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What does a WFM analyst do?

WFM Analyst: Skills, Tools, and Responsibilities

What does a WFM analyst do

The Essential Guide to Becoming a Workforce Analyst

The Workforce Management Analyst is a professional who plays a vital function in improving the efficiency and productivity of a workforce. They are accountable for analyzing and forecasting the needs of employees and developing plans for staffing, and making sure that the appropriate employees are positioned at the appropriate time.

What does a WFM analyst do? This article will outline the main responsibilities and most demanded soft and hard abilities for Workforce Management Analysts.

Table of Contents

The duties of a WFM analyst

What does a WFM analyst do?

What does a WFM analyst do? An analyst in the field of Workforce Management Workforce Management Analyst carries out specific duties in the work of managing the workforce. They are usually responsible for:
  • Problem-solving: assembling and arranging information in relation to an issue that requires to be resolved.

  • Information processing: involves gathering and arranging information in relation to the specific policy or procedure that is in need of improvement.

  • Personnel assessment: evaluating the current staff to determine the kind of person who will be required in the near future.
  • Equipment assessment: on-site observations to identify the equipment required in the near future.

  • Finance analysis: scrutinizing expenses related to equipment and personnel in relation to the revenue, to find room for improvement.

  • Finding alternatives to outdated practices: suggesting new applications as well as workflows, processes, and practices that the company could adopt in order to improve.

  • Overseeing the implementation of changes: ensuring the modifications accepted are implemented in accordance with schedule and yield the results promised.

Certain Workforce Management Analysts are employed by a specific company or organization.

What Is a Workforce Management Analyst?

An analyst of the workplace observes an organization to devise strategies to improve the efficiency of operations. As a worker management analyst your main responsibilities consist of interviewing employees, watching the team’s actions as well as reading company guides, and gathering data on company finances and expenditure. Then, you analyze the data and assist the management team to develop plans to improve employee performance. The position requires at least an undergraduate degree, typically in human resource or business. Additionally, you must have strong communication skills as well as experience in analysis of data. Although some workplace management analysts work for one company they are also consultants for many businesses.

Pros and Cons of Being a Workforce Management Analyst

Pros

  • There is a high demand for workforce management experts in diverse industries

  • The opportunity to make use of data and apply analytical skills

  • Affordable salary and benefits

  • Flexible working remotely or at the office

  • Career advancement opportunities and expansion
Cons

  • It can be stressful in peak times or when having to deal with unexpected circumstances.

  • It could mean working for all day or at weekends, depending on business requirements

  • Sometimes, it is repetitive dependent on the extent of the responsibilities

  • It may be necessary to deal with employees or customers who are dissatisfied

  • Must maintain privacy and be sure to adhere to the strictest ethical standards

Required Skills of WFM Analyst

Let’s return to the subject that is “Skills required to become a WFM analyst”.

  • Analytical Skills : As a WFM analyst your main job is to study the trend of call/chat volume in the past and predict the volume. To carry out the mentioned task one must possess an analytical mind and in order to become an effective WFM analyst, you must possess the ability to analyze.

  • Multitasking ability: The work of WFM analyst WFM analyst isn’t restricted to planning and forecasting but sometimes, the analyst must attend reviews and also communicate with clients. This is why every business wants to have this “must have” skill in your resume when looking to apply for an WFM analyst job.
Required Skills of WFM Analyst
  • Excellent communication skills: A key quality that a WFM analyst should possess is an excellent ability to communicate. Along with the planning of manpower the WFM analyst also has to attend external and internal (Client) meetings in which communication skills are essential.

    The term “excellent communication” is not necessarily a sign of having superior English or any other language abilities, but rather having an ability to efficiently convey the message to all clients and stakeholders.

  • Customer Service experience: To be an experience as a contact center WFM analyst, you need previous experience in Customer service. Previous experience with customer service and manpower will help you prepare efficient manpower plans and forecast the volume of chat calls.

    This is among the primary reasons why businesses choose to employ candidates via IJP (Internal Job Posting) with a customer service background rather than an applicant with no prior experiences in the field of customer service, or phone handling.

  • Skills with certification: In addition to the mentioned skills, companies are looking for applicants who have completed courses for certification in subjects or areas which are relevant to the specific job.

    A few of the courses where the majority of organizations seek an WFM analyst candidate include SQL, Microsoft Excel, VBA, Macros, etc.

Job Description for Call center WFM analyst

Below is an example job description and eligibility requirements for the position of a WFM analyst.

  • Assist in the manpower requirement as well as forecasting for the WFM director

  • Communication and interaction with Operations department, customers, and other stakeholders regarding the performance and issues.

  • Review the metrics for call centers like AHT Wrap, Shrinkage, and AHT on the manpower requirements.

  • Flexibility in working hours and travelling when needed.

  • Candidates should be able keep deadlines tight and provide high-quality delivery.

  • Candidates must be able to perform under pressure and adjust to the rapid pace of work.

  • Must be a grad of an accredited university

  • Candidates must be able to communicate effectively and interpersonal abilities.

Alongside the above-mentioned abilities and qualifications, many companies are looking for candidates who have MBA qualifications and a certified Management Consultant (CMC).

Tools and Technologies Used by WFM Analysts

  1. Forecasting Software: These programs are created to forecast the demands of future workloads using the past statistics and trends. By studying past performance for things like call volume and transaction volume, as well as the number of service calls, WFM analysts can predict the peak times for businesses, allowing them to anticipate fluctuations in the workload.

  2. Scheduling Tools: Scheduling instruments aid in the creation of efficient schedules for work, making sure that the correct amount of employees are assigned to shifts in accordance with the demand. These tools consider the preferences of employees, the availability of employees, as well as their skills while reducing labor costs and making sure that the company is in compliance with laws governing labor.

  3. Real-time Monitoring Tools: Monitoring tools that are real-time enable WFM analysts to keep track of the continuous operation of employees and their operations. These tools offer insights into the quality of service and response times as well as the adherence of employees to schedules. They aid in identifying issues such as unplanned absences, delays or even performance declines which allows quick adjustments to ensure efficiency.

  4. Analytics Platforms: Tools for analytics can help WFM analysts to visualize the data, spot trends and gain greater understanding of the performance of their workforce. With the help of tools for business intelligence (BI) tools analysts can generate comprehensive reports, make decisions-based on data and enhance strategies for the workforce. These tools combine data from different sources to provide a complete picture of employee performance as well as call center metrics and levels of service.

  5. Telephony Systems: Telephony systems are essential in managing communications to customers, handling calls in addition to managing the interactions. These systems are linked to WFM tools to monitor the volume of calls, response times and productivity of agents. Through integrating telephony systems and WFM software, managers are able to make sure that calls are handled efficiently and that agents are able to effectively manage customer interactions.

  6. Performance Management Tools: These instruments can be used to monitor and evaluate the performance of employees over time. The tools for managing performance aid WFM analysts keep track of the performance of teams and individuals by identifying areas for improvement, and rewarding the top performers. They typically include tools like goal-setting, feedback system and performance evaluations.

How to Become a Workforce Management Analyst

For a career as a workforce management analyst you usually need an undergraduate degree in human resource or business, math or a related field and a relevant work prior experience. Employers are increasingly looking for MBA qualifications as well as candidates who are able to obtain an Certified Management Consultant (CMC) certification. In this job your responsibilities include using both proprietary and general-purpose software systems to monitor the performance of your business and to identify trends. Many employers seek out software expertise. Since this job requires you to oversee all aspects of workforce operations including Human Resources, you must have an excellent ability to communicate, analyze and problem-solving abilities. Certain positions as a workforce manager analyst might also require duties that require travel, and the ability to travel when necessary is essential for certain jobs.

Frequently Asked Questions

The role of a Real-Time Analyst (RTA) is essential in a variety of industries, particularly in call centers and customer service as well as the management of workforce settings. Their main responsibility is to observe and analyze real-time information related to the employee’s activities calls, call volumes, and customer service levels.

Workforce Management (WFM) is accountable for optimizing the workforce levels so that they can meet operational requirements. This involves forecasting demand, scheduling employees and reviewing performance, and then adjusting resources to increase efficiency, meet standards of service, and manage the cost of labor.

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