More and more interactions with consumers are directed to online channels, making live chat support the fastest growing business segment for contact centers and business process outsourcing providers worldwide. . As businesses go digital, the pace of this growth can only be expected to accelerate and outpace other forms of support, such as the phone and email. Delivering the fast, friendly, and convenient experience that today's on-demand customer wants requires top-notch live chat agents with the right skills and willingness to address the unique demands of the position.

Although live chat feels quick and easy for the consumer, from a recruiting standpoint, stepping away from other forms of support can be quite a challenge. While it may seem easy enough to move high-performing agents from the phone or email, live chat requires an additional layer of unique skills that even a top-tier phone agent might not have.

What's in a job, anyway?

When deciding how to select candidates for any position, it is important to identify the characteristics that predict success and find an accurate way to evaluate them. Identifying the basic skill set, also known as job analysis, is usually performed by an industrial-organizational (IO) psychologist who investigates the competencies, dispositions, and skills that a job requires. Don't worry, if you don't have an IO to trust, there are three practices any talent team can adopt when creating selection criteria for a position.

1. Identify critical tasks.

These are the skills that candidates will need to be able to drive or learn to drive quickly. The key tasks of the position, usually what is included in the job description, must accurately reflect the activities that are regularly performed in the position, especially those that are critical to success.

2. Understand what differentiates high achievers.

It is important to know what specific characteristics or behaviors separate the best and the lowest-performing workers. That way, when hiring, you'll be able to identify qualities in candidates that reflect team employees who are performing better.

3. Consider preparation versus potential.

Preparation for the position refers to the qualities that someone needs from day one to be successful (personality, specific knowledge, certifications, etc.), while potentials are those characteristics that help someone to scale quickly (such as cognitive ability, personality, learning agility). In many cases, for entry-level positions, it is more important to consider the potential if you will provide extensive training.

Let's take a look at a job analysis using the three steps above and the skills your team should be aware of.

1. Critical tasks:

Easily read and understand inquiries, handle multiple customer issues simultaneously, prioritize rush requests, and scale.

2. Qualities of high performers:

High-performing agents are distinguished by excellent communication, superior problem-solving skills, high-stress management, and quick adaptation to the client.

3. Preparation versus potential:

Chat support features are typically entry-level. It's important to consider predetermined factors like personality, multitasking, typing, and communication style, but don't rule out candidates who match those criteria but lack skills that can be easily covered with training.

There are core customer service capabilities required across all entry-level contact center functions, such as problem-solving, customer orientation, and closeness ability. While a telephone support agent may need a strong command of the spoken language and great listening skills, the chat support format requires a different and improved skill set for two main reasons: First, that all communication is written; and second, multiple conversations are handled simultaneously.

What Unique Skills Differentiate Live Chat Agents?

If you are lucky enough to have an IO psychologist to work with, a job analysis of the chat support provided by your organization will give you the most accurate idea of ​​the unique skills, abilities, and other characteristics (e.g. personality) that set your agents apart. superiors.