clear that call centers can sometimes be a high-stress environment and that repetitive tasks do lead to burnout, which becomes increasing agent turnover rates if not dealt with accordingly.

Challenges

• Frequent agent turnover drives up both your hiring and training costs
• Loss of experienced talent leads to knowledge gaps and weakened workplace morale
• Burnout leads to disengaged employees who cannot and will not give customers their best service, bringing down your entire operation

Solutions

• Conduct regular virtual check-in sessions, team-building activities and workshops, and feedback sessions to ensure agents do not feel abandoned
• Set clear and realistic key performance indicators (KPIs) and expectations for your remote/hybrid staff members
• Use performance monitoring tools and collaboration software to give your team members a sense of visibility and presence

Forecasting Inaccuracies

Problem: More than half (about 57%) of unsatisfied employees say their current software is making them less productive.[*] Legacy workforce management systems are holding your workplace back as they lack the flexibility and automation needed for modern call center operations.

Challenges

• Businesses have to evolve and grow which can lead to difficulty in scaling
• Poorly managed scheduling functionality and the inability to interface with your other newer systems lead to a lack of continuity between your legacy systems and how customers expect you to service them today

Solutions

• Upgrade to a cloud-based workforce management software system with AI-powered scheduling tools
• Take advantage of integrations with CRM and analytics platforms to ensure your modeling is based on recent tangible data
• Leverage real-time reporting and automation to simplify and clear up your operations while improving adaptability

Call Center WFM Best Practices

Best practices for effective workforce management and optimization include:

Collect Employee Feedback

Although AI analytics provide trackable SLA and performance metrics, employee feedback offers insight into employee engagement rates, training materials, support issues, and overall call center activity. Anonymous surveys help admins uncover weak links in management, evaluate unbiased agent responses, and discover business process inefficiencies.

Employee surveys increase agent retention rates, optimize schedules, and cut down on employee absenteeism.

Monitor a Variety of KPIs

Some call center KPIs, like average handle time, CSAT scores, and call volume are always essential, it's a good idea to evaluate a variety of metrics and use different reporting templates. Frequently switch up selected KPIs to avoid over-reliance on a few key metrics. This provides a more complete picture of customer sentiment, root causes, and overall productivity levels.

Additionally, review analytics at set intervals to accurately evaluate fluctuations in contact volume, agent status, and more. Enable real-time KPI alerts to get live notifications of sudden service level changes, and use multiple forecasting methods to prepare teams for every scenario.

Regularly Update Training Materials

Use customer experience data, employee feedback, and agent evaluation scoresheets to identify consistent issues with current employee training materials. Also, evaluate call recordings and transcriptions to gain further insight into the effectiveness of your current onboarding materials.

Make PTO and HR policies available directly in the employee dashboard, and assign ongoing training modules to continually improve agent performance. Always ensure performance expectations are clear and measurable.

Encourage Team Collaboration

UCaaS features like team chat, video calling, file sharing, task management and whiteboard foster employee collaboration and cut down on miscommunications.

Agents can get real-time advice from each other or insight into previous customer interactions and preferences--even while on active calls. Shift swapping and bidding also increase team collaboration while ensuring all schedules have the ideal mix of agents.

Recognize Top Performers

To increase agent retention and improve CX, never underestimate the importance of employee recognition. Look for peer recognition options, send company-wide kudos, and create a custom reward repository to incentivize top performers.

Automate Administrative Tasks

Save agents and customers time by implementing IVR/IVA, chatbots, and automated scheduling tools. Enable customer self-service features that free up live agents and provide 24/7/365 customer support across time zones

Below, we’ve outlined some of the best workforce management applications, from scheduling and onboarding tools to employee engagement and ERP systems.

WFM For Contact Center Operations Management

Workforce Management and Workforce Engagement platforms have a variety of use cases–some even offer industry-specific features and integrations.  Below, we explore the ways the right WFM solution can streamline operations management at your call or contact center.

Employee Scheduling

Employee scheduling tools take forecasting to the next level by directly involving agents in the scheduling process. Employees can review and request changes to assigned schedules, add skills, set work schedule preferences, and upload task management templates directly to their schedules.

Remote agents can clock in from anywhere with multi-location sharing, while on-site employees are encouraged to arrive on time with geofencing and custom perimeters. Some apps may even include automated calendar synchronization, adherence monitoring, and team chat messaging to encourage real-time agent collaboration during busy shifts.

Admins can create scheduling templates, assign specific shift responsibilities, enable desktop/mobile shift swapping, and send automated schedule change notifications.

Payroll Management

Payroll management WFM features automate direct deposits and tax deductions, manage employee benefits and investments, and (best of all) let admins create and file e-tax forms for salaried or contracted employees.

Agents can review W-2s, matching employer contributions, bonuses, paychecks, and playdates directly in the dashboard. Call center managers can review and update employee benefits, track employee spending on company accounts, manage 401(k) plans, and approve expense reports or invoices. They can also approve or deny overtime requests and update paychecks accordingly.

PTO Management

WFM with PTO management tools allows employees to request sick days, vacation days, and personal days directly within the agent dashboard. Admins can set automated PTO request response templates, accepting or denying employee requests based on preset customizable rules.

Larger contact centers in particular will save hours a month on PTO management by automatically generating optimized schedules that take upcoming employee absences into account. Admins can set seniority rules for vacation requests, and allow all employees to make requests at the same time, or only allow employees to choose from available vacation time slots.

Employee Engagement

Employee experience management applications are packed with performance recognition and rewards features, employee survey tools, and agent feedback functionality. Managers can set performance challenges, incentives, and milestones, create a rewards marketplace, nominate top performers for service awards, enable automated employee celebrations, peer recognition, and more.

Employees can offer company and management feedback anonymously and receive direct responses from higher-ups.

Onboarding+Training

Employee onboarding and training applications let admins create custom or template-based training courses in multiple formats with corresponding interactive quizzes. Managers can create course categories and sections and upload course content in PDF, video, YouTube, image, and text formats.

Users can monitor employee course progress, set course conditions and custom test scoring rules, and store onboarding forms and files. Document expiration dates, signatures, and passcodes can be added.

Security and Compliance Management

Today’s WFM providers offer features designed to ensure employers are compliant with union, security, and industry-specific regulations.

24/7 network monitoring with real-time alerts, automated third-party provider risk assessments, and employee compliance monitoring features are included, as is automated scheduling with built-in required breaks. Automated contract lifecycle management protects your business while reducing the expenses and amount of time managers spend on contract development.

Automated compliance audits keep your business in step with industry requirements, while device monitoring protects employee and customer data.

Contact Center Software with WFM Capabilities

The table below outlines the 5 best call center software with the best workforce management features.

How WFM Improves Call Center Performance

Effective Workforce Management solutions improve contact center performance by optimizing employee schedules, increasing agent retention, and identifying opportunities to improve the customer experience.

Today’s WFM platforms are especially focused on employee engagement via features like performance recognition, gamification, agent-facing scheduling apps, and personalized coaching. Given that happy employees are 12% more productive than unhappy ones, prioritizing the agent experience often results in increased sales and lower operating costs.

Whether you choose a contact center software with WFM features or a standalone workforce management app, expect to see higher CSAT scores, positive trends in customer sentiment, and decreased agent absenteeism.