Performance Management FAQ

In this article, you will find information on:

 

Notifications

Who is eligible to receive performance exception notifications?

Any Performance Management user with an out-of-range daily performance result for a calculated leaderboard, regardless of role.

How often are performance exception notifications sent?

Once per day, as soon as the system calculates leaderboards for the prior day. This is typically in the early morning hours of the timezone in which the account is installed.

Are performance exception notifications sent for daily, weekly, and monthly results?

Notifications are only sent for daily results. If a performer’s result is out-of-range based on a weekly or monthly aggregation, an additional notification is not triggered.

Are performance exception notifications triggered on every single queue?

Notifications will be triggered for any and every out-of-range result on a unique leaderboard. Since leaderboards are calculated separately by queue, there is the possibility of having out-of-range results on multiple queues, including the queue choice “Non-queue.”

Note: Notifications are not triggered for the aggregate queue combination of “All.”

Are results shown in the performance exception notification?

No. The measure and queue are shown, and the date may be assumed to be the prior day. Recipients may view the result values by clicking on the notification to access the leaderboard, and view the results in context.

How is a result determined to be a performance exception?

Individual results that depart 1.5 standard deviations, or more from the mean (Average) for each unique leaderboard calculation, will trigger a notification.

Why is an excellent result triggering a performance exception? Shouldn’t this be for poor results only?

Individual results that depart 1.5 standard deviations or more from the mean (Average) trigger a notification, regardless of whether they are considered “good” or “bad.” The purpose of exception notifications is to bring awareness to unusual performance results.

Will multiple performance exceptions be shown in a single notification?

No. There is a separate notification for each performance exception triggered. A digest-style notification is not available at this time.

As a member of Management, can I see the performance exception notifications that performers have received?

Currently, only the performer may see the notification. However, management may view the leaderboard in its entirety to interpret results, including top and bottom performers. Results that have triggered a performance exception will be shown in red and a bell icon will be displayed.

Is there a way to deactivate performance exception notifications?

Yes. Performance exception notifications may be deactivated and/or reactivated in the Configurations menu, by Measure, and by Queue.

 

Leaderboards

How often are the leaderboard results generated?

Leaderboards are generated daily in the early morning hours of the timezone, in which the account is installed (however, data to generate the leaderboards is gathered hourly). 

Note: Intraday performance results are available inside the Challenges menu.

How far back does leaderboard data go?

Leaderboard data will be calculated 31 days into the past at the time of installation. It will be retained inside the Performance Management application for a minimum of one year.

Where does leaderboard data come from?

Leaderboard data originates from data written to the Talkdesk data platform by the individual applications that generate the source data. For example, “Average Handle Time” is generated by Talkdesk’s CCaaS system, whereas “Average CSAT” is generated by the Talkdesk Feedback™ application. Please refer to the Measure Dictionary for more information.

Are the leaderboards updated if an update is sent from the source data?

Currently, Performance Management does not support updates from historical data and the leaderboards will remain the same even if there is an update to the source data (e.g.x. the adherence data from Workforce Management suffered an update or a new evaluation from Talkdesk Quality Management™ was generated). In these situations, it is recommended that you open a ticket to the support team to do a manual update to the leaderboards results.

What time zone is used for leaderboards?

Leaderboards are calculated and displayed in the time zone in which Performance Management is installed. Neither user’s team time zone, computer settings nor browser settings change this. The scope of data included in a leaderboard and the generation time of the leaderboard may not match expectations for users in different time zones.

Why do leaderboards skip ranking numbers when there are ties?

Performance Management uses a standard competition ranking, often referred to as "1224" ranking. This style of ranking allows lower-ranked performers to understand their placement without being affected by the ties of performers ahead of them.

How are ties ranked?

Results are calculated precisely and rounded to two places, when applicable, for both storage and use in the user interface.  After rounding, any tied results will be assigned the same rank. Tied results are then sub-sorted by volume, so that more reliable results appear higher on the leaderboard.

Is there a way to anonymize or hide names on leaderboards?

Yes. On the Configurations menu and under the Visualization tab, the Administrator can choose one of the three available options: 

  • “All results are visible” 
  • “Names better than average” 
  • “Agents see their name only”. 

By default, the option “Names better than average” is the one that is selected.

What do the color circles next to usernames on the leaderboards signify?

The color circles have no specific meaning in the leaderboards.

 

Dates

When does a “week” start?

A week in Performance Management starts at 00:00:00 Sunday morning and concludes at 23:59:59 Saturday night. It is not customizable at this time.

Why can’t I choose an arbitrary date range?

A separate leaderboard is calculated for every Measure and Queue combination for single dates, current week, last week, current month, and last month.

 

Queues

What is a queue? Is this a ring group?

“Queue” is a generic term that includes Talkdesk ring groups and also email, SMS, and chat groupings.

Why are there so many queues in the dropdown?

The system remembers every queue for which a result has been created. There is no way to remove unwanted choices. However, a search option is available.

Why is there a “Non-queue” choice in the queues dropdown?

“Non-queue” is available for Talkdesk Quality Management™ evaluations that are not associated with any particular ring group. E.g., quality evaluation, a face-to-face interaction, or back-office casework. 

Why can’t I multi-select a group of queues?

A separate leaderboard is calculated for every Measure and Queue combination for single dates, current week, last week, current month, and last month. Note: Allowing multi-select of queues is being considered as a future enhancement.

 

Teams

Why don’t the team names always show on the Leaderboard?

The team names will only show if a “Team” filter is applied. All teams may be chosen purposely to make the team names appear next to the Agent names on the Leaderboard.

Is there a limit to the number of teams I can select?

There is a 20-team limit in the filter, however, the default view of Leaderboards (with no filter applied) can include results spanning more than 20 teams.

When I apply a “Team” filter, why isn’t the leaderboard renumbered?

When a “Team” filter is applied, the Agents not on those teams are removed from the leaderboard. Those remaining retain their original numbered rank for overall reference. The overall goal and average remain as well.  

The result count will update and breaks will appear as a visual indicator where results have been removed. 

Why is there a “No Team” choice in the Teams filter dropdown?

“No Team” is used to locate results for agents who have not been assigned to any team in Talkdesk. For these agents, a “blank” rather than a “Team Name” will be next to their name on the leaderboard when team filtering is applied.

 

Results

What happens to the rankings if an Agent leaves?

The performer’s name is replaced with “Deleted User” and the result remains, to retain the integrity of the leaderboard including results’ count, rankings, and averages.

Can I export leaderboards?

Not directly from the leaderboard. However,  full results data with standard options for downloading is available via the default PM Results Analysis Report on Talkdesk Explore.

How is the average calculated?

The performer results displayed across all pages of the individual leaderboard are averaged. The average is not weighted, meaning it is calculated irrespective of the volume of each result. The pagination of results does not affect the average in any way.

Why do double dashes (“--”) appear in the “Goal” area?

There is no calculated goal for the leaderboard being viewed. This can be for several reasons, however, the most likely reason is due to inadequate historical results (less than a seven-day minimum) needed to establish an automated goal.

Where did the goal come from? Can I change it?

The goal is calculated by the system initially. Performance Management analyzes up to 31 days of prior results and establishes the goal at the 67th percentile of those results for a challenging, but achievable goal. The goal can be adjusted in the Configurations menu by Measure, and by Queue or directly in the Leaderboard by clicking on the Goal value to open the side menu and apply the new value. Goals may be adjusted by recalculating them using historical data, entering them manually, or deactivating them. Note: Duration goals should be entered as “mm:ss”.

How do I know what is a reasonable goal for my Agents?

Historical Data Charts are available in the goal-setting area. Entering different goal values provides a visual representation of how your Agents would perform against the goal. This allows you to quickly create challenging but realistic goals based on your recent performance data.

Is there an easy way to reset the goals for all queues at once?

Yes. In the goal edit menu for the “All” queue, there is an option to “Apply to every queue.”  This will apply the goal to all the queues in the list when Save is pressed.

What if I want to set all queues the same, but then make a few exceptions?

In this case, use the “Apply to every queue” option first, then individually edit the queues that need unique goals.  A visual indicator appears to highlight these exceptions.

Where can I see a trend view of the leaderboard results?

Trend views are available in the Challenges area. Additionally, the Trends data set and two default reports are available for detailed trend analysis: Performance Management Improvement and Attainment and Performance Management Results Trend.

How often are the results updated?

Results calculate daily in the early morning hours based on the prior day’s performance activity. If there is a measure that needs more attention, consider creating a challenge, which features intraday result updates.

 

Gamification

Challenges

What are Challenges?

Challenges are designed to boost performance with a stretch goal and optional awards. Challenges are time-bound events showing intraday leaderboards for a specific measure and set of teams. 

Who can create a Challenge?

Any user with the permission “Challenges” > Create. There are also permissions for updating and deleting challenges; the default Supervisor and Administrator roles have these permissions by default.

In the creation process, can I set up a specific goal value for the selected measure?

Yes, during the creation process, the user is required to enter a goal value. Duration goals should be entered as “mm:ss”.

Will participants in the challenge receive an email or notification about the challenge?

Participants are alerted to the launch of a challenge via both Workspace notifications and email.

Does the Challenge goal affect the goal that appears on the Leaderboard Results page?

No, the goal for a Challenge can be a stretch goal, so it will not affect the normal goal on the leaderboards.

Can I select more than one team?

Yes, during the creation process, users can select one or multiple teams.

Can I select queues?

Not currently, but this option is expected to be developed in the future.

Can I change team members during a Challenge?

Yes, but please note that these changes will be reflected in the results of the Challenge, so a new team member will only appear on the leaderboard once they have results to populate the Challenge leaderboard and only after the next update. At the same time, if a team member leaves the team during a Challenge, the final results will not have more changes, and will stay the same until the end.

What about the prize for the winners, can I set that up?

Yes, during the creation process, the user can enter a prize message that will be shared by email with all the participants; the prize message is also showcased at the top of the Challenge page. This is one of the main benefits of the Challenges feature, allowing management to create events with real-world prizes.

Regarding the Challenge’s duration, what can we do?

A Challenge will always need to start at least one day in the future, and may not start in the past. The default duration is seven days. According to studies, this is the most effective length for healthy competition. Users are welcome to choose a different duration, with a minimum of two days and a maximum of 364 days.

How often are the results updated on a Challenge?

The results are updated every 4 hours from the beginning of the starting day.

Is there a way to compare the performance of an individual against others?

Yes, at the end of a Challenge you can search and select an agent on the “Select an agent” dropdown and see the performance Trend Chart for both the agent and the Challenge average. This same chart is also included in the Coaching session content created from here.

We are pleased by the results of the agents at the end of a Challenge, what can we do about that?

The user who created the Challenge will be able to applaud all results at the conclusion, at most once per Agent.

What if we want to schedule a coaching session with an agent, due to a poor result?

At the conclusion of the challenge, click the triple dots to the right of the agent’s name to coach. Contextual detail on the agent’s challenge performance is visible and automatically logged as part of the coaching session.

I want to create a set of Challenges for the following months, how can I do that easily?

The option to duplicate a Challenge speeds up the process of creation by copying the properties from the original Challenge and populating future dates for the duration. All information can be edited as needed.

Are agent names anonymous for a Challenge?

All names are visible to incentivize healthy competition between agents.

 

Badges

When are badges awarded, and where can they be viewed? Are they public?

The names of the badges awarded are visible to all participants and supervisors at the conclusion of the challenge in which they are earned. Individual performers may view graphic badges, both achieved and possible, in the achievements tab.

How do the challenge participants know what badges are possible to earn? Can management add more badges to the system?

Badges not yet earned are visible in the Achievement area, outlined in a preview mode. New badges are scheduled for future release by Talkdesk and custom user-added badges are not supported at this time.

Can a single user win multiple badges in the same challenge? Does this keep others from winning any badges?

Users can win multiple badges in the same challenge. They are awarded with all the badges for which the winning requirement was met. This doesn’t keep others from winning any badges. If other users in the same challenge have also met the winning requirement for a badge, it will be awarded. Badge awards are inclusive and not exclusive.

What happens when a single user wins a badge multiple times?

The earned badges will accrue for the user. Winning a badge five times will generate a star, and stars accrue to infinity.

What happens if multiple users tie for the same badge?

Both users are awarded the badge.

Can management manually award a badge or remove one?

Neither of these mechanics are supported at this time.

Can management associate prizes with badges?

Prizes for badges can be communicated as part of a challenge launch and followed up operationally by management.

 

Peer Recognition

Why can’t all results be applauded?

Applauding every result is not appropriate to ensure fairness. Only average or above results may be applauded, and an agent may not applaud their own personal results. Only daily results may be applauded, not weekly or monthly result roll-ups.

What does the applause do? Is it reportable?

Applause causes confetti to drop on the leaderboard where the agent has received applause. The applause count is not reportable today. In fact, 10 or more applause simply show as “9+”.

How is the applause system different for Agents vs. Supervisors?

Users with the “Anonymized” leaderboard view permission are considered Agents. Those with a “Full” view are considered Supervisors. Supervisor applause counts “5x” because being recognized by management carries extra weight, Agent applause counts “1x”.  

How is the confetti triggered?

Confetti only drops on one leaderboard per result day (the first leaderboard the agent visits where applause has been received). A toast helps the user understand why they are receiving confetti. 

Confetti only appears for users with the “Anonymized” leaderboard view only, not users with “Full” leaderboard view permissions.

 

Coaching and Development

I don’t see the coaching features. Why?

Coaching features are controlled by the application-specific “Roles and  Permissions” settings in the Admin area of Talkdesk Classic. Look for the application “Performance Management”. Make sure the permission level desired for “Coaching” is chosen there, in increasing order of privilege: 

  • View
  • Update
  • Create
  • Delete. 

Note: Any user-created custom roles will receive permissions as if they are an Agent, and the Administrator will need to expand the permissions on these custom roles if desired by the business users.

Is there a character limit for the “Notes” section? Can I copy and paste a URL?

There is a 10,000-character limit. A URL may be copied and pasted, but it will not be a clickable hotlink.

Is there a way to enter confidential notes during a coaching session?

At this time, there is a general notes field that is not protected. In the future, note fields will be considered with varying levels of confidentiality.

Can I search, sort, or filter the development list?

Searching sessions by agent name is supported. Advanced sorting and filtering are on the future roadmap.

Is the date the result date or the date of the coaching session?

The date at the bottom of the coaching panel is the date of the coaching session itself.  The result being addressed on the coaching date may be any date from an existing leaderboard. 

Can I create a coaching session that is not associated with any measure? What about coaching associated with multiple measures?

Both of these are capabilities being targeted for future development.

Why is there a column titled “Resource”? Why isn’t it “Coach”?

The development page is designed to be able to hold sessions like mentoring, learning, self-study, and quizzes in the future. So this column has a general header in anticipation of these future types of development.

I accidentally deleted a session.  Is there a way to get it back?

No. There is a confirmation pop-up in the software displayed when Delete is pressed.  This pop-up clearly states this action cannot be undone.

Where can I view an audit trail of who created, updated, or deleted a coaching session?

Audit logging is part of the system, and detailed activity may be discovered by contacting Talkdesk support.

Can agents see the coaching sessions?

Yes. Agents may view their own personal coaching sessions, but not those of others. Furthermore, the coaching session views have been optimized for agents using the small screen view inside the Desktop version of Talkdesk. Users with the “Anonymized” leaderboard view permission are considered Agents.

What is the purpose of the Opportunities area?

The “Opportunities” tab in the “Development” menu page is where users can manage the Coaching Opportunities that are created from Quality Management evaluations.

Who can generate Coaching Opportunities?

To create a Coaching Opportunity, users must have Performance Management  “Create” permission to be able to submit an evaluation score in Quality Management. 

A “Coach” button becomes available right after the submission process is completed. By clicking the “Coach” button, a Coaching Opportunity is automatically created in Performance Management, in the “Opportunities” tab under the “Development” menu page.

Why can I not see the Coach button after I submit an evaluation?

The “Coach” button is only available for users that can create Coaching sessions in the “Development” menu in Performance Management, and for those who have PM “Create” permission. To know more on how to manage Performance Management permissions, please check this article.

 

Measures and Results

A Measure is Talkdesk’s term for what is traditionally referred to as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI).

Can I add new Measures? Where are these configured?

Performance Management does not offer the ability to create or add new measures. In the future, this capability will be offered in the “Configurations” menu.

I always see no results for my selection on some Measures. Why?

If the Measure is powered by a separately licensed Talkdesk module, such as Quality Management, Feedback, or Workforce Management, then no results will be displayed. For voice metrics, contacts must be answered on inbound ring groups to populate the measure results. See Measure Dictionary for more details.

Can I turn off a Measure?

Unwanted measures may be deactivated by an Administrator on the “Configurations” menu.

What happens when I turn off a Measure?

The Measure will no longer be available in the Leaderboard drop-downs (past dates and going forward), nor can the Measure be coached on. Performance Exception Notifications for the Measure will be suspended. The Measure chosen for existing coaching sessions will remain.  

Is there an overall score across all the Measures?

Not today. In the future, attainment will create the ability to calculate and display an overall score across Measures, while allowing each to retain its own unit (duration, percent, rate, among others).

How many decimal places are calculated and shown in the results?

Results are calculated precisely and rounded, when applicable, to two places for both storage and use in the user interface.

What is “Volume”?

“Volume” is a count of the unique source events that contribute to a result and help inform confidence around the result displayed.  For a Measure like “Inbound Contacts per Online Hour”, “Volume” is the number of contacts handled. For “Average CSAT”, "Volume" is the number of individual survey questions, marked as pertaining to the agent, that are collected. The in-app description describes the “Volume” for each measure.

Why is taking more calls or having a lower Average Handle Time (AHT) always considered “better”?

In its first iteration, handling more calls, or having lower AHT is considered better because this is generally favorable behavior. In the future, target-style goals will be available and Measures may be configured to indicate if “lower values are better” or if “higher values are better.” For example, on sales queue, longer AHT may be favorable for building stronger customer relationships, generating greater revenue that offsets the increased personnel time cost.

Why is the Measure “Inbound Contacts per Online Hour” not an easy-to-understand count of inbound calls?

Simply counting inbound calls does not scale well. For example, it would be inappropriate to compare part-time with full-time employees, or employees who had taken a one-week vacation with those who hadn't. Measuring the rate at which calls are handled establishes an instant apples-to-apples comparison.

What is an Online Hour? Can I change it to exclude certain “Away” and “Not ready” statuses?

Online Hour is a new concept for “Performance Management” and cannot be found in the standard Talkdesk Data Dictionary. Online Hour is the logged-in time for an agent,  minus the time spent in the Offline status. So, all green, yellow, and red statuses are considered “Online,” but the gray status is not.

Note: Online hours can be expressed in hours, minutes, and/or seconds. It is not limited to, nor rounded to, whole hours.

How are the weekly and monthly results calculated? Does the system average the daily results?

The weekly or monthly result for an agent is the average of all the individual results for the specific period. This detailed calculation goes beyond a simple average of the daily results, producing roll-ups that give each individual result an equal weight independently of the day on which it occurs.

Will the results update if data is changed in the past, for example, if I delete Quality Evaluations, or if Agents complete callbacks from the prior day?

Flagging changed data and recalculating prior leaderboards is planned as a future enhancement.

Note: Updates made before results' calculation are considered.

Are AI-scored Evaluations included in the Quality Evaluation Score? What about evaluations not associated with an inbound, ring group-routed voice call?

Yes and yes. “Performance Management” makes no distinction between human and “AI Scored” evaluations. Evaluations not associated with an inbound, ring group-routed voice call may be viewed by choosing the “Non-queue” in the queue filter.

Are off-shift adherence violations included in the “Schedule Adherence” Measure?

This Measure does not include adherence violations that are “off shift.”

How does the “Schedule Adherence” Measure display violations that are ongoing?

This Measure does not consider scheduled events that are ongoing at the moment of a leaderboard/challenge calculation. Events that occur within the same day will be picked up on the next calculation. Events that cross the day boundary (midnight) will be disregarded.

Is “Average After Call Work” calculated for just the calls that contain ACW?

No. “Average After Call Work” is calculated across all inbound contacts, regardless of whether they have ACW or not.

Is “Average Hold Time” calculated for just the calls that contain a Hold?

No. “Average Hold Time” is calculated across all inbound contacts, regardless of whether they contain a Hold or not.

How long is data retained in the Performance Management application?

The data is retained for 14 months in the Performance Management application. This includes leaderboard results, coaching sessions, and performance exceptions.

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