Irina Agafonova on Hugo’s Approach to Agent Recruitment and Training

Hugo Academy is shaping the next generation of outsourcing talent, equipping them for the digital economy. Irina Agafonova, Head of the Academy, details the company’s innovative training approach to creating skilled, adaptable agents, from its competitive Talent Hub model to comprehensive upskilling programs. This interview explores Hugo’s transformative training methods, offering a glimpse into how it’s preparing agents for the future of data annotation and customer support in an AI-driven world. 

Q: Can you walk us through Hugo’s recruitment process, from sourcing candidates to final selection?

A: At Hugo, we source candidates from a variety of channels, including referrals, partnerships, and job boards. Our primary focus is on women and young graduates, many of whom face challenges in securing their first roles in the digital industry. We initially place these candidates in our Talent Hub—a pool of potential hires ready to be onboarded as soon as a client makes a request.

To join the Talent Hub, candidates undergo cognitive and cultural assessments, complete English Language tests, and take any additional assessments required by specific clients. Passing our assessments is highly competitive; only about 15% of applicants succeed.

Once in the Talent Hub, they participate in our Upskill program, designed to enhance their work readiness and equip them with the technical skills needed to thrive as data annotators or support agents.

Q: Could you elaborate on the concept of Hugo Academy? What makes it unique, and why was it established?

A: Hugo Academy is Hugo’s hiring and upskilling arm, preparing youths for entry-level jobs and career progression. It was created to empower women and young graduates by helping them secure digital jobs—both within Hugo and the wider industry. Our mission is to transform the futures of African youth by providing them with relevant skills, boosting their confidence, and opening doors to new opportunities. Our goal is to upskill 10,000 young people across Africa for digital roles over the next three years. So far, we’ve upskilled over 4,000+ youth, so we are well on our way to achieving this goal.

Q: How does Hugo balance training for technical, cognitive, and soft skills like empathy and customer service?

A: Our training is divided into two main categories: general and functional. General training focuses on work readiness, providing knowledge of the digital economy, the outsourcing industry, and an introduction to Hugo. Functional training, on the other hand, delivers the specific technical skills needed for particular projects or roles.

Q: What’s the typical duration of the training program? Are there varying lengths of training for different roles or clients?

A: Our flagship training program for Talent Hub participants typically lasts one to two weeks. Upon successful completion, graduates are offered positions and move on to functional training, which varies in length depending on the specific project and client requirements.

Q: In outsourcing, cultural alignment between agents and clients is crucial. How does Hugo’s training program address cultural nuances to ensure agents can effectively represent diverse client brands?

A: We have dedicated modules on client-centricity and cultural differences, which are delivered in collaboration with our Customer Support team. These sessions are designed to help agents understand and adapt to the specific cultural expectations of the clients they represent.

Q: How do you collaborate with clients to create a training schedule and resources, especially when detailed materials are not provided? When clients provide existing documentation, how do you integrate it into Hugo’s model?

A: This is managed during the functional training stage. Our team of functional trainers, who are dedicated full-time to this task, work closely with clients to either facilitate the training provided or transform client-provided materials into digestible and effective training sessions.

Q: What metrics or indicators are used to determine when an agent is ready to handle support interactions independently after completing training?

A: Success metrics vary by project but generally include a combination of productivity and quality scores to assess an agent’s readiness to work independently.

Q: How does Hugo approach ongoing development, retraining, and upskilling for agents, particularly when new products, services, or technologies are introduced?

A: We collaborate with clients to deliver tailored training on the latest technologies and workflows. Depending on the requirements, these sessions can be conducted virtually, in person, or through a hybrid approach.

Q: Can you explain the quality assurance process and how it feeds back into training and development?

A: Quality assurance is integrated into both general and functional training programs. We emphasize the importance of consistently maintaining high standards, whether supervised or unsupervised. For young graduates, it’s often a new concept that their work must meet an excellent standard at all times, and we ensure they are prepared for this.

Q: How does Hugo gather and incorporate client and end-user feedback to improve training processes?

A: At Hugo Academy, we constantly track attrition, productivity, and quality scores for new agents. We also gather feedback from our client-facing teams, who are in continuous contact with clients to identify areas of improvement, both in terms of work and training.

Q: Looking ahead, how do you see the role of human agents evolving in the outsourcing industry? How is Hugo preparing its workforce for these future changes?

A: As an outsourcing provider to market-leading companies, especially in tech, Hugo agents are always at the forefront of technological advancements. The rapid pace of innovation—from image annotation for driverless cars to the rise of generative AI (GenAI) and large language models (LLMs)—means we must stay agile.

LLMs are becoming more sophisticated, following natural language patterns, and this will require human agents to handle the more complex cases. We are continuously building capacity and adapting our training to meet these evolving needs, leveraging AI to enhance personalized learning and streamline content development.

Q: How can outsourcing providers adapt training programs to prepare agents for the rise of AI and automation in customer service?

A: The key is to embrace cutting-edge technologies and tools, including AI-powered content creation and hyper-personalized teaching methods. However, it’s crucial not to lose sight of the value of human interaction and the need for a blended approach. While AI can support many aspects of training, the human element remains vital—especially when it comes to motivating trainees and helping them understand why specific training is necessary for their success.