Versatility, Human Connection and the New Shape of Learning

As technology reshapes contact centre work and customer expectations continue to rise, the skill sets that matter are shifting. For Sue Coe , the future is not defined by technical know-how alone. She believes that the real differentiators are the human qualities that help people adapt, connect and thrive in constant change.

The skills that matter most

When asked which skills are becoming most important, Sue believes that it starts with mindset and behaviour, not tools. “The skills that matter most are the ones that help us stay adaptable and human centred. For me, they’re the real differentiators.”

She sees versatility as the key for any new hire. Customers still want speed, clarity and empathy, but the way teams deliver this is changing. It is no longer enough to know what to do. What matters is understanding why we do it and being able to pivot quickly to the needs of each customer.

“I was thinking, what's that core capability? And I think it’s really around versatility.”

This shift brings with it new expectations of agents, who now need stronger problem-solving skills, emotional intelligence and the ability to form meaningful connections in short moments.

Will these skills make agents more expensive?

With skill requirements rising, many leaders are asking whether frontline talent will become more costly over time. Sue believes the answer is yes, but not in a negative way.

“If you’re going to the open market, you’re going to be very particular about that skill set. And when we find it, we’re prepared to pay for it because we know that’s what our customers deserve.”

She notes that when a business invests in people with strong foundational capability, the benefits ripple across the team. “If we’re finding those skills, even if they’re new to the business, they actually uplift the whole team. In the end, it becomes a real return on the investment.”

Balancing digital learning and human coaching

As learning becomes more blended, organisations are working to find the right balance between scalable digital content and personalised human support. Sue believes that both are necessary, and they are complementary to each other.

“Digital learnings gives us scale, flexibility and consistency. But there is something about humans learning from humans that we cannot go without. Coaching, mentoring and peer learning build confidence and show what accountability looks like.”

In Sue’s view, digital creates a strong baseline. Human coaching then brings it to life through practice, real world scenarios and feedback. “Digital is the foundation of learning, and it’s reinforced with the human. That gives you competence and capability.”

The role of on-the-job learning

Formal programs remain important, particularly for onboarding, but Sue believes true mastery is developed through real work. “Formal programs provide a framework, but the growth on that framework comes from applying it under real world conditions.”

She sees structured learning as the introduction and on-the-job experience as the expansion. “It’s like digital and human. You sort of need both. On the job gives that mastery. It brings everything to life.”

Shifting career expectations

Career paths in contact centres are becoming more flexible. The traditional ladder to team leader and then manager is no longer the only route. “There isn’t any longer just one path. Learning is about building blocks, no matter where you are.”

Sue uses the metaphor of Lego to shape her approach to capability building. Every module, program and coaching moment becomes one more block in someone’s development. These blocks can stack vertically toward leadership or spread horizontally into specialisation or lateral roles.

Recently she has been working on a series of training modules that “ all interconnect, but that can also stand alone.” Drawing on frustrations in her own learning journey where she couldn’t access a course without having completed something first, the training is designed so that “you don’t need to have done A, B and C, before you can do D. Instead, we can tailor that learning journey to what the individual needs or is interested in.”

This approach supports people who want to enhance particular skills without pursuing formal leadership roles. “Some people want to know more about coaching or nurturing culture. They don’t need to complete an entire program to get an executive promotion they don’t want.”

Instead, employees feel their skills are growing constantly and these skills give people confidence, personalised development and momentum

“All of those things are adding to their backpack of skills that they carry around as they grow.”

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