Beyond Resume: Non-Traditional Hiring Profiles Delivering Excellence

In today’s competitive business landscape, delivering exceptional customer service is the key to success. But are you overlooking a hidden pool of talent that could take your service to the next level? A new pool of hiring – one that prioritizes skills and potential over traditional resumes.  

Traditionally, BPOs have focused on hiring candidates with specific education, extensive experience, and certifications. While these qualifications still hold value, they can also create a blind spot, excluding talented individuals who might not fit the mold but possess the very skills your team needs. According to Deloitte, 92 percent of companies reported that human capabilities or soft skills like communications, adaptability, matter as much or more than hard skills or technical skills. 

While technical expertise or hard skills used to be the big factor in selecting a candidate, the rise of automation and AI has made soft skills even more important in customer service industries. This is because soft skills are less likely to become outdated and are often harder to teach than hard skills. 

 Non-Traditional Hiring Profiles 

A non-traditional employee refers to a person that employers might typically overlook or exclude during the hiring process. This could include individuals who lack specific selection criteria such as a related degree, direct experience, or job-specific certifications. Other examples are those with no employment experience, gaps in their employment history, newly retired people who want to supplement their income or from a different geographical location. This approach offers several advantages for both employers and employees, including increased flexibility, access to diverse skill sets, and cost savings. 

 Why Non-Traditional Profiles Matter 

By expanding your hiring lens to include non-traditional profiles, you gain access to a wealth of untapped potential. Here's why: 

• Hidden Skills: Don't underestimate the power of life experience. Individuals with gaps in employment or no formal work history might have honed valuable skills through volunteering, caregiving, or even running a household. These transferable skills in communication, problem-solving, and time management are essential for excellent customer service. 

• Expertise: Recently retired professionals bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. They can be a key member, not only for handling complex customer issues but also for mentoring and training newer agents, fostering a strong team dynamic. 

• Diverse Perspectives: People who haven't followed a traditional career path often develop their interpersonal skills in unique ways. This can lead to a well-rounded customer service team, better suited to understand and connect with a wider range of customers. 
  
  

Building a Winning Team: 

Here are a few tips help you build your winning team: 

• Define your brand image, and ask the question: How do you want to position your company in its interaction with customers? How do you want customers to feel in that interaction? It is a high-level, high-care, personalized interaction or a casual, friendly and approachable interaction.  

• Once you know what attributes you want, you can clearly identify and outline what skills are needed for the role.  

3. Next, where do you find these people? 

• Based on the attributes you need; you’ll have to assess if the candidate has the skill.  
• Consider using skills assessments tool and asking questions during interview that requires that to use those skills. 
  
  

The Future of BPO Staffing: On-Demand Expertise 

An innovative solution for contact centres: Consider an on-demand workforce model inspired by Uber. This approach creates a pool of versatile resources, cross-trained across multiple programs. These individuals can seamlessly step in during peak periods or unexpected surges in volume, ensuring your clients receive uninterrupted and skilled support exactly when needed. 

Imagine leveraging a system similar to Uber's surge pricing. During high-demand times, skilled support becomes readily available at a premium rate. This dynamic staffing solution not only enhances flexibility and responsiveness but also significantly reduces overall costs for clients with interim support needs.

Case in Example: 

ACI, a leading BPO provider, partnered with a Client, major appliance company, renowned for its top-tier brands and commitment to superior customer experience. Client goal was to provide high-level customer service, a “white glove” treatment in each customer interaction, ensuring each customer feels valued and supported throughout their journey. 

While qualified candidates emerged with contact centre/customer service background, ACI wanted to go beyond just filling roles. They sought individuals who could truly embody the essence of exceptional service. ACI shifted their focus from traditional BPO experience to core attributes: high level customer service skills, emotional intelligence, attention to detail and active listening abilities. 

This led them to a surprising, yet brilliant, solution: individuals with backgrounds in hospitality. – servers, waiters, and resort employees – known for their exceptional customer service skills, emotional intelligence, active listening abilities and going that extra mile to ensure satisfaction. 

By hiring non-traditional talent from the hospitality industry, ACI successfully built a team of talents with a genuine desire to connect with customers, and ultimately, a happier Client and a more satisfied customer base. 

Read more Client Success Stories here: https://www.advantagecall.com/customer-success-stories 

The Future is Now: 

By embracing non-traditional hiring profiles, you're not just filling vacant positions; you're building a diverse, skilled, and adaptable team of talents with transferable skills, that delivers exceptional customer service.  

Let's continue the conversation! Talk to us about how ACI can provide your business with the best talents to deliver excellence.