Workforce Engagement Management

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#Learning/Coaching

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

Thanks for the detailed update, Paul- it's great to see these changes coming through!

Just a couple of things we were wondering about from our side:

1. Recurring Coaching Sessions – Is there any plan to support recurring bookings? Our coaching happens weekly, and it would be really helpful to set this up once rather than manually each time.

2. Changing Facilitator / Viewing Deleted Sessions – At times, either the facilitator or agent might call in sick, and we update the schedule accordingly. This currently marks the coaching session as invalid, and if we delete it, we lose any notes or interactions already recorded. Would it be possible to allow a facilitator change, or at least keep a record of deleted coaching sessions for reference?

Really appreciate your consideration on these points - and overall, great to see the direction this is heading!

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#Learning/Coaching

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

Really great changes coming! 

@Princy Paul - to your question 1 - have you tried using Activity plans for recurring sessions? I think this is the best way to set up weekly coaching. 

Thanks for the detailed update, Paul- it's great to see these changes coming through!

Just a couple of things we were wondering about from our side:

1. Recurring Coaching Sessions – Is there any plan to support recurring bookings? Our coaching happens weekly, and it would be really helpful to set this up once rather than manually each time.

2. Changing Facilitator / Viewing Deleted Sessions – At times, either the facilitator or agent might call in sick, and we update the schedule accordingly. This currently marks the coaching session as invalid, and if we delete it, we lose any notes or interactions already recorded. Would it be possible to allow a facilitator change, or at least keep a record of deleted coaching sessions for reference?

Really appreciate your consideration on these points - and overall, great to see the direction this is heading!

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#Learning/Coaching

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

Thanks for the detailed update, Paul- it's great to see these changes coming through!

Just a couple of things we were wondering about from our side:

1. Recurring Coaching Sessions – Is there any plan to support recurring bookings? Our coaching happens weekly, and it would be really helpful to set this up once rather than manually each time.

2. Changing Facilitator / Viewing Deleted Sessions – At times, either the facilitator or agent might call in sick, and we update the schedule accordingly. This currently marks the coaching session as invalid, and if we delete it, we lose any notes or interactions already recorded. Would it be possible to allow a facilitator change, or at least keep a record of deleted coaching sessions for reference?

Really appreciate your consideration on these points - and overall, great to see the direction this is heading!

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#Learning/Coaching

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

Thanks so much for the thoughtful feedback. Really glad to hear the direction's landing well, and I appreciate you calling out these two points. They both come up quite a bit, and it's helpful to hear your take.

Recurring Coaching Sessions: Totally agree. For teams running regular coaching rhythms, it makes sense to be able to set these up once rather than repeat the process each time. While this first round is focused on flexibility and alignment with WFM service goals, we're definitely thinking about how to support recurring sessions too. Thank you for adding in the suggestion @Viivi Tiainen around Activity Plans. One idea we're exploring for Coaching is deeper integration with Activity Plans, so you can lay out recurring coaching in advance. However, much to your concerns @Princy Paul, we're looking for it to do so in a way that has a space already set up for notes, documents, or linked interactions to live throughout the generated series.

Changing Facilitators / Handling Deleted Sessions: Yep, we've seen this one too. Right now, if a session becomes invalid due to a schedule change, the idea is that you'd rebook it, and that does keep any notes or attachments. But if it gets deleted, that's when the content is lost, which we appreciate could be frustrating, especially if work had already been done. On the facilitator side, we've actually been looking into options to make it easier to swap people out without starting over. That's part of a wider set of ideas we're exploring to allow for more flexibility, including possibly expanding how many attendees can be included on a coaching session.

We don't have firm timelines for these yet, as we need to balance them with other feature priorities. But they are definitely things we plan to deliver over time, and input like this helps shape where we go next.

Curious to hear your thoughts. Would things like archiving unfinished sessions or chaining related ones together be useful on your end? Always keen to learn more about what would help.

Thanks again for reaching out to us with your thoughts.

Thanks for the detailed update, Paul- it's great to see these changes coming through!

Just a couple of things we were wondering about from our side:

1. Recurring Coaching Sessions – Is there any plan to support recurring bookings? Our coaching happens weekly, and it would be really helpful to set this up once rather than manually each time.

2. Changing Facilitator / Viewing Deleted Sessions – At times, either the facilitator or agent might call in sick, and we update the schedule accordingly. This currently marks the coaching session as invalid, and if we delete it, we lose any notes or interactions already recorded. Would it be possible to allow a facilitator change, or at least keep a record of deleted coaching sessions for reference?

Really appreciate your consideration on these points - and overall, great to see the direction this is heading!

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#Learning/Coaching

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#Learning/Coaching

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#Learning/Coaching

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

To echo other comments, there seems to be some good progress being made, however, I'd like to add a couple of points to overcome limitations:

• Be able to schedule a session regardless of Optimal Slot, as currently the calculation of these slots is not reflective of planning groups/SL performance (over/unders)
• When working 'Off Schedule' be able to add to the agents schedule

Paul - I'd also really appreciate an opportunity to chat with you/someone so that I can understand and know how to configure our set-up so the Optimal Slots are accurate.   

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#Learning/Coaching

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

To echo other comments, there seems to be some good progress being made, however, I'd like to add a couple of points to overcome limitations:

• Be able to schedule a session regardless of Optimal Slot, as currently the calculation of these slots is not reflective of planning groups/SL performance (over/unders)
• When working 'Off Schedule' be able to add to the agents schedule

Paul - I'd also really appreciate an opportunity to chat with you/someone so that I can understand and know how to configure our set-up so the Optimal Slots are accurate.   

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#Learning/Coaching

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

I am not understanding the "Off Schedule" option.  In what situation would I want to have a coaching session that takes my agent off the phone and not add it to their schedule? 

To echo other comments, there seems to be some good progress being made, however, I'd like to add a couple of points to overcome limitations:

• Be able to schedule a session regardless of Optimal Slot, as currently the calculation of these slots is not reflective of planning groups/SL performance (over/unders)
• When working 'Off Schedule' be able to add to the agents schedule

Paul - I'd also really appreciate an opportunity to chat with you/someone so that I can understand and know how to configure our set-up so the Optimal Slots are accurate.   

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#Learning/Coaching

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

Hey @Gina Palmer.

We recently introduced the option to turn off scheduling using a toggle, and this was added in response to ongoing customer feedback about handling urgent coaching scenarios. A common example was a supervisor observing something critical enough that sticking strictly to adherence wasn't the top priority. While we don't expect this to be a routine approach for most customers, it was a scenario that came up often enough to warrant support.

The toggle made Coaching behave more like Learning. It allowed you to choose a date and time without involving WFM scheduling. That functionality remains the same, but we've now made it more visible by labelling it clearly as a separate booking method called Off Schedule. Some customers found the previous toggle ambiguous and expected that the selected time would still be booked into WFM. By calling it out explicitly, we hope it's now much clearer that this path does not interact with the schedule in any way.

It remains completely optional. From a best practice perspective, we'd still recommend using Optimal or Custom slots, which is why those options appear first. But when there's a genuine need to bypass the schedule, Off Schedule provides that extra level of flexibility.

Cheers,

I am not understanding the "Off Schedule" option.  In what situation would I want to have a coaching session that takes my agent off the phone and not add it to their schedule? 

To echo other comments, there seems to be some good progress being made, however, I'd like to add a couple of points to overcome limitations:

• Be able to schedule a session regardless of Optimal Slot, as currently the calculation of these slots is not reflective of planning groups/SL performance (over/unders)
• When working 'Off Schedule' be able to add to the agents schedule

Paul - I'd also really appreciate an opportunity to chat with you/someone so that I can understand and know how to configure our set-up so the Optimal Slots are accurate.   

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#Learning/Coaching

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

To echo other comments, there seems to be some good progress being made, however, I'd like to add a couple of points to overcome limitations:

• Be able to schedule a session regardless of Optimal Slot, as currently the calculation of these slots is not reflective of planning groups/SL performance (over/unders)
• When working 'Off Schedule' be able to add to the agents schedule

Paul - I'd also really appreciate an opportunity to chat with you/someone so that I can understand and know how to configure our set-up so the Optimal Slots are accurate.   

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#Learning/Coaching

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

Thanks for reaching out @Kelvin Curtis and @Mike McCleery these are exactly the kinds of discussions and clarifications we were hoping to surface with this post.

On the Optimal Slot calculation, the good news is that this incoming change actually unlocks what you're asking for. The new algorithm moves away from the broad staffing difference model and instead references the service goal settings defined at the business unit level. Since planning groups can point to specific service goal templates, we're now able to factor in that more granular configuration when evaluating availability for each individual. So when we fetch data for the agents involved, we use those linked service goals directly - which gives a much more precise picture than the previous averaged approach.

In short, if your planning groups are aligned to meaningful service goal templates, the new slot calculation will start reflecting that structure. If you need help configuring service goals we can absolutely get someone from the team to walk you through the configuration. In the meantime we have documentation available here:

https://help.mypurecloud.com/articles/service-goal-templates-overview/

Regarding the Off Schedule path. It's intentionally designed to allow bookings outside of any adherence or scheduling logic. We know this creates a bit of a tension point between supervisors needing flexibility and planning teams trying to protect the schedule. That's something we're actively exploring further. We want to support urgent or exceptional use cases, but also need to make sure the impact is clear and manageable. We anticipate that by using custom slots and service goal most teams should be able to get to where they need to without needing to ignore the schedule. We're continuing to revise how Off Schedule works, and really welcome your thoughts on how you'd ideally like to see that evolve.

Thanks again for the feedback. It's hugely appreciated and really helps shape what comes next.

Cheers

To echo other comments, there seems to be some good progress being made, however, I'd like to add a couple of points to overcome limitations:

• Be able to schedule a session regardless of Optimal Slot, as currently the calculation of these slots is not reflective of planning groups/SL performance (over/unders)
• When working 'Off Schedule' be able to add to the agents schedule

Paul - I'd also really appreciate an opportunity to chat with you/someone so that I can understand and know how to configure our set-up so the Optimal Slots are accurate.   

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#CoachingandLearning

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

I've been investigating the use of the updated version today, as whilst there is some improvement (Custom Slots) I'm still struggling to overcome a couple of limitations:

• Using 'Custom Slots' the staffing difference is returning the figures from whole BU not just the specific MU I'm selecting an agent from
• How can a Team manager reschedule/remove at slot (once booked), other than making a manual request via the WFM Team or giving the TM permissions to access/edit schedules, which is currently something we don't allow. We wish for the end to end process to be owned by Team managers.

I'd be really interested to hear if anyone has overcome such issues, or @Paul Turner - can you provide any assistance

Many thanks

Thanks for reaching out @Kelvin Curtis and @Mike McCleery these are exactly the kinds of discussions and clarifications we were hoping to surface with this post.

On the Optimal Slot calculation, the good news is that this incoming change actually unlocks what you're asking for. The new algorithm moves away from the broad staffing difference model and instead references the service goal settings defined at the business unit level. Since planning groups can point to specific service goal templates, we're now able to factor in that more granular configuration when evaluating availability for each individual. So when we fetch data for the agents involved, we use those linked service goals directly - which gives a much more precise picture than the previous averaged approach.

In short, if your planning groups are aligned to meaningful service goal templates, the new slot calculation will start reflecting that structure. If you need help configuring service goals we can absolutely get someone from the team to walk you through the configuration. In the meantime we have documentation available here:

https://help.mypurecloud.com/articles/service-goal-templates-overview/

Regarding the Off Schedule path. It's intentionally designed to allow bookings outside of any adherence or scheduling logic. We know this creates a bit of a tension point between supervisors needing flexibility and planning teams trying to protect the schedule. That's something we're actively exploring further. We want to support urgent or exceptional use cases, but also need to make sure the impact is clear and manageable. We anticipate that by using custom slots and service goal most teams should be able to get to where they need to without needing to ignore the schedule. We're continuing to revise how Off Schedule works, and really welcome your thoughts on how you'd ideally like to see that evolve.

Thanks again for the feedback. It's hugely appreciated and really helps shape what comes next.

Cheers

To echo other comments, there seems to be some good progress being made, however, I'd like to add a couple of points to overcome limitations:

• Be able to schedule a session regardless of Optimal Slot, as currently the calculation of these slots is not reflective of planning groups/SL performance (over/unders)
• When working 'Off Schedule' be able to add to the agents schedule

Paul - I'd also really appreciate an opportunity to chat with you/someone so that I can understand and know how to configure our set-up so the Optimal Slots are accurate.   

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#CoachingandLearning

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

To piggy back on Kevin's comments, for custom slots, we need the ability to select custom lengths as well.  Limiting it to 15, 30, 45, or 60 minutes is not flexible enough for us.  We frequently have supervisors who need 20 minutes, or 35 minutes.  I see that you have the "clock picker" available so can you just make that flexible to 1 minute increments?

I've been investigating the use of the updated version today, as whilst there is some improvement (Custom Slots) I'm still struggling to overcome a couple of limitations:

• Using 'Custom Slots' the staffing difference is returning the figures from whole BU not just the specific MU I'm selecting an agent from
• How can a Team manager reschedule/remove at slot (once booked), other than making a manual request via the WFM Team or giving the TM permissions to access/edit schedules, which is currently something we don't allow. We wish for the end to end process to be owned by Team managers.

I'd be really interested to hear if anyone has overcome such issues, or @Paul Turner - can you provide any assistance

Many thanks

Thanks for reaching out @Kelvin Curtis and @Mike McCleery these are exactly the kinds of discussions and clarifications we were hoping to surface with this post.

On the Optimal Slot calculation, the good news is that this incoming change actually unlocks what you're asking for. The new algorithm moves away from the broad staffing difference model and instead references the service goal settings defined at the business unit level. Since planning groups can point to specific service goal templates, we're now able to factor in that more granular configuration when evaluating availability for each individual. So when we fetch data for the agents involved, we use those linked service goals directly - which gives a much more precise picture than the previous averaged approach.

In short, if your planning groups are aligned to meaningful service goal templates, the new slot calculation will start reflecting that structure. If you need help configuring service goals we can absolutely get someone from the team to walk you through the configuration. In the meantime we have documentation available here:

https://help.mypurecloud.com/articles/service-goal-templates-overview/

Regarding the Off Schedule path. It's intentionally designed to allow bookings outside of any adherence or scheduling logic. We know this creates a bit of a tension point between supervisors needing flexibility and planning teams trying to protect the schedule. That's something we're actively exploring further. We want to support urgent or exceptional use cases, but also need to make sure the impact is clear and manageable. We anticipate that by using custom slots and service goal most teams should be able to get to where they need to without needing to ignore the schedule. We're continuing to revise how Off Schedule works, and really welcome your thoughts on how you'd ideally like to see that evolve.

Thanks again for the feedback. It's hugely appreciated and really helps shape what comes next.

Cheers

To echo other comments, there seems to be some good progress being made, however, I'd like to add a couple of points to overcome limitations:

• Be able to schedule a session regardless of Optimal Slot, as currently the calculation of these slots is not reflective of planning groups/SL performance (over/unders)
• When working 'Off Schedule' be able to add to the agents schedule

Paul - I'd also really appreciate an opportunity to chat with you/someone so that I can understand and know how to configure our set-up so the Optimal Slots are accurate.   

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#CoachingandLearning

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

I've been investigating the use of the updated version today, as whilst there is some improvement (Custom Slots) I'm still struggling to overcome a couple of limitations:

• Using 'Custom Slots' the staffing difference is returning the figures from whole BU not just the specific MU I'm selecting an agent from
• How can a Team manager reschedule/remove at slot (once booked), other than making a manual request via the WFM Team or giving the TM permissions to access/edit schedules, which is currently something we don't allow. We wish for the end to end process to be owned by Team managers.

I'd be really interested to hear if anyone has overcome such issues, or @Paul Turner - can you provide any assistance

Many thanks

Thanks for reaching out @Kelvin Curtis and @Mike McCleery these are exactly the kinds of discussions and clarifications we were hoping to surface with this post.

On the Optimal Slot calculation, the good news is that this incoming change actually unlocks what you're asking for. The new algorithm moves away from the broad staffing difference model and instead references the service goal settings defined at the business unit level. Since planning groups can point to specific service goal templates, we're now able to factor in that more granular configuration when evaluating availability for each individual. So when we fetch data for the agents involved, we use those linked service goals directly - which gives a much more precise picture than the previous averaged approach.

In short, if your planning groups are aligned to meaningful service goal templates, the new slot calculation will start reflecting that structure. If you need help configuring service goals we can absolutely get someone from the team to walk you through the configuration. In the meantime we have documentation available here:

https://help.mypurecloud.com/articles/service-goal-templates-overview/

Regarding the Off Schedule path. It's intentionally designed to allow bookings outside of any adherence or scheduling logic. We know this creates a bit of a tension point between supervisors needing flexibility and planning teams trying to protect the schedule. That's something we're actively exploring further. We want to support urgent or exceptional use cases, but also need to make sure the impact is clear and manageable. We anticipate that by using custom slots and service goal most teams should be able to get to where they need to without needing to ignore the schedule. We're continuing to revise how Off Schedule works, and really welcome your thoughts on how you'd ideally like to see that evolve.

Thanks again for the feedback. It's hugely appreciated and really helps shape what comes next.

Cheers

To echo other comments, there seems to be some good progress being made, however, I'd like to add a couple of points to overcome limitations:

• Be able to schedule a session regardless of Optimal Slot, as currently the calculation of these slots is not reflective of planning groups/SL performance (over/unders)
• When working 'Off Schedule' be able to add to the agents schedule

Paul - I'd also really appreciate an opportunity to chat with you/someone so that I can understand and know how to configure our set-up so the Optimal Slots are accurate.   

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#CoachingandLearning

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

To echo other comments, there seems to be some good progress being made, however, I'd like to add a couple of points to overcome limitations:

• Be able to schedule a session regardless of Optimal Slot, as currently the calculation of these slots is not reflective of planning groups/SL performance (over/unders)
• When working 'Off Schedule' be able to add to the agents schedule

Paul - I'd also really appreciate an opportunity to chat with you/someone so that I can understand and know how to configure our set-up so the Optimal Slots are accurate.   

------------------------------
Kelvin Curtis
Team Leader - Customer Resource Planning & Reporting

Original Message:
Sent: 07-17-2025 06:30
From: Paul Turner
Subject: Upcoming Enhancements to Coaching & Learning Scheduling: More Flexibility, Better Fit

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#Learning/Coaching

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

Echoing Kelvin's points. 

• Can you confirm that in the second, more customizable option, we will see the most optimal spot in the range of hours we post, even if it's not actually 'optimal'?  Our leaders manage large groups across a 24/7 operation, so they may not be available/on shift during a window of time where it's considered optimal to the operation, however they do still need to meet with their people.
• Would like to see the 'off schedule' option be where they can schedule a coaching session for a specific date/time, regardless of what's optimal, and have it entered into the agent's schedule. Also, to clarify, if it's urgent and we aren't interested in the impact to adherence, how is the agent notified of the coaching session that is 'urgent' if it's not via an update to their schedule? 

I also wanted to ask if there are any updates to manage cancelling the coaching session? I noticed in the current version, if you cancel the session, the agent's schedule is automatically replaced with 'on queue' time. We have several groups that work entirely off queue so having a selectable list of activity codes to replace the coaching session with would be ideal. 

Thanks! Looking forward to seeing this all roll out soon!  

------------------------------
Meaghan Coleman
Manager, Operational Support

Original Message:
Sent: 07-18-2025 11:12
From: Kelvin Curtis
Subject: Upcoming Enhancements to Coaching & Learning Scheduling: More Flexibility, Better Fit

To echo other comments, there seems to be some good progress being made, however, I'd like to add a couple of points to overcome limitations:

• Be able to schedule a session regardless of Optimal Slot, as currently the calculation of these slots is not reflective of planning groups/SL performance (over/unders)
• When working 'Off Schedule' be able to add to the agents schedule

Paul - I'd also really appreciate an opportunity to chat with you/someone so that I can understand and know how to configure our set-up so the Optimal Slots are accurate.   

------------------------------
Kelvin Curtis
Team Leader - Customer Resource Planning & Reporting

Original Message:
Sent: 07-17-2025 06:30
From: Paul Turner
Subject: Upcoming Enhancements to Coaching & Learning Scheduling: More Flexibility, Better Fit

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#Learning/Coaching

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#Learning/Coaching

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

Hi,

I've had to stop using it as the suggested +/- staffing levels are wildly reduced if selecting a 30 or 60 minute slot. 15 mins isn't too far off the forecasted staffing level so it points to an issue with the calculation behind it. I raised it as a fault 2 months ago.

thanks

Mike

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#Learning/Coaching

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

Hi @Mike Corley.

Thanks for following up and sharing the detail. That's not an issue I've come across before, but I can definitely see how it would be frustrating.

Do you happen to have the support ticket number from when you raised this? If it was logged a couple of months ago and still hasn't been resolved, I'd be happy to follow up and get it escalated. Just let me know.

That said, the newer algorithm coming in with the upcoming release may well sidestep the issue you're seeing. It no longer uses staffing difference and instead references service goal data to predict the impact of placing an activity at a specific time. That should provide a more consistent and accurate picture of availability, especially across different durations.

If you're open to giving it another try once the update goes live, I'd be really interested to hear how it performs for you. And in the meantime, I'm more than happy to help push through any outstanding support follow-up.

Cheers,

Hi,

I've had to stop using it as the suggested +/- staffing levels are wildly reduced if selecting a 30 or 60 minute slot. 15 mins isn't too far off the forecasted staffing level so it points to an issue with the calculation behind it. I raised it as a fault 2 months ago.

thanks

Mike

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#Learning/Coaching

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

Hi,

Please find the reference number @Paul Turner 

Genesys Care ticket reference: Case #0003763151

thanks

Mike

Hi @Mike Corley.

Thanks for following up and sharing the detail. That's not an issue I've come across before, but I can definitely see how it would be frustrating.

Do you happen to have the support ticket number from when you raised this? If it was logged a couple of months ago and still hasn't been resolved, I'd be happy to follow up and get it escalated. Just let me know.

That said, the newer algorithm coming in with the upcoming release may well sidestep the issue you're seeing. It no longer uses staffing difference and instead references service goal data to predict the impact of placing an activity at a specific time. That should provide a more consistent and accurate picture of availability, especially across different durations.

If you're open to giving it another try once the update goes live, I'd be really interested to hear how it performs for you. And in the meantime, I'm more than happy to help push through any outstanding support follow-up.

Cheers,

Hi,

I've had to stop using it as the suggested +/- staffing levels are wildly reduced if selecting a 30 or 60 minute slot. 15 mins isn't too far off the forecasted staffing level so it points to an issue with the calculation behind it. I raised it as a fault 2 months ago.

thanks

Mike

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#Learning/Coaching

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#Learning/Coaching

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

When are these enhancements going live?

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#Learning/Coaching

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

Hey @Jodi Maffitt

These new features will start rolling out on Monday 25th August over a three day period. You can check our release schedule to see when the changes should go live for your org:

https://help.mypurecloud.com/articles/genesys-cloud-release-schedule/

Cheers,

When are these enhancements going live?

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#CoachingandLearning

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

Hi @Paul Turner, Checking in on this feature. I don't see this update on our instance. I'm still only seeing the best intervals and no option to select a specific date/time. Am I just missing something? 

Thanks
Meaghan

------------------------------
Meaghan Coleman
Manager, Operational Support

Original Message:
Sent: 07-31-2025 06:36
From: Paul Turner
Subject: Upcoming Enhancements to Coaching & Learning Scheduling: More Flexibility, Better Fit

Hey @Jodi Maffitt

These new features will start rolling out on Monday 25th August over a three day period. You can check our release schedule to see when the changes should go live for your org:

https://help.mypurecloud.com/articles/genesys-cloud-release-schedule/

Cheers,

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees

Original Message:
Sent: 07-29-2025 08:48
From: Jodi Maffitt
Subject: Upcoming Enhancements to Coaching & Learning Scheduling: More Flexibility, Better Fit

When are these enhancements going live?

------------------------------
Jodi Maffitt
NA

Original Message:
Sent: 07-17-2025 06:30
From: Paul Turner
Subject: Upcoming Enhancements to Coaching & Learning Scheduling: More Flexibility, Better Fit

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#CoachingandLearning

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------

@Paul Turner We are not seeing the update either. 

------------------------------
Dana Rigby
Business Analyst

Original Message:
Sent: 08-27-2025 12:27
From: Meaghan Coleman
Subject: Upcoming Enhancements to Coaching & Learning Scheduling: More Flexibility, Better Fit

Hi @Paul Turner, Checking in on this feature. I don't see this update on our instance. I'm still only seeing the best intervals and no option to select a specific date/time. Am I just missing something? 

Thanks
Meaghan

------------------------------
Meaghan Coleman
Manager, Operational Support

Original Message:
Sent: 07-31-2025 06:36
From: Paul Turner
Subject: Upcoming Enhancements to Coaching & Learning Scheduling: More Flexibility, Better Fit

Hey @Jodi Maffitt

These new features will start rolling out on Monday 25th August over a three day period. You can check our release schedule to see when the changes should go live for your org:

https://help.mypurecloud.com/articles/genesys-cloud-release-schedule/

Cheers,

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees

Original Message:
Sent: 07-29-2025 08:48
From: Jodi Maffitt
Subject: Upcoming Enhancements to Coaching & Learning Scheduling: More Flexibility, Better Fit

When are these enhancements going live?

------------------------------
Jodi Maffitt
NA

Original Message:
Sent: 07-17-2025 06:30
From: Paul Turner
Subject: Upcoming Enhancements to Coaching & Learning Scheduling: More Flexibility, Better Fit

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to share some upcoming enhancements to how Coaching and Learning appointments are scheduled in Genesys Cloud. These changes aim to give you more control, greater transparency, and a closer alignment to Workforce Management (WFM) priorities, while still offering the flexibility your teams need day to day.

Why We're Making This Change

Many of you have told us that while today's slot-based scheduling uses staffing difference to suggest the ten least disruptive time slots, it often lacks the nuance required for more complex operational realities.

For example, staffing difference is a broad, averaged metric. A time slot may appear viable overall but could hide pressure points in specific teams. A small team of French-speaking agents might be stretched thin, even though the wider English-speaking queues are well staffed. This kind of nuance is important, and the current model can miss it.

To address this, we're introducing a new algorithm that works with your defined WFM service goals. This creates a more intelligent view of availability, better reflecting the real-world conditions of your operation.

We're also expanding the ways you can book, offering three methods to suit different needs.

Three New Booking Methods

1. Optimal Slots(Recommended)

This is the default method when booking Coaching or Learning appointments manually. It uses WFM service goals to search across a six-week window and identify the single most optimal time slot. We also include a second slot for "tomorrow" since next-day bookings are a common pattern.

The interface groups results like this:

• Today

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm (Optimal Slot)

• Tomorrow

  Thurs, July 17 – 1:00pm

• Next 7 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 30 Days

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

• Next 6 Weeks

  Wed, July 16 – 12:00pm

This might look like five different suggestions, but it's actually the same optimal slot shown consistently across each time window, plus an additional recommendation for tomorrow. This design makes it easy to see at a glance where the optimal time falls - whether it's sooner or further out - helping you make decisions that align with your own priorities. The goal is to keep things simple, reduce decision fatigue, and allow quick booking while still honouring your WFM planning.

Why use this: It's the easiest and most accurate way to find a time that supports both development and service goals. No configuration is needed from the supervisor side.

2. Custom Slots

If you want more control over when the session takes place, Custom Slots let you define a specific time range. For example, you might want to check availability on July 17 between 10:00 and 13:00. If there's a time available that meets your WFM-defined service goals, we'll show it.

This view also includes the older staffing difference logic under a new label, Other Available Slots, using the first week of your selected time range. These legacy slots are clearly marked with explainer text:

The following slots reflect the most positive staffing difference in Forecasted vs. Scheduled.

We also continue to highlight the optimal slot from the new algorithm (using your time window), so you can compare easily.

Why use this: You want to work within a specific date or time range. Maybe you need more flexibility, or you know something about your team's availability that WFM doesn't.

3. Off Schedule

Previously, you could turn off scheduling with a toggle. We've now moved this into its own dedicated booking method, renamed to Off Schedule to improve clarity.

This method allows you to set a session time that is not added to the agent's schedule. The agent's schedule is not considered when offering availability.

Explainer text now reads:

This appointment will be set for the selected time but will not be added to the agent's schedule. Please note: the agent's schedule is not referenced when determining available times for this booking.

We know this approach isn't popular with everyone. Some customers would prefer to disable it entirely. However, we've kept it in response to use cases where urgency overrides adherence. It's now only ever shown by default when WFM is turned off. We will continue to monitor and iterate over this feature in the future.

Why use this: You need to run a session urgently, regardless of scheduling or adherence considerations. Best used sparingly.

In Summary

These updates are designed to give you:

• Smarter recommendations that respect WFM service goals

• Flexible tools when you need more control

• Clear labelling and explanations to avoid confusion

We'll begin rolling out these changes next month. You'll see updated interfaces within Coaching and Learning appointments, and we'll also share documentation to support the transition.

We'd love to hear your thoughts early, so feel free to drop any questions or feedback in the comments below.

Cheers,

#CoachingandLearning

------------------------------
Paul Turner
Senior Product Manager
Genesys - Employees
------------------------------