30 July, 2025
Staffing a contact center is like balancing on a tightrope. Lean too far one way and service levels suffer. Lean too far the other way and you’re paying for idle time you can’t afford. One of the most important and often misunderstood factors in finding that balance is occupancy.
In this guide, we’ll break down what occupancy is, why it matters, and how it directly impacts how many agents you need to meet your goals.
What Is Occupancy?
In simple terms, occupancy is the percentage of time agents spend actively handling customer interactions compared to the time they are waiting for the next one.
High occupancy means agents are busy almost all the time.
Low occupancy means they spend more time idle between calls or chats.
It’s calculated like this:
So, if an agent is logged in for 8 hours and spends 6.5 of those hours on calls, their occupancy is about 81%.
Why Occupancy Matters for Staffing
Occupancy directly affects both your service levels and agent well-being:
If occupancy is too high (90% or more), agents are working at near-constant pace, which leads to burnout, errors, and higher turnover.
If occupancy is too low (under about 70%), you may be overstaffed and paying for more people than you need.
Think of occupancy as your pressure gauge. The right level depends on your contact type, goals, and team culture. Most centers aim for 75 to 85 percent as a healthy range.
How Occupancy Impacts the Number of Agents You Need
Here’s the connection: the higher your target occupancy, the fewer agents you’ll need for the same workload. Lower your target occupancy, and you’ll need more agents to spread the work out.
Example:
Let’s say your call forecast says you need 15 agents actively on calls to meet your service goals.
At 85% occupancy, you might schedule about 18 total agents to handle the load.
At 75% occupancy, you might need closer to 20 total agents.
It’s the same call volume. You’re just deciding how much you want each agent to handle before it feels too much.
The Risks of “Maxing Out” Occupancy
It’s tempting to push occupancy high to keep costs low. But running at 90 to 95 percent occupancy for extended periods is like driving a car at top speed all day. It works for a while, but eventually something breaks.
High occupancy often means:
No breathing room between calls
Longer handle times as fatigue sets in
More agent absenteeism
Higher turnover and replacement costs
How Spark Queue Helps
Most free staffing calculators stop at giving you the minimum number of agents needed. Spark Queue goes further:
Shows staffing needs based on your target occupancy
Lets you adjust that target and instantly see how it changes the agents required
Factors in shrinkage, multi-queue sharing, and interval-by-interval peaks
Spark Queue takes the guesswork out of staffing. You choose the occupancy you want, instantly get an overview of the agents you’ll need, and add them in real-time to see how your schedule stacks up. No more juggling spreadsheets or “close enough” estimates — you’ll know exactly where you stand, and exactly what to do next.
