If you are going to be a Team Leader, you will obviously need team members to manage. So it’s not surprising that one of your most important roles will be helping to recruit new agents. 

Every live chat team needs to hire regularly, either to replace staff who leave or to keep pace with the company’s growth.

The quality of the people you attract to work with you will considerably impact the quality of the chat service you deliver. So it’s vital to get this right. Here are some strategies to help you hire top people for your top team.

When you have a vacancy you need to fill, the first step is to advertise the job. Fortunately, this is easy to do nowadays, as there are many places to list your jobs. The best places to start are:

All of these have their pros and cons, so you will need to check them out for yourself and see which works best for you. Write a clear job description that explains exactly what the role entails. Make it clear that the candidates can work from home but must be reliable and motivated to succeed.

Be prepared to be inundated with applications! A work-from-home chat job is an attractive proposition, so you can expect many people to be interested.

Your first step is to review all the applicants and screen out those who are not a good fit. Then draw up a shortlist of the people you want to interview.

As you are hiring for a remote position, a video interview is probably the best way to go. But use a professional service such as Zoom or Google Meet rather than a personal messaging system like Facebook. 

When arranging the interview, remember to allow for any differences in time zones. When you get on the call, you should be well-dressed and professional. 

The interview doesn’t have to be too formal; it can be a pleasant chat. But don’t hesitate to ask tough questions and ask for more clarification where necessary. Hiring a full-time member of staff is a big commitment, so you need to get this right. 

Once you have completed your interviews, it’s time to make decisions. Think things over carefully, then select your preferred candidate. 

Make them a job offer that is clear and easy to understand. Ensure that you include all the necessary details such as:

If your preferred applicant takes the job, great...you are good to go. But if that doesn’t work out, move on to the next person on your list. 

Recruiting employees may seem like a demanding task if you haven’t done it before. But as with everything in life, you will find it gets easy with practice.