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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Workforce Coordinator

💰 $45,000 - $65,000

Human ResourcesWorkforce ManagementOperations

🎯 Role Definition

The Workforce Coordinator is responsible for day-to-day workforce planning and execution to ensure the right people are scheduled at the right time to meet service level goals while controlling labor cost and maintaining compliance. This role blends workforce management (WFM) systems administration, intraday schedule management, forecasting and reporting, cross-functional coordination with operations/HR/payroll, and continuous improvement of staffing processes. The Workforce Coordinator acts as a liaison between operations, HR, and leadership to translate business demand into actionable schedules, provide timely escalation and root-cause analysis, and maintain high levels of intraday service and adherence.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • HR Assistant or HR Coordinator transitioning into scheduling and staffing duties
  • Customer service or contact center Team Lead / Supervisor with scheduling responsibilities
  • Administrative or Operations Assistant supporting shift scheduling and timekeeping

Advancement To:

  • Workforce Planning Analyst
  • Senior Workforce Coordinator / WFM Analyst
  • Workforce Manager or Capacity Planning Manager
  • Operations Manager (contact center or retail operations)

Lateral Moves:

  • Scheduling Analyst
  • HR Generalist with time & attendance focus
  • Resource Planner / Capacity Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Create, maintain and optimize recurring weekly and monthly schedules using workforce management systems (e.g., NICE, Verint, Teleopti, Kronos/UKG) to meet forecasted demand while minimizing overtime and excess labor cost.
  • Develop and validate short- and long-term forecasts using historical volume data, trend analysis, seasonality adjustments, and business inputs to produce accurate staffing plans.
  • Execute intraday management by monitoring real-time dashboards, adjusting break and shift patterns, reassigning resources, and launching contingency plans to maintain service levels and adherence targets.
  • Monitor performance against KPIs (service level, average speed to answer/ASA, abandonment rate, average handle time/AHT, occupancy, shrinkage, adherence) and produce daily/weekly executive summaries with actionable recommendations.
  • Conduct daily capacity planning and scenario modeling for peak events, promotions, system outages, or unexpected volume spikes to ensure uninterrupted operations.
  • Manage time-off requests, shift trades, and leave scheduling in accordance with company policy and collective bargaining agreements; balance employee requests with operational needs.
  • Partner with recruiting and HR to translate staffing gaps into hiring plans, expedite onboarding schedules, and ensure new hires are reflected in workforce plans.
  • Maintain and administer workforce management and timekeeping systems, including schedule templates, work codes, pay codes, and workforce forecasting models; perform regular audits and clean-up tasks.
  • Provide accurate labor and payroll data to payroll and finance teams by reconciling time and attendance records, exception reports, and overtime approvals.
  • Build, maintain, and distribute recurring and ad-hoc reports (headcount, forecast vs. actual, intraday variance, overtime usage) using Excel, Power BI, or Tableau to inform leadership decisions.
  • Identify root causes for staffing variances and adherence deviations; recommend process changes, training needs, or system improvements to reduce repeat occurrences.
  • Coordinate with trainers and workforce planners to schedule training sessions, QA calibrations, and shadowing without degrading service levels.
  • Facilitate daily huddles and intraday stand-ups with operations leadership to communicate staffing status, risks, and corrective actions.
  • Design and implement schedule optimization initiatives, including flexible scheduling, part-time slots, and shift pattern redesigns to increase coverage efficiency.
  • Ensure compliance with labor laws, union agreements, and internal policies in scheduling, overtime allocation, and payroll reporting; prepare documentation for audits as needed.
  • Act as primary point of contact for vendors and third-party partners regarding schedule adherence, shift coverage, and performance reporting.
  • Lead special projects related to workforce transformation, WFM tool upgrades, or process automation initiatives; coordinate requirements, testing, and rollout activities.
  • Train and mentor junior schedulers, coordinators, and operational staff on WFM best practices, system navigation, and intraday tactics.
  • Manage capacity for multi-skill or multi-site teams, ensuring accurate routing and skill-based assignment to meet SLAs across channels (phone, chat, email).
  • Maintain and update standard operating procedures (SOPs) and runbooks for workforce operations, intraday escalation, and schedule change protocols.
  • Conduct weekly overtime and labor cost reviews, obtain necessary approvals, and implement corrective measures to align spend with budget.
  • Provide post-event analysis and after-action reports following major incidents, outages, or campaigns to capture lessons learned and update contingency playbooks.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc reporting requests for performance, staffing, and payroll reconciliation from cross-functional stakeholders.
  • Drive continuous improvement projects to reduce scheduling errors, optimize shift coverage, and enhance forecast accuracy.
  • Configure and test new features in WFM/timekeeping systems; coordinate upgrades with IT and vendor teams.
  • Prepare documentation and evidence for compliance audits and labor relations inquiries.
  • Assist with scheduling for holiday, seasonal, and promotional events, ensuring scalable staffing plans and documented coverage strategies.
  • Coordinate temporary staffing or contractor ROTATION and onboarding when business surges exceed internal capacity.
  • Maintain a library of templates, macros, and forecasting models to accelerate report generation and scenario planning.
  • Escalate and manage workforce-related incidents, documenting root cause and corrective action plans for management review.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Workforce Management (WFM) systems administration experience: NICE, Verint, Teleopti, Kronos/UKG or equivalent.
  • Advanced Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, macros) for manipulation of large datasets and schedule modeling.
  • Experience with BI and reporting tools such as Power BI, Tableau, or Looker for dashboard creation and analytics.
  • Forecasting and capacity modeling skills, including trend analysis, seasonality adjustments, and scenario planning.
  • Familiarity with time and attendance systems, pay code configuration, and payroll reconciliation processes.
  • KPI monitoring and performance reporting with a focus on service level, ASA, AHT, occupancy, shrinkage, and adherence.
  • Basic SQL or data query skills to extract and transform data from operational databases (preferred).
  • Knowledge of labor law, union scheduling rules, and compliance requirements relevant to shift work and overtime.
  • Schedule optimization and labor cost control techniques, including intraday reallocation and contingency planning.
  • Experience performing root-cause analysis and documenting corrective action plans.

Soft Skills

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to present complex staffing data to non-technical audiences and senior leadership.
  • Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration with HR, payroll, operations, and IT.
  • Analytical mindset and problem-solving orientation with attention to detail and accuracy.
  • Time management and prioritization skills to handle real-time operational demands and recurring planning cycles.
  • Adaptability and resilience; able to perform in fast-paced, dynamic environments with shifting priorities.
  • Customer-focused attitude with a bias for service and operational continuity.
  • Coaching and mentoring ability to develop junior team members and share WFM knowledge.
  • Diplomacy and conflict resolution when balancing employee preferences with business needs.
  • Project management fundamentals to drive WFM implementations and upgrades.
  • Continuous improvement orientation and comfort with process documentation and change management.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or GED; equivalent combination of education and experience considered.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Statistics, or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Human Resources
  • Business Administration
  • Operations Management
  • Industrial/Systems Engineering
  • Applied Statistics or Data Analytics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 1–5 years in workforce management, scheduling, capacity planning, or related operations role.

Preferred:

  • 3+ years of direct experience in WFM or scheduling within contact center, retail, healthcare, or field service environments, including hands-on use of WFM/timekeeping tools and intraday operations management.
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