Using simulation to assist recruitment in seasonally dependant contact centers

The weather is unpredictable and can have a large impact on the profitability of seasonal businesses, particularly if staffing requirements are highly temperature-dependent. In this paper we describe our efforts in developing a what-if analysis tool to assist affected Small and Medium Enterprises in determining the best case scenario for timing hiring new staff and deciding the optimum length of temporary employment contracts. Together with a boiler maintenance company we have developed a prototype simulation tool that can be employed by users with minimal statistical and modelling knowledge. Our usability tests with the boiler maintenance company confirmed the usefulness of the developed tool as a decision support aid for managers. In this paper we focus on describing the tool development and testing process. With regards to real world experimentation we are still waiting for the feedback from the company.