Your support team’s next career move is hidden in plain sight (here’s where to look)

This article was originally published in Top-Tier Support, Front’s Head of Support Kenji Hayward’s LinkedIn newsletter for customer service leaders. For more frontline advice and actionable insights, subscribe today to get them delivered to your inbox every other week.

I recently spun up an internal series called Support Alumni Chats, where I interview a former Front support agent about how they grew beyond the queue. After a few conversations, one theme jumped out: Not all support agents know their true calling or dream career. (Let’s be honest, a lot of us are still figuring it out.) 

Some are more vocal than others when expressing their interests, which is why fostering open and honest communication is so important. Thinking out loud can lead to aha moments, whether in private 1:1’s or live team sessions of tackling the queue together (a remote-friendly exercise we call Queue Crushes here at Front!). 

If you’re craving a framework to help guide those conversations, I’ll share my system at the end. But first, let’s dig into the clues to watch for, especially for team members who aren’t as quick to raise a hand about and share their passions.

Growth can be found right in the queue

The queue can feel like never-ending tickets, but it’s also full of endless growth opportunities. Certain agents start becoming the go-to experts for specific ticket types or they’re continuously challenging themselves by taking up a complicated case. 

Helping your team discover their support archetype is a great first step to figuring out their strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. Maybe the agent likes to investigate the root cause of why customers need to contact support. Lemuel Chan would dig into customer trends and surface actionable insights to improve the customer experience — growing into a support operations role. Or maybe they gravitate towards the technical tickets, troubleshooting the more complex parts of the product. Dean Gallagher liked picking up tickets that dealt with analytics and worked closely with customers to build intricate workflows. Eventually, he transferred to the sales team as a Solutions Growth Specialist. 

These are all signals management can track to gauge an agent’s skill set and guide their growth. You can work with your managers to identify side projects that could help the agent explore a potential interest, while also keeping tabs on any opportunities at the organizational level that could be a good fit. Positive attrition should be celebrated, which is why programs like Support Alumni Chats can be eye-opening.

The one thing to remember is that if they do pick up side projects, it’s your job to help them overcome queue guilt (iykyk) and reassure them they can take dedicated time blocks outside the queue.

Coach careers with the GROW model

Career growth isn’t always like climbing a ladder. It looks like a jungle gym for some of us! Here’s the career conversation framework I use to narrow down development paths: 

Goal 🎯

• What drives you?

• When do you feel most alive at work?

• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Reality 📊

• What parts of your role energize you?

• What drains you?

• What are your superpowers?

• Where do you need to level up?

Options 🎲

• What skills would unlock your next step?

• What stretch projects excite you?

• Where could you make a bigger impact?

Will 💪

• What specific actions will you take?

• What resources do you need?

• Who can help advocate for you?

• When will you start?

The magic happens when you:

1. Schedule regular check-ins

2. Document your progress

3. Celebrate small wins

4. Adjust course as needed

5. Hold each other accountable

More tools for your support team

• Follow Susana de Sousa, who regularly posts new job opportunities in customer support

• This post by Maxime Manseau highlights how several skills as a support professional are ingredients for a superb leader

• I’ll be speaking at the AI for Customer Support Summit hosted by Customer Success Collective this Thursday (Feb 27)! Hear me nerd out about scaling an AI-powered support team for the future — without relying on adding headcount.