There are 200 agents in a call center and we have 32% occupancy -- how many agents do we need?
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Correct call center staffing requirements cannot be determined by the number of agents and occupancy. To determine the correct staffing requirement you need call volume, the average handle time (talk plus wrap-up) and any staff shrinkage factors you would apply such as vacation, sick, unscheduled time off the phone etc.
Occupancy is a center or queue measurement that is the amount of time staff spends either on a call or in after call work. If you have a 32% occupancy rate, then your representatives are available and waiting for a call 68% of the time. Unless you have a compelling reason such as a very low tolerance for abandoned calls, 32% is a low occupancy rate (or put another way, your center is overstaffed). Depending upon the size and purpose of your center, a general practice is to staff the center to achieve an occupancy rate in the mid 80% range.
This was first published in July 2009
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