Managing the Returning Call Centre Workforce with T&A Systems

Call centres can be hectic environments when at full capacity. With lockdown ending, many businesses are looking at having their staff members return to office buildings - especially in the case of call centres and big offices. There are few workplaces that will be busier.

Your business may have even increased in size or staff during the last two years - so the sudden surge of footfall to any building (coupled with additional health concerns following the pandemic) will be demanding on any business. Do you have an entry system or security system in place to handle these new pressures?

The return of staff to call centres can easily be managed by the installation of Tensor's time and attendance system - this article explains how.

Issues businesses face with returning staff

It has been a tough 18 months for the majority of businesses who have seen less custom and had to adjust to allow employees to work from home, for what looked like forever.

Following Government Covid guidelines, people are able to return to work and begin socialising with colleagues in office spaces again. A return to 'normality' has been a long time coming for businesses that have felt the effects of multiple lockdowns and now they can focus on expanding their workforce and driving their business forward.

With the return of current employees, and with plans to expand the workforce in the near future, the call centre industry is preparing for a busy restoration period. An increase in the number of staff on site is likely to put a strain on the HR team due to the rise in personnel documents and data that is legally required to be completed and stored safely. But with this, will there be additional safety measures set up and in place?

Time and attendance systems solve return-to-work issues

At Tensor, our time and attendance systems are proven to be a cost-effective solution to keeping track of your employees. Our clocking terminals incorporate an array of advanced features that allow easy management of your employees. These consist of job booking, job costing, labour hours analysis and security management including quality CCTV playback. This time management system will undoubtedly improve your HR and security management with features that give you complete control over time and attendance matters.

Contactless smart cards are used to operate your time and attendance systems. This means that employees clocking 'in' and 'out' of their shift is completely safe and hygienic - prioritising the safety of your workforce.

How access control can handle occupancy and entry concerns

Access control systems can be synced to your time and attendance system to allow both systems to be accessible from the same software. In order to maintain social distancing, the access control system can be set so that the cards work only five seconds after the door has closed to allow the last user sufficient time to vacate the entrance/door. Additionally, the smart cards can be programmed to only allow only a certain number of people access to a room at one time.

The deactivation of smart cards during staff non-working hours is also an option to ensure the safety of your offices/site at all times.

Additional methods to manage call centre staff

In addition to our clocking terminals, Tensor offers a web-based application that allows enrolled employees to clock 'in' or 'out' of their shift as well as booking themselves 'on site' or 'off' for the fire evacuation list. The Self Service Module (SSM) is a fast and reliable software that streamlines business operations - ideal for call centres that are tasked with managing large numbers of staff that operate on various shift patterns throughout the working week.

An employee can also use SSM to request new periods of absence, while employers can utilise the software to easily cancel pending absence requests or cancel approved absence requests that have not yet occurred. This ensures that employers are always aware of planned absences which allows time to arrange cover, meaning your call centre can be at optimal use.

Previous beneficiaries of time and attendance systems

Call centres are busy workplaces, often with large numbers of staff to help deal with the vast number of calls on a daily basis. Our time management systems and mobile clocking app are guaranteed to improve the efficiency of the workforce management within your call centre.

Peterborough-based financial services company, BGL Group, have been a great beneficiary of Tensor's workforce access systems in recent years. BGL deals with vehicle and home insurance, with a range of supplementary products such as breakdown cover, legal protection and personal accident cover. They have multiple call centres spread across Peterborough and have Tensor access control systems installed in all of them. This has helped them manage their workforce effectively and also bolstered security within the busy call centres.

If you would like additional information on any of our products, or if you would like to inquire about a quote for your workplace, please get in touch with a member of our sales team today.