Analytics
Shrinkage
Also called: call center shrinkage · contact centre shrinkage
Shrinkage is the proportion of paid hours during which agents are unavailable to handle contacts, covering breaks, training, meetings, coaching, sick leave and holiday.
Staffing formulas return the number of agents needed on the phones. Shrinkage converts that into the headcount you actually roster. At 30% shrinkage, 14 agents on the phones means 20 people scheduled — and getting this step wrong is the most common cause of a queue that misses target despite a correct Erlang calculation.
The quoted industry standard is 30%, though measured averages run closer to 26.6%. It is worth computing your own from payroll and adherence data rather than adopting a benchmark, because shrinkage varies enormously with training intensity and absence rates.
Shrinkage is usually split into planned (holiday, training, meetings) and unplanned (sickness, unscheduled absence). Only the planned portion can be scheduled around; the unplanned portion is what real-time management exists to absorb.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate shrinkage?
Divide total unavailable hours by total paid hours over the same period. Include breaks, training, meetings, coaching, holiday and absence.
What is a typical call centre shrinkage rate?
30% is the figure most often quoted as standard, with measured averages nearer 26.6%. Anything above about 35% is worth investigating.
Related terms
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