Percent Agent Utilization

What is percent agent utilization?

Percent agent utilization or agent utilization rate is a metric that indicates how much time an involved agent spends on calls, including doing call-related work.

A high percentage of agent utilization indicates that the cost per agent-assisted contact is lower. In contrast, if the agent utilization rate is low, you can get a higher cost per agent-assisted contact. It may indicate that the call center is overstaffed, that scheduling enforcement is lacking, or that employee staffing needs improvements.

Importance of percent agent utilization

Metrics such as agent utilization are used to set goals and as a starting point for development. The most common reason call center agents use agent utilization is for strategic planning. It assists management in understanding their organization’s productivity and how to optimize that metric better while retaining balance to avoid agent burnout and turnover.

How to compute percent agent utilization?

Most call centers today are using software solutions that have a feedback option. The software provides information or the numbers you need to measure the agent utilization rate easily. 

Divide the time your agents are confirmed to be on calls or performing call-related activities by the total time their schedule. The agent utilization percentage is calculated by multiplying the resulting number by 100.