Position Summary:
The Workforce Planner (Scheduling and Forecasting) is key to the success of the business unit. This is a workforce management position responsible for analyzing and validating forecasted volume and building staffing/scheduling plans to incorporate and/or meet business unit plans, productivity and service objectives. This is a specialized workforce management role, reporting to the Workforce Manager. The analyst develops queue and overhead forecasts for long and short term planning. The analyst will evaluate report outputs to determine contact center trends, contact volumes, contact patterns, staff productivity, attrition rates and resource allocation for business units, in a highly complex enterprise networked environment. By analyzing trends, as well as client and operations management forecasts and plans, the analyst then builds actual employee schedules to match forecasted work volume and posts schedules in a timely fashion. Analysis of forecast and schedule accuracy measurements will form the basis for continuous improvement.Overall Responsibilities:
• Tracks and trends contact center data for long and short term forecasting. (E.g., contact centre work volume, agent productivity, vacations, attendance, attrition levels, etc.)
• Develops yearly vacation schedule queue allotments
• Receives and monitors quality of information sources from sales, account management and operations/ re-forecast as required
• Ensures accuracy and timeliness of data stream for forecasting
• Develops forecasts for long term (12 months) and short term (1-4 months) to determine optimum staffing levels
• Performs consolidated gap analysis on initial forecasted plan to actual
• Develops employee schedules to match planning and forecasting outputs, as well as planning input from operations Management
• Utilizes effective methods for managing scheduling practices such as the schedule bid process.
• Organized and completes bids and communications for respective LOB.
• Schedules for planned absences; schedule changes, such as vacation and breaks
• Retains training and special events schedule
• Develops input to budget planning process
• Uses accuracy of forecast and schedule accuracy measurements for continuous improvement
• Works closely with client contacts to adjust staffing expectations based on validated data.
• Conducts root cause analysis as required, and provides business solutions to Manager/Client.
• Works closely with Operations Team to ensure respective lines of business are in line with requirements.
• Mitigates business deliverable risk by closely maintaining all short and long term staffing requirements.
• Remains “right staffed” to ensure continued profitability.
• Creates and modifies forecasting, staffing and seating capacity plans for respective LOB.
• Measures, monitors results and makes adjustments based on requirements and business deliverables.
• Works closely with Operations to contribute to real-time staffing success.
• Recommends and modifies staffing models to best suit contractual requirements.
• Remains highly familiar with all contractual deliverables and parameters.
• Partners with Account Management on problem resolution and solutions building.
• Other duties as required to include performing RTA duties
Job Requirements:
• 3 – 5 years’ experience working in a Call Center Environment; 2-3 years background in Workforce Management (forecasting and scheduling). Demonstrated high degree of business coping ability.
• Flexibility with work schedule
• College diploma or equivalent; Knowledge of MS Office and spreadsheet; Excellent Knowledge of advanced scheduling practices. Extensive knowledge of Aspect,eWFM and other WFM product
• Excellent Technical Expertise and Problem Solving Skill
• Detail oriented and Time Management Skill
• Verbal and written communication is appropriate and clear in every situation and at various levels; conveys meaning, obtains understanding, and openly provides relevant information; maintains composure, communicates easily with people, listens and considers others.
• Interpersonal Skills – Is exemplary in conduct towards supervisors, colleagues and customers; successfully adapts behavior to circumstances of each situation; is professional, open and respectful; works to build credibility and trust.
• A successful team player who takes an active role; listens to and supports others; works well with other departments; shares knowledge willingly to help others within the company.
• Customer Orientation – Bases work on the needs of the customers; feels a responsibility to fulfill the expectations of the internal and external customers; strives to continually improve own work on behalf of the customer; develops effective customer relationships and wins customers’ trust and respect; listens carefully; provides information.
• Creativity/Innovation – Introduces creative ideas into own work; uses personal freedom to develop and implement creative ideas and suggestions; takes a creative approach to problems
• Willingness to learn/Flexibility- Possesses good comprehensive skills and adapts quickly to new circumstances; seeks out new responsibilities and challenges; accepts change positively and uses it as a learning opportunity for improvement, listens and responds with flexibility and open mindedness to new tasks; seeks out and appreciates feedback (even critical) and learns from it.
