Welcome to WFM Unfiltered Real conversations. Practical insights. Smarter workforce strategies. If you're responsible for workforce management, operations, or service delivery, and it feels like performance, planning, and people management are all happening under pressure — you're in the right place. WFM Unfiltered is the go-to podcast for operations leaders, contact center professionals, and senior executives who want fresh thinking and real-world solutions. Hosted by Irina Mateeva, a globa ...
…
continue reading
Project OutCast is an Outpost WFM production but this isn’t just about WFM schedules and calculations, this isn’t about how close your forecast variance was and this definitely isn’t about whether or not you’ve memorised the AHT formula. I do things different, I find creative solutions to real challenges and I don’t create problems and chaos to justify the need for WFM. Running a contact centre is not difficult, period. Managing people on the other hand, that requires skill which can be taug ...
…
continue reading
GSFC-UK - or ”The Gloria Swanson Fan Club Radio Show” ran for ten years on WFM Manchester in the United Kingdom. It was a show best described by one of the underperforming management as, ”A bit like Timmy Mallet for grown ups” Michael Dawson was at the heart of the ’Cake Eating Scandal’ that rocked local radio in the late nineties. After turning whistle blower his position at the station became untenable. He was finally forced out, but not before he’d smuggled out many of his master recordin ...
…
continue reading
The official podcast of ChessDojo (IM Kostya Kavutskiy, IM David Pruess, & GM Jesse Kraai). Most episodes are streamed live to twitch.tv/chessdojo. Interested in improving your chess? Welcome to the Dojo! A structured plan to hold yourself accountable to and a group to do it with. - https://chessdojo.club Follow ChessDojo here: Website: https://chessdojo.club Twitch: https://twitch.tv/chessdojolive Discord: https://discord.gg/GhKsJtjpFw Twitter: https://twitter.com/chess_dojo Instagram: http ...
…
continue reading
Brian Witt and Gary Fuchs share decades of experience tackling Workforce Management problems with thousands of contracting businesses, as well as experiences, challenges, and success from contractors across the globe. They also love cigars and bourbon 🥃
…
continue reading
In this series we will discuss Contact Center industry trends and best practices, as well as sharing success stories and pain points with some of the most innovative professionals in the industry. Join us as we learn and grow together in order to provide world class customer service to each and every one of our clients.
…
continue reading
The Chess Lounge is your place to kick back, relax and explore the game of chess from all angles. We bring you weekly episodes with topics from all over the chess world and culture with a fresh twist. We strive to cover topics you won’t hear anywhere else and provide a much needed balance to the royal game. This podcast is for everyone that loves chess and the beautiful community it brings together. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE EPISODES!
…
continue reading
The intelliHR platform is designed to support HR professionals and leadership teams within an organisation, using technology that automates manual HR processes and captures critical people data. The platform gives a real-time understanding of an organisation’s human resources and provides tools to create a performance-based culture aligned with the employer’s business strategy, and contribute to strategic decision-making with data driven insights. intelliHR has a focus on artificial intellig ...
…
continue reading
The Workforce Management Podcast discusses the technologies, strategies and everything you need to know about workforce management, including time and attendance, employee scheduling, labour demand forecasting, workforce analytics and much more. We pay particular attention to AI and how that is changing the landscape. We aim to help you navigate through the complex Workforce Management world, tackle the most pressing questions and give you a complete understanding of all the aspects involved ...
…
continue reading

1
Discover how high-performing WFM teams inspire trust and drive success - Leading from the Front
4:21
4:21
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
4:21Leave a comment or suggestion Can WFM lead Ops teams to better results — not by force, but by example? In this episode I cover: 1. WFM: More Than Just Schedulers. 2. Productivity Starts at the Top. 3. Want Ops to Stick to the Plan? 4. Contact Centre Leadership, Reinvented.By Corey Sewpersad
…
continue reading

1
Why WFM Hiring is Failing Talented People
33:01
33:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:01Message the show! om both sides of the table — as someone who’s hired for WFM roles and as someone who’s had to fight for credibility without formal credentials. He and Irina debate whether certificates really prove capability, why vendors may be part of the problem, and how the obsession with system knowledge is holding back operational growth. Ex…
…
continue reading

1
EP 153 | How To Improve Your Positional Play w/ GM Aagaard
1:22:44
1:22:44
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:22:44Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojo 0:00 Intro 1:51 How to improve your positional play 6:05 Book recommendations 8:18 Recognizing weaknesses in positional play 12:22 How to work with a coach 15:48 Killer Chess Training Camp 20:15 How Aagaard learned positional …
…
continue reading

1
WFM Analytics: Your Competitive Edge - WFM Analytics in Outbound Sales
3:16
3:16
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
3:16Leave a comment or suggestion If you tuned into our last episode where we explored "Applying WFM in Outbound Contact Centres," then you're going to love today’s deep dive — because now we're taking it one step further: what if we could measure and prove the real financial gains of smart WFM Analytics? In this episode I cover: 1: The Productivity Sw…
…
continue reading
Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojo IM David Pruess has long been famous for reaching a high level in chess while having aphantasia. We talk about how this could be and what it says about visualization in chess. Visualization test - https://aphantasia.com/study/…
…
continue reading

1
WFM as a Strategic Weapon - Service Levels: Beyond the basics
3:53
3:53
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
3:53Leave a comment or suggestion Managing Service Level is like steering a car — you can't wait until after the crash to turn. In this episode I cover: 1: Forecasting vs Guessing 2: Real-Time Agility 3: Excuses vs Reasons 4: WFM as a Strategic WeaponBy Corey Sewpersad
…
continue reading

1
Why Most Outbound WFM Plans Fail - Getting WFM to work in Outbound Sales Teams
4:10
4:10
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
4:10Leave a comment or suggestion If you’re using agent call volumes to forecast outbound workload… you’re doing it wrong. What you're really forecasting is past 'agent behaviour' and not future 'business demand'. And that’s why your schedules don’t work—and your team ignores them. In this episode I cover: 1: The Forecasting Trap 2: Why Most Outbound W…
…
continue reading

1
Handling Budget Pushback: A Guide for WFM and CX Leaders
25:22
25:22
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
25:22Message the show! We don’t usually do reruns… but this one? It earned it. WFM Unfiltered is proud to bring back one of our most popular episodes — with a sharper look and better sound — because Adriana Olteanu dropped insight that’s just too good to get buried in the archives. Adriana leads forecasting and capacity planning at Groupon, and in this …
…
continue reading

1
Are Product Managers The Enemy? | Rich O'Farrell
1:03:02
1:03:02
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:03:02Message the show! Is your product manager helping—or holding you hostage? This week on WFM Unfiltered, Irina brings on Rich O’Farrell, a seasoned contact centre insider turned Product Director, to finally answer the burning question: are product managers the enemy? From call centre agent to the head of WFM product strategy at Verint, Rich has seen …
…
continue reading
Message the show! Implementations suck. You know it. We know it. Adam Saad really knows it. And he’s not here to sugar-coat a damn thing. In this episode of WFM Unfiltered, Irina teams up with Adam—Founder of Tech Stack Advising and host of the Scaling Out Loud podcast—to dismantle the illusion of smooth software implementations. From toxic vendor …
…
continue reading
Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojo Merch - https://www.chessdojo.club/shop GM Jesse Kraai, IM David Pruess, and IM Kostya Kavutskiy are joined by NM Matan Prilletensky to discuss the details of how to teach chess to children, and what people should know when th…
…
continue reading
Join the Dojo - https://chessdojo.club Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojo Merch - https://www.chessdojo.club/shop IM Kostya Kavutskiy, IM David Pruess, and GM Jesse Kraai celebrate 5 years of ChessDojo with episode 150! ChessDojo's first video launched on March 14, 2020. The sensei talk about how th…
…
continue reading
Message the show! Is your BPO partner a strategic asset—or an operational liability? In this explosive episode of WFM Unfiltered, Irina pulls no punches and brings in transformation heavyweight Dan Piper to dissect the real state of Business Process Outsourcing in today’s contact centre chaos. Dan’s 20-year career in operations and BPOs—from team m…
…
continue reading

1
EP 149 | The Chess Revolution w/ Peter Doggers
1:00:31
1:00:31
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:00:31Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Join the Training Program - https://chessdojo.club Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojo Merch - https://www.chessdojo.club/shop IM Kostya Kavutskiy, IM David Pruess, and GM Jesse Kraai talk about the book The Chess Revolution with guest journalist Peter Doggers on today's episode of Dojo Talks, the Ch…
…
continue reading

1
What does the Law say about AI | John Walter
43:41
43:41
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
43:41Message the show! What does the law say about AI? And more importantly, what should we be asking? In this episode of WFM Unfiltered, Irina sits down with John Walter — lawyer, tech innovator, and founder of ProxyLink — to dissect the growing tension between artificial intelligence and legal boundaries in the contact center space. From transitioning…
…
continue reading

1
EP 148 | State of Scholastic Chess with WFM Elizabeth Spiegel
51:13
51:13
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
51:13Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Join the Training Program - https://chessdojo.club Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojo Merch - https://www.chessdojo.club/shop The ChessDojo sensei GM Jesse Kraai and IM David Pruess sit down with WFM Elizabeth Speigel and talk about the state of scholastic chess in today's episode of Dojo Talks, the…
…
continue reading
Leave a comment or suggestion Can WFM provide more usable insights into absence trends? Yes, provided there is collaboration with HR. Using the reason codes for the absence, together with the numbers, the WFM team can drill down further into better understanding the fluctuations in the absence percentage. Instead of planning for a flat shrinkage, w…
…
continue reading

1
EP 147 | FIDE Ratings & The Stats of Cheating (ft. Dr. Kenneth Regan)
1:05:35
1:05:35
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:05:35Join the Dojo! https://www.chessdojo.club The Dojo talks with Dr. Kenneth Regan, who provides an analysis of FIDE ratings since the March 2024 rating boost. Also discussed is the topic of cheating -- how often it comes up and what it takes to catch one. Want to support the channel? Patreon - https://patreon.com/chessdojo Donate - https://streamelem…
…
continue reading

1
Working From Home... Or Not? | Adrian Hawes
34:23
34:23
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
34:23Message the show! The battle between remote work, hybrid models, and full office life rages on—and we’re diving straight into the fire. In this episode of WFM Unfiltered, Adrian Hawes joins Irina to dissect the realities, myths, and consequences of remote work in the contact center industry. Is working from home still the productivity dream we thou…
…
continue reading

1
The Rift between WFM and Team Leads | Martin Teasdale
58:29
58:29
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
58:29Message the show! Team leaders and WFM professionals—why does it always feel like you're speaking different languages? In this episode of WFM Unfiltered, we’re tackling the age-old battle between workforce management and team leaders. And who better to break it down than Martin Teasdale—contact center veteran, founder of the Team Leader Community, …
…
continue reading
Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Join the Training Program - https://chessdojo.club Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojo Merch - https://www.chessdojo.club/shop GM Jesse Kraai, IM David Pruess, and IM Kostya Kavutskiy talk about chess tactics and whether chess is really 99% tactics in today's episode of Dojo Talks, the ChessDojo podc…
…
continue reading
Message the show! What does the future of WFM look like, and why is it still misunderstood at the executive level? Jim Simmons, a leader in workforce management and operational strategy, joins the show to unpack the biggest trends shaping WFM in 2025. With decades of experience optimizing workforce strategies, Jim breaks down why WFM teams struggle…
…
continue reading

1
EP 145 | Does Freestyle Chess Have A Future?
57:22
57:22
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
57:22GM Jesse Kraai, IM David Pruess, and IM Kostya Kavutskiy discuss the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, and recent and ongoing issues between FIDE and Freestyle Chess in today's episode of Dojo Talks, the ChessDojo podcast! Get ChessDojo's first book, How to Analyze Your Games, here: https://amzn.to/3Ds5r78 Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Jo…
…
continue reading

1
Trust me and you will trust Workforce Management
8:42
8:42
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
8:42Leave a comment or suggestion Hi there! In this episode I spend a few minutes talking about who I am and where I’ve been for the past almost 20 years so that you can get to know me better and why my WFM content is created in this way. Its just a quick into to who I am as a person and where I’ve worked and my experience to build trust between us. Pl…
…
continue reading

1
There's no WFM without Capacity Planning | Eric Bainbridge
37:19
37:19
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
37:19Message the show! 🚀 Capacity planning: The most overlooked part of WFM? This week on WFM Unfiltered, we're breaking down why capacity planning is not optional—it’s the foundation of a solid workforce strategy. We’re joined by Eric Bainbridge, a WFM expert who’s spent 20+ years mastering the art of balancing cost, efficiency, and customer experience…
…
continue reading
Leave a comment or suggestion In this breakdown of the series ‘The Mars Outpost’, I do a walkthrough of the entire series and relate them back to the real world. This episode highlights the importance of the concepts of WFM and how essential it is, to have some or all of the concepts of WFM working in your business to identify risks and use them to…
…
continue reading
Leave a comment or suggestion The last transmission recording of the specific set-up challenges faced by the WFM team on Mars.By Corey Sewpersad
…
continue reading
Leave a comment or suggestion The WFM didn’t just do the same thing over again expecting a different result, they analysed their data which included the decisions and impacts of those decisions to improve their planning for the second arrival. With the arrival of the second group, the workforce has grown but now has a mix of skilled and unskilled r…
…
continue reading
Leave a comment or suggestion After celebrations from harvesting the first successful batch of crops, work continued and we found instances of ‘avoidance’ taking place. Typically the ‘human nature’ of finding shortcuts followed us to Mars and our WFM had to find solutions. At this point, our WFM team went from loved for being able to keep everythin…
…
continue reading
Leave a comment or suggestion We’ve had to implement some new metrics to help guide and direct both mining and farming operations to run smoothly. Our team baselined tasks using Time and Motion studies to develop an acceptable AHT and then went on to introduce an Occupancy metric. These in turn helped with allocation of resources and guidance on pr…
…
continue reading
GM Jesse Kraai, IM David Pruess, and IM Kostya Kavutskiy discuss the differences and pros vs cons between Online Chess and Over the Board (OTB) Chess in today's episode of Dojo Talks, the ChessDojo podcast! Get ChessDojo's first book, How to Analyze Your Games, here: https://amzn.to/3Ds5r78 Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Join the Training…
…
continue reading
Leave a comment or suggestion After work got underway on the mining and farming operations, there were some performance challenges, some of which was only evident after being put in the real life situation - similar to that of staff going live onto calls from training and feeling overwhelmed. On Mars, our WFM team created solutions by cross-skillin…
…
continue reading
Leave a comment or suggestion Arrival of the first group of humans on Mars and the challenges faced once they landed. The WFM team got into action displaying real-time contingencies to mitigate risks to the new arrivals and adjusting and adapting their existing resources in real-time to prevent risks to existing personal.…
…
continue reading
Leave a comment or suggestion A prologue into the upcoming six part series called ‘The Mars Outpost’.By Corey Sewpersad
…
continue reading

1
EP 143 | Who Will Qualify for the 2026 FIDE Candidates?
38:15
38:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
38:15GM Jesse Kraai, IM David Pruess, and IM Kostya Kavutskiy discuss who will qualify for the 2026 FIDE Candidates cycle in today's episode of Dojo Talks, the ChessDojo podcast! Get ChessDojo's first book, How to Analyze Your Games, here: https://amzn.to/3Ds5r78 Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Join the Training Program - https://chessdojo.club…
…
continue reading

1
Dear CEOs and BPO Clients - Welcome to Project OutCast - An Outpost WFM Production
1:54
1:54
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:54Leave a comment or suggestion WFM isn’t just about forecast and schedules, it’s become an actual business strategy that can be used in almost any industry. In this episode I introduce the show, inviting business leaders, operational managers, CEOs and WFM professionals to follow and subscribe as I put my two decades of experience across both BPO an…
…
continue reading
Message the show! When does customer experience actually drive value, and when is it just an expensive vanity metric? In this episode of WFM Unfiltered, we’re joined by Rick Denton, a seasoned expert in customer experience, to dissect one of the most controversial topics in contact centers: Is customer service a cost or a value driver? With decades…
…
continue reading
The sensei debate Kostya’s controversial claim that all major chess tournaments should switch to rapid, exploring its potential impact on classical chess, player improvement, tournament structure, and fan engagement, ultimately leaving Jesse and David unconvinced. Get ChessDojo's first book, How to Analyze Your Games, here: https://amzn.to/3Ds5r78 …
…
continue reading

1
WFM: 'Admin' or Strategic Role? | Corey Sewpersad
32:28
32:28
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
32:28Message the show! Is WFM just admin work, or is it a strategic powerhouse hiding in plain sight? In this episode, Corey Sewpersad joins WFM Unfiltered to challenge the outdated perception that WFM is just about schedules and spreadsheets. He unpacks the real impact of workforce management—how it drives business success, aligns departments, and play…
…
continue reading
Spend a little time with the Amazon Web Services team as we talk about the future of reporting, especially around AI. How will AI help us find data faster? Listen and find out!By Calabrio
…
continue reading

1
EP 141 | The Psychology of Goals w/ Dr. Joel Sneed
1:18:17
1:18:17
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:18:17Dr. Joel Sneed, a psychologist and dedicated adult chess improver, discusses the challenges of learning chess later in life, his struggles with perfectionism and obsession over openings, and how psychological techniques like ACT and CBT can help manage chess-related anxiety. Get ChessDojo's first book, How to Analyze Your Games, here: https://amzn.…
…
continue reading
Message the show! What happens when you discover your greatest lessons in the middle of your biggest mistakes? In this compelling episode of WFM Unfiltered, Irina welcomes Anthony Brady, a seasoned WFM professional with over 20 years of experience in workforce management. Anthony’s career spans influential roles at eBay, PayPal, Dublin Airport, and…
…
continue reading
The sensei debate whether FIDE should introduce an official Super-GM title, discussing its potential requirements, the impact of rating inflation, and how chess titles should evolve to reflect modern competitive standards. Get ChessDojo's first book, How to Analyze Your Games, here: https://amzn.to/3Ds5r78 Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo J…
…
continue reading
Message the show! Recruitment challenges in Workforce Management are at an all-time high. That’s why we brought in James Parkin, a true expert in navigating the tricky waters of hiring and job seeking, to WFM Unfiltered. Whether you’re a job seeker frustrated with ATS filters or a hiring manager struggling to find the right talent, this episode is …
…
continue reading

1
EP 139 | Who Decides The World Championship? ft. GM Jacob Aagaard
2:00:14
2:00:14
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:00:14The sensei are joined by GM Jacok Aagaard to discuss who decides the world championship. Get ChessDojo's first book, How to Analyze Your Games, here: https://amzn.to/3Ds5r78 Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Join the Training Program - https://chessdojo.club Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojo Merch - https://www.chessdojo.club/shop …
…
continue reading
GM Jesse Kraai, IM David Pruess, and IM Kostya Kavutskiy rank the top five greatest chess authors of all time in today's episode of Dojo Talks, the ChessDojo podcast! Get ChessDojo's first book, How to Analyze Your Games, here: https://amzn.to/3Ds5r78 Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Join the Training Program - https://chessdojo.club Play C…
…
continue reading

1
EP 137 | Should Beginners Study Openings w/ GM Hammer
1:12:01
1:12:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:12:01GM Jon Ludvig Hammer joins the sensei on this Dojo Talks to discuss whether beginners should study openings, and if so, how much? Get ChessDojo's first book, How to Analyze Your Games, here: https://amzn.to/3Ds5r78 Watch Live - https://twitch.tv/chessdojo Join the Training Program - https://chessdojo.club Play Chess - https://go.chess.com/chessdojo…
…
continue reading
Message the show! Dive into a riveting discussion with Doug Casterton, a celebrated leader in the workforce management (WFM) and customer care space, as we uncover the raw truths behind WFM tools and the often-misleading promises of vendors. With over 20 years of expertise, Doug has reshaped contact center operations globally, leveraging his passio…
…
continue reading

1
EP 136 | 2024 World Rapid & Blitz w/ GM Hammer
52:41
52:41
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
52:41The sensei are joined by GM Jon Ludvig Hammer to discuss the 2024 World Rapid Blitz Championship and Magnus Carlsen's controversial decision to split the championship title with Ian Nepomniachtchi, drawing significant criticism for bending competition rules and setting a troubling precedent. Get ChessDojo's first book, How to Analyze Your Games, he…
…
continue reading
Jesse, David, and Kostya discuss the controversy around "DenimGate," involving Magnus Carlsen's disqualification from the World Rapid Tournament due to dress code violations, with broader implications for tensions between Carlsen, FIDE, and Freestyle chess organizers. Get ChessDojo's first book, How to Analyze Your Games, here: https://amzn.to/3Ds5…
…
continue reading