Predicting Performance of Call Center Staff: The Role of Cognitive Ability and Emotional Intelligence

This study examined the relationship between cognitive ability (IQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ) in predicting a range of different performance metrics from a call centre environment. In all, 303 call centre staff completed multi-dimensional measures of both EQ and IQ. We also had recorded nine performance data measures for each individual over a 12-month period. There were a few significant correlations with IQ (4/35) and a few more with EQ (4/28), though all EQ measures were related to “Errors Made over the year”. The performance metric that had most correlates was Average Handling Time (AHT) relating to speed of working. The number of errors an employee made was significantly positively correlated with all four EQ factors. Correlational and Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis highlighted the importance of analysing performance metrics as distinct variables, finding contradictory evidence in the sense that some individual difference factors correlated positively with some and negatively with other outcome measures. The results are discussed in relation to the theoretical implications for researchers interested in analysing call centre performance, and also practical implications for organisations with call centres.