Find, assess, train and retain call centre agents

What we do for operators

We work with call centre operators on four things: finding candidates for the campaigns they run, assessing each candidate for call centre work, preparing them with training and simulation drills, and tracking how they do once they reach the floor.

• Assessment: an online test of suitability, memory and a CRM-style task, followed by an AI interview on each candidate's experience and capabilities, and role-play exercises. Read more on the assessment page.
• Matching: placing each candidate by skill, campaign and shift pattern, so that the team a candidate joins suits them.
• Training: call-handling practice, AI training simulations, and the product and KPI basics the campaign needs. Read more on the training page.
• Sourcing: finding candidates for open campaigns, including people with no call centre experience who are being prepared through our online training. Read more on the sourcing page.

Why the order matters

Most early exits in the sector trace back to a poor match or an agent who reached the floor before they were ready. Assessing candidates first, matching them carefully and preparing them before the first live call deal with those causes directly. Induction still belongs to the operator. What changes is the quality of the people who arrive at it.

What we will report

We set out to measure time to first live call, first-month targets and 90-day retention for each cohort we prepare, and to report those figures with the period and sample size. Until that data exists, we do not quote results. Operators who want to see the method can ask for it.

Reporting is kept deliberately plain. Each figure states the cohort, the period and how many candidates it covers, and it is shown alongside the figures that did not improve, so an operator can judge the result for itself. Where a figure is not yet available, we say so rather than estimate it.

How the four services connect

The services run in order. Sourcing finds candidates against a campaign brief. The assessment screens each one and shows where they fit best. Training prepares the candidates who move forward, through drills that match the campaign. Measurement tracks what happens on the floor, so the next brief starts from evidence rather than assumption.

• Sourcing: the campaign brief and the shortlist. Read more on the sourcing page.
• Assessment: the screen and the match to team and campaign. Read more on the assessment page.
• Training: drills and readiness before the floor. Read more on the training page.
• Measurement: time to first live call, first-month targets and 90-day retention, reported with the period and sample size.

Where the sector's problems show up

The problems described in our staff shortage article, including early exits, targets set before readiness and poor fit, each point to a stage in this sequence. Fixing one stage on its own tends to move the problem rather than solve it, which is why the services are designed to work together.

Who the services are for

The hiring manager gets candidates who fit the campaign and evidence for each one. The training lead gets candidates who arrive with a known starting point, so drills begin where they are needed. The operations team gets a clearer view of which campaigns take longest to staff, and why. Each group works with the same information, so the decisions made at each stage are consistent with the ones made at the next.

Frequently asked questions

What does ShiftMate do for a call centre operator?

ShiftMate helps operators find, assess, train and retain call centre agents. Candidates take an online assessment and an AI interview, are matched to the right team and campaign, and are prepared with training and simulation drills before the floor.

What is in the candidate assessment?

An online assessment of suitability for call centre work, memory and a CRM-style test, followed by an AI interview on experience and capability, and role-play exercises.

Does ShiftMate train agents for a specific campaign?

We prepare agents with call-handling practice, simulations and the product and KPI basics a campaign needs. Induction for the specific campaign remains the operator's responsibility.

Does ShiftMate publish retention results?

Not yet. We are setting up measurement for time to first live call, first-month targets and 90-day retention, and we will publish the figures with the period and sample size once they are reliable.