Performance Optimization

• US 20070276722A1
• Filed: 01/26/2007
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teletech Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Teletech Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Silvera, Timothy, Norcross, Trevor, Buhring, Eric, Pelletier, Keith
• Granted Patent: US 8,095,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06393 Score-carding, benchmarking or key performance indicator [KPI] analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function

Abstract

In embodiments, the present invention is directed to methods of aligning an agent'"'"'s compensation with an organization'"'"'s goals, incentivizing an agent to improve their performance, and managing an agent. In one embodiment, the present invention includes defining a performance metric that relates to a goal of an organization. Performance levels are then defined for the performance metric. The performance levels are associated with performance values that an agent must meet to have their performance classified within a performance level. The method also includes providing a compensation rule that defines which of the performance levels an agent must achieve to change their current compensation. The performance of an agent with respect to the performance metric is then monitored to generate an agent performance, which is compared to the previously established achievement values to determine an agent'"'"'s performance level.

Claims

1. A method of incentivizing an agent employed by an organization, the agent being employed to perform tasks for a client of the organization, the method comprising:

defining a performance metric that relates to a goal of the client;

defining a plurality of performance levels;

establishing a plurality of achievement values for the performance metric, wherein each of the plurality of achievement values correspond to one of the plurality of performance levels;

providing a compensation rule that defines a period of time over which an agent must achieve one of the plurality of performance levels to change a current compensation provided to the agent;

communicating the compensation rule to the agent prior to the period;

monitoring the performance of an agent with respect to the performance metric to determine an agent performance;

comparing the agent performance to the achievement values to determine an agent performance level, wherein the agent performance level is one of the plurality of performance levels; and

providing access to performance information to the agent during the performance period, the performance information comprising the agent performance, the achievement values, and agent performance level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring and comparing are performed on a daily basis to generate the agent performance and determine the agent performance level on a daily basis.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the monitoring and comparing are performed on a daily basis to generate the agent performance and determine the agent performance level on a month to date basis.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance information comprises a graphical representation relating the agent performance to the achievement values.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance information comprises a graphical representation relating the agent performance level to the period over which the agent achieved the performance level.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the period is a week and the performance information comprises a graphical representation indicating the agent performance level for each day of the week.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the compensation comprises variable pay and base pay, the variable pay being defined as a percentage of base pay.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the base pay is defined as an hourly wage multiplied by a number of hours worked.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the compensation rule defines a first period of time over which an agent must achieve one of the plurality of performance levels to receive the variable pay.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the compensation rule further defines a second period of time over which an agent must achieve one of the plurality of performance levels to change the base pay.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the change in base pay is an increase and in response to the increase, the percentage defining the variable pay is decreased.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the change in base pay is a decrease and in response to the decrease, the percentage defining the variable pay is increased.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of performance levels comprises a first performance level and a second performance level, the first performance level representing a higher performance than the second performance level.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

defining a second performance metric that relates to the goal of the client;

establishing a second plurality of achievement values for the second performance metric, wherein each of the second plurality of achievement values correspond to one of the plurality of performance levels;

monitoring performance of the agent with respect to the second performance metric to generate a second agent performance;

comparing the second agent performance to the second plurality of achievement values to determine a second agent performance level, wherein the second agent performance level is one of the plurality of performance levels and is different than the first agent performance level;

applying the compensation rule based on the lower of the second agent performance level and the first agent performance level.

15. A method for comparing performance of two groups of agents employed by an organization to perform tasks, the method comprising:

defining a first metric for a first group of agents, the first metric relating to a first task;

defining a second metric for a second group of agents, the second metric relating to a second task;

defining a plurality of performance levels;

establishing a first plurality of achievement values for the first metric, wherein each of the first plurality of achievement values are associated with one of the plurality of performance levels;

establishing a second plurality of achievement values for the second metric, wherein each of the second plurality of achievement values are associated with one of the plurality of performance levels;

monitoring a performance for the first group of agents with respect to the first metric to generate a first agent performance for each agent in the first group;

monitoring a performance for the second group of agents with respect to the second metric to generate a second agent performance for each agent in the second group; and

classifying the performance for the first group of agents by comparing the first agent performance for each agent to the first plurality of achievement values;

classifying the performance for the second group of agents by comparing the second agent performance for each agent to the second plurality of achievement values; and

evaluating group performance by determining how many agents in the first group are classified within each of the plurality of performance levels and how many agents in the second group are classified within each of the plurality of performance levels.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of performance levels comprises a first performance level and a second performance level, the first performance level representing a higher performance than the second performance level.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first metric and the second metric are the same, and the first plurality of achievement values are different from the second plurality of achievement values.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first task and second task comprise answering customer service phone calls and the first metric is average call handling time.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first task and second task comprise answering customer service phone calls and the first metric is first call resolution.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the first metric is different from the second metric.

21. A method of managing an agent employed by an organization, the agent being employed to perform tasks for a client of the organization and compensated at a current compensation level, the method comprising:

defining a performance metric that relates to a goal of the client;

defining a plurality of performance levels;

establishing a plurality of achievement values for the performance metric, wherein each of the plurality of achievement values corresponds to one of the plurality of performance levels;

defining a plurality of compensation levels, wherein the current compensation level is one of the plurality of compensation levels;

monitoring the performance of an agent with respect to the performance metric to generate an agent performance;

comparing the agent performance to the achievement values to determine an agent performance level, wherein the agent performance level is one of the plurality of performance levels;

evaluating the agent performance level by determining the position of the agent performance level and current compensation level on a chart that relates the plurality of performance levels to the plurality of compensation levels.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of compensation levels define a combination of base pay and variable pay, the variable pay being defined as a percentage of base pay.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the compensation levels comprise a first compensation level and a second compensation level, the first compensation level being higher than the second compensation level.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first compensation level comprises a higher base pay than the second compensation level, and a percentage defining the variable pay of the first compensation level is lower than a percentage defining the variable pay of the second compensation level.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising providing a compensation rule, wherein the compensation rule defines a first period of time over which an agent must achieve one of the plurality of performance levels to receive the variable pay.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the compensation rule further defines a second period of time over which an agent must achieve one of the plurality of performance levels to change the current compensation level to one of the other plurality of compensation levels.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the plurality of performance levels comprises a first performance level and a second performance level, the first performance level representing a higher performance than the second performance level.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

defining a second performance metric that relates to the goal of the client;

establishing a second plurality of achievement values for the second performance metric, wherein each of the second plurality of achievement values correspond to one of the plurality of performance levels;

monitoring performance of the agent with respect to the second performance metric to generate a second agent performance;

comparing the second agent performance to the second plurality of achievement values to determine a second agent performance level, wherein the second agent performance level is a different one of the plurality of performance levels; and

applying the compensation rule based on the lower of the second agent performance level and the first agent performance level.