Call Centre WFM Essentials training (February 2026)
Master the foundations of workforce management in a contact centre.
This comprehensive course gives your team the practical knowledge and core skills to plan, schedule, monitor and adapt staffing with confidence.
You’ll learn how to align resources to customer demand, protect service levels and control labour costs without relying on any specific software.
No prior WFM experience required. Vendor-agnostic techniques that work with any WFM platform.
- 3-day live facilitated training
- Ideal for WFM, ops and leaders
- Electronic workbook included
- Vendor-agnostic methods
- Forecast, schedule and manage staffing using proven WFM fundamentals
- Align resourcing to demand to hit service levels and reduce labour waste
- Monitor performance and adapt in real time with clear playbooks
Why WFM Essentials training matters
Workforce Management is one of the most powerful levers to improve performance in a call centre, yet many teams are still winging it when it comes to forecasting, rostering and managing demand in real time. This course gives your people the skills and structure to fix that – without needing complex software.
- Reduce labour costs. Forecast and schedule accurately so you can meet service levels with fewer excess hours and less waste.
- Improve service levels. Keep resources aligned with demand and stop missing SLA targets due to poor planning.
- Lift employee engagement. Well-managed rosters reduce burnout, attrition and stress, helping staff feel supported.
- Enable real-time responsiveness. Learn how to manage unexpected changes using proven intra-day management techniques.
- Strengthen communication. Explain WFM decisions clearly to leaders, teams and stakeholders for better buy-in.
- Build operational confidence. Give your team a structured understanding of WFM fundamentals to make smarter decisions, faster.
Business benefits
- Lower labour costs through better forecasting
- Improved service consistency and efficiency
- Clear frameworks for planning and analysis
- Better utilisation of existing resources
Customer benefits
- Reduced wait times and smoother experiences
- More consistent service across the day
- Fewer service failures due to poor resourcing
- Improved satisfaction from reliable delivery
Employee benefits
- Less burnout and stress from misaligned rosters
- Clearer expectations and priorities
- Greater support through structured planning
- Better morale and engagement
No WFM software required! The techniques are vendor-agnostic and can be applied with any system, including spreadsheets.
Who should do this WFM Essentials course?
This course is designed to provide a strong, practical foundation in Workforce Management for anyone working in, moving into, or supporting WFM-related roles within a contact centre. It’s also ideal for existing WFM team members who’ve learned on the job but never had formal training.
Current WFM Employees (no formal training)
- Already working in WFM functions but learned through experience
- Want to build confidence and capability through structured training
- Need practical techniques to improve planning and execution
Learning & Development / Operations Teams
- L&D staff responsible for onboarding or training WFM and planning teams
- Ops teams who need foundational knowledge to support aligned learning
- Supervisors supporting WFM activity but not directly trained
Team Leaders & Supervisors
- Show leadership potential and need to understand WFM practices
- Learn how forecasting, scheduling and adherence impact performance
- Better influence service outcomes and team resourcing decisions
Reporting Analysts & Ops Support
- Produce or use operational reports but lack WFM context
- Need to understand the planning implications behind the numbers
- Support operational managers with data-driven insights
Aspiring WFM Professionals
- New to scheduling, planning or real-time roles
- Need a structured understanding of WFM fundamentals
- Looking to step into dedicated WFM career paths
Contact Centre Managers
- Need to strengthen understanding of WFM fundamentals
- Improve decision-making, collaboration and outcomes
- Lead teams with clearer insight into resourcing levers
February 2026 WFM Essentials Course Modules
Delivered over three full days of live, facilitated learning, the Call Centre WFM Essentials course teaches the core principles of forecasting, scheduling, monitoring, real-time management, and communication that underpin high-performing contact centres.
Each of the six modules blends theory with practical application, giving participants the structure and confidence to align staffing with customer demand, improve service levels, and reduce wasted labour costs.
Every participant receives an electronic workbook, a certificate of completion, and the ability to apply proven WFM techniques immediately in their workplace.
1. Introduction and Overview
Get an overview of what workforce management is and why it matters. This module sets the stage by breaking down the components of WFM and exploring common planning tasks and team structures.
- Introduction to Workforce Management
- WFM team structures
2. Forecasting and Planning
Learn how to analyse historical patterns and apply forecasting methods to predict contact volumes, calculate staffing requirements, and plan ahead with confidence.
- Time series analysis
- Erlang C
- Shrinkage
- Attrition
3. Scheduling
Turn forecasts into action with effective schedules. Explore the different components, considerations and flexibility options that balance employee needs with operational requirements.
- Scheduling considerations
- Scheduling components
- Schedule creation
4. Performance Analysis
Understand how to monitor and measure daily performance. Learn how adherence and attendance affect service delivery and how to assess WFM team performance.
- Monitoring daily performance
- Managing adherence and attendance
- Measuring WFM team performance
5. Real-Time Management
Build the skills to monitor live performance and act quickly when things don’t go to plan. This module introduces exception management, contingency planning and continuous improvement at the intra-day level.
- Exception management
- Contingency planning
- Continuous improvement cycle
6. Communication
Strong communication underpins WFM success. This module focuses on how to deliver clear messages, choose the right channels, and manage conflict constructively.
- Effective communication
- Creating a clear message
- Choosing the correct medium
- Dealing with conflict
About Your Trainer
The Call Centre WFM Essentials course is delivered by Call Design, a specialist Workforce Optimisation consultancy with over 20 years of experience helping organisations improve forecasting, scheduling and workforce effectiveness.
Since 1999, Call Design has partnered with leading Australian contact centres, retail and back-office operations to build WFM capability. Their consultants bring deep expertise, blending global best-practice methods with vendor-agnostic approaches that work in any environment.
Call Design is an Accredited Trainer Provider with the Australian Customer Experience Professionals Association (ACXPA), ensuring the training is high-quality, practical and tailored for Australian contact centres.
Trusted by Leading Organisations Across Australia
Hundreds of businesses — from local councils to national brands — have chosen CX Skills to upskill their teams with practical, real-world customer service training.
Your Workforce Management Advantage
Mastering workforce management takes more than a single course. With ACXPA membership you’ll access a complete toolkit of WFM resources, training and practitioner connections to reinforce the skills learned in WFM Essentials and keep improving long after the course ends.
Members save 25% on all CX Skills courses
- WFM Hub with practical rostering, forecasting and reporting tools.
- 15 included self-paced courses plus 300+ more available on-demand.
- Private WFM groups to share strategies with planners, RTAs and leaders.
- Monthly roundtables focused on WFM, contact centre and CX topics.
- Downloadable calculators & templates you can put to work immediately.
- Resource library with benchmarking, videos and best-practice guides.
How and When It’s Delivered
The February 2026 WFM Essentials course, facilitated by Call Design, will be delivered live online, so you (or your team) can participate from anywhere in Australia.
This is a public course, giving workforce planners, team leaders and managers the opportunity to learn alongside peers from other organisations — gaining practical skills and valuable cross-industry insights.
Pricing and Payment Options
The February 2026 Call Centre WFM Essentials course is delivered live over three days by Call Design. If you can't make this one, it is scheduled multiple times during the year to make planning easier for individuals and organisations.
You can book a single participant or enrol several team members.
💳 Credit card or invoice payment available at checkout.
Seats are limited. Early booking is recommended to secure your spot.
