Call centre talent sourcing for operators

How sourcing works

• Campaign brief: the product, the shift pattern, the skills the campaign needs and the target profile.
• Candidate pool: candidates who have taken the ShiftMate assessment and match the brief.
• Assessment and matching: each candidate's results are checked against the brief before they are put forward.
• Preparation: candidates with no call centre experience can complete our online training first.

Sourcing for people with no experience

Many operators need more agents than the experienced pool can supply, and many capable people have never worked in a call centre. Our online training and simulations prepare those candidates for the basics, so operators can consider them for campaigns that suit their suitability and learning profile.

What we need from an operator

A clear campaign brief, the shift pattern, the product, and the skills that matter most for the role. The more precise the brief, the better the match.

Who we source for

We source for operators running inbound service, outbound sales, customer support and technical support campaigns, including campaigns with international hours and accents. Each campaign has its own profile, and we build the search from that profile rather than from a generic job title.

How a brief becomes a shortlist

• The brief: product, shift pattern, skills, targets and the profile the campaign needs.
• The pool: candidates who have taken the ShiftMate assessment and whose results fit the brief.
• The check: each candidate is compared with the brief, not just with the other candidates.
• The shortlist: the candidates we put forward, with their assessment results and the reasons they fit.

What operators keep control of

The operator decides who to interview, who to hire and on what terms. The operator also runs induction for its own campaign. Our part is to put forward candidates who are likely to suit the campaign, with evidence for each, so the operator's time goes on the people most likely to succeed.

Input from the operator goes back into the next brief. When a shortlisted candidate does not suit the campaign, the reason is recorded, so the search for the next campaign is sharper.

An example: a financial services campaign

Take a campaign that sells financial products by phone. The brief asks for people who can explain a product in plain words, handle objections without pressure and keep accurate records of each conversation. The search starts from those requirements, the assessment results are checked against them, and the candidates put forward are the ones whose profile shows those strengths. The operator then interviews the shortlist against the same requirements.

What the operator's team receives

For each candidate on a shortlist, the operator sees the reasons the candidate was put forward and the relevant assessment results. The list is short by design. A smaller list of well-matched candidates is more useful to a hiring team than a long list of people who may not suit the campaign.

What makes a brief useful

The brief does most of the work. A useful brief names the product and the typical call, gives the shift pattern and any night or weekend hours, and says what a strong first month looks like. It also says what has gone wrong before on the campaign, because that is often where the most useful constraint sits. A brief that covers those points lets us search for the right people the first time.

Frequently asked questions

How does ShiftMate find candidates for a campaign?

We start from the campaign brief, draw on candidates who have taken our assessment, and check each one against the brief before they are put forward.

Do you source candidates with no call centre experience?

Yes. Candidates with no call centre experience can complete our online training and simulations before being put forward for a campaign that suits their profile.

What does an operator need to give us?

A campaign brief covering the product, the shift pattern and the skills that matter most for the role.

How quickly can candidates be put forward?

Timing depends on the brief and on how many candidates match it. Give us the brief and we will confirm a realistic timeline.

How many candidates will an operator see for a campaign?

The shortlist depends on the brief and on how many candidates match it. We would rather put forward a smaller list of well-matched candidates than a long list that may not suit the campaign.