The characteristics of a successful call-center agent are:

• Prior call-center experience
• Resourcefulness
• Hospitality training or background
• The ability to listen
• Bilingual skills
• A pleasant voice
• The ability to think and make decisions on the fly
• A self-starter mentality
• An outgoing personality
• Adaptability
• A sense of responsibility
• Discipline

1. Competencies: The most obvious of the four, the competencies factor has the greatest impact on overall job performance.  It indicates whether an agent has the skills, knowledge, and ability required for the job.  This includes technical knowledge of the product or services the company offers as well as knowledge of various call center systems, such as computers, telephony systems, and CRM databases - all of which can be easily taught and tested for.

Competencies also reflect a person's ability to speak clearly and articulate a passion to meet and exceed customer expectations, along with the ability to develop rapport with every caller.  It involves solving problems and managing difficult situations to end every call positively - even turning complaints into additional sales.  Finally, competencies include navigating multiple software applications.

2. Motivational Fit: As the label suggests, this factor indicates how well the job characteristics match with the personal motivators of call center agents.  This factor consists of three elements:

• Job Fit: Does the job motivate the person?  Is the nature of the challenging call center work fitting (constant monitoring, demands for promptness, endless pressure to perform, confinements to space, and so forth)?  Environmental factors, such as seating arrangements, also come into play, as do ergonomic characteristics of the center, like lighting and general noise levels.
• Culture Fit: Does the culture of the company and call center match the individual's priorities and interests?  This includes the type of people who work there, how call center management leads, company values, and company commitment to employee development and training.
• Personal Interest: Does the company offer what the person wants?  For example, if a person has loved working in a fast-paced, high-energy retail environment, it's not likely he or she will enjoy working in a sedentary call center job. 

3. Personality: Personality type impacts many aspects of fit and success potential, as well as how call center agents will respond to the other factors.  However, as discussed earlier, there is no single personality type that will be more successful than another in a call center.

4. External Factors: External factors are those beyond the control of the agents and call center management.  They include competitive compensation, location, and transportation availability.  All of these factors can strongly impact a person's willingness and ability to do the job, as well as quality and productivity levels.