🔍 Busting Common WEM Assumptions - Here's What's Actually Possible
Workforce Engagement Management (WEM) has come a long way. Yet, many organizations still operate under outdated assumptions about what WEM platforms can (or can't) do. Today's modern solutions are smarter, more flexible, and designed to support the complexity of omnichannel customer engagement.
Let's set the record straight by challenging these common assumptions-and highlighting what's truly possible with a modern WEM platform.
📊 Omnichannel Forecasting
Assumption: Forecasting only works for voice channels.
✅ Fact: Modern WEM solutions forecast for voice, chat, email, messaging, and digital.
🕒 Real-Time Intraday Flexibility
Assumption: You can't adjust intraday schedules.
✅ Fact: Intraday monitoring enables real-time schedule adjustments to meet demand.
🎯 Automated Performance-Based Coaching
Assumption: Employee coaching must be manually tracked.
✅ Fact: Employee coaching can be automatically triggered by defined performance thresholds.
📐 Structured Capacity Planning
Assumption: Capacity planning is only done in spreadsheets.
✅ Fact: Integrated WEM platforms offer structured, scenario-based capacity planning.
⏱️ Smart Adherence Tracking
Assumption: Adherence tracking is limited to logged-in vs. logged-out.
✅ Fact: Adherence tracking evaluates work states vs. scheduled activities.
🗣️ Sentiment and Emotion Detection
Assumption: Speech analytics can't analyze customer sentiment.
✅ Fact: Advanced speech analytics tools evaluate sentiment and emotion.
📞 Quality Across All Channels
Assumption: Quality management only applies to voice calls.
✅ Fact: Quality evaluations apply across digital and voice channels.
🏆 Gamification That Motivates
Assumption: Gamification is only about leaderboards.
✅ Fact: Gamification includes goals, points, rewards, and behavior-based achievements.
📅 Flexible Shift Bidding
Assumption: Employees cannot bid for preferred shifts.
✅ Fact: Modern WEM systems allow shift bidding based on eligibility rules.
📨 Automated Multichannel Surveys
Assumption: Surveys must be manual post-interaction.
✅ Fact: Automated customer surveys can be triggered across any interaction channel.
📈 Measurable Learning and Coaching
Assumption: WEM solutions cannot track learning and coaching effectiveness.
✅ Fact: Integrated WEM platforms provide tracking and reporting for coaching and learning programs.
📆 Forecasting for Seasonality and Spikes
Assumption: Workforce forecasting can't accommodate seasonal peaks.
✅ Fact: AI-powered forecasting accounts for seasonality and unexpected events.
🔄 Peer-Driven Shift Trading
Assumption: Shift trading requires supervisor intervention.
✅ Fact: Employee shift trading can be managed automatically with peer approvals.
📊 Real-Time Operational Dashboards
Assumption: Performance dashboards only show lagging indicators.
✅ Fact: Real-time dashboards track live operational metrics and KPIs.
📝 Customizable Quality Evaluations
Assumption: Quality evaluations cannot be customized.
✅ Fact: Quality forms can be fully customized by admins for business-specific criteria.
🧾 Agent Access to Coaching Records
Assumption: Only supervisors can view coaching records.
✅ Fact: Agents can track their coaching progress and history.
⌛ Live Adherence Dashboards
Assumption: Adherence data can't be visualized in real-time.
✅ Fact: Modern intraday adherence dashboards update in near real-time.
🧩 Multi-Skill Workforce Planning
Assumption: WEM platforms cannot handle multi-skill workforce planning.
✅ Fact: WEM supports multi-skill agent scheduling and forecasting.
🔮 Predictive Performance Insights
Assumption: Performance reports only cover past data.
✅ Fact: Some solutions provide predictive performance analytics.
🌴 Digital Time-Off Management
Assumption: Employees cannot request vacation digitally.
✅ Fact: Employee portals allow digital time-off requests with approvals.
🎓 Automated Learning Assignments
Assumption: Learning modules cannot be assigned automatically.
✅ Fact: Skill gaps can trigger automatic learning plan assignments.
🏅 Rich Gamification Experiences
Assumption: Gamification rewards are limited to points.
✅ Fact: Gamification can include virtual badges, certificates, and recognition.
🤝 Integrated Coaching Triggers
Assumption: Quality management cannot be integrated with coaching.
✅ Fact: Poor evaluation results can automatically trigger coaching sessions.
🌍 Global Scheduling Support
Assumption: WEM tools cannot support global multi-time-zone operations.
✅ Fact: Scheduling across time zones is fully supported.
🧭 Live Monitoring of Digital Channels
Assumption: Supervisors cannot monitor digital interactions.
✅ Fact: Supervisors can live-monitor all channel interactions.
🔄 Configurable Shift Swapping
Assumption: Shift swaps must be manually approved by managers.
✅ Fact: Peer-to-peer shift swapping is available with configurable business rules.
📚 Role-Based Learning Automation
Assumption: You can't automate the assignment of learning content.
✅ Fact: Learning paths can be automated based on roles or performance.
🧑💼 Performance-Linked Survey Feedback
Assumption: Customer survey data cannot be correlated to agent performance.
✅ Fact: Customer feedback can be linked to individual employee profiles.
⚖️ Compliance Detection via Speech Analytics
Assumption: Speech analytics cannot detect compliance breaches.
✅ Fact: AI-driven analytics detect compliance risks and flag interactions.
🧠 Actionable AI Recommendations
Assumption: WEM can't provide actionable recommendations.
✅ Fact: Predictive insights and AI recommendations help guide decisions.
The takeaway?
Modern WEM isn't just about managing schedules and tracking adherence - it's about empowering employees, enhancing performance, and driving better customer experiences. If you're still relying on legacy tools, you could be missing out on the full potential of today's AI-driven, omnichannel WEM solutions built for the demands of a digital-first world.
For a deeper dive into Genesys WEM capabilities, you can explore the Workforce Engagement Management page.
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