Workforce management

Schedule adherence is the percentage of scheduled time an agent is available and performing the specific activity planned for that interval, such as taking calls when calls are scheduled or being on break when a break is scheduled. Most contact centers target 85 to 95% adherence, per industry benchmarks, with schedules built to allow for shrinkage from training, meetings, and absences. Example: an agent scheduled for 480 minutes who logs 456 minutes matching the schedule scores 95% adherence.

Shrinkage is the share of paid agent time unavailable for handling contacts, covering breaks, training, meetings, absence, and system downtime. Workforce plans that ignore shrinkage systematically understaff, because scheduled headcount and available headcount differ by a predictable and often substantial margin.

Average handle time is the mean time an agent spends on a single contact, including talk or chat time and after-contact work. Because the definition varies between teams, comparisons are only meaningful when both sides confirm whether wrap-up time is included inside the calculation being reported.

Occupancy rate is the portion of an agent’s logged-in time spent actively handling contacts rather than waiting for them. Sustained high occupancy predicts burnout and attrition, so workforce planners treat it as a health measure rather than a productivity target to be maximised.