What is Call Shadowing? How Does It Improve Agent Performance?

Call shadowing is a training method where a new employee listens to live calls to observe the call handling techniques from an experienced rep. During these sessions, trainees don’t speak or participate; they simply observe how questions are asked, concerns are handled, the product is explained, and next steps are set.

New hires sit beside a skilled agent or mentor when observing calls. The goal is to help them build confidence and improve their skills by observing real customer interactions rather than relying only on scripts or guides.

Call shadowing helps accelerate training for new employees by exposing them to real-time call handling processes. It helps them learn how to understand customer needs, handle objections, and improve performance before taking over their role.

• Real exposure to customer needs: Listening to live calls helps new reps understand the needs of the customers in that particular business. It also helps them learn about customer behaviour and factors influencing their decisions.
• Better handling of objections: Trainees get to hear how experienced reps deal with pushback or confusion. So, they learn how to manage tough moments and shape their own approach for similar situations.
• Consistency across the team: When agents observe how experienced team members handle calls, they pick up on effective techniques, tone, and workflows. This leads to more consistent call quality and a smoother, more unified experience for customers, no matter which agent they speak with.
• Confidence before going solo: Real-time call listening gives agents a clear idea of what to expect, how to handle different scenarios, and what good customer interactions sound like, all before they take live calls on their own.

Implementing shadowing as a part of your call center training requires the right mix of people, tools, and planning.

Each new hire should be paired with an experienced agent or mentor for one-on-one guidance. This helps provide direct feedback and speeds up the learning process. However, you can allow multiple trainees to listen to different calls handled by a single agent. It helps them learn how an experienced agent uses their unique technique to handle various scenarios.

For call center shadowing, you’ll need tools that support live observation and coaching. These include:

• Call monitoring and recording tools for listening to live or saved calls.
• Softphone or call-handling platforms to help train agents for the nesting phase that follows shadowing.
• Knowledge bases or digital libraries to store guides, call flows, and FAQs.
• Call whisper or barge-in features for mentors to provide real-time support.

Clear call scripts help new hires follow the right process during training. They can review these while observing calls and then apply them when they handle customer calls individually.

Start by defining your goals, selecting the right calls to shadow, and pairing trainees with experienced agents who match their learning needs. Make sure to prep before each session, guide them on what to observe, and train them on using the system before letting them handle the calls themselves.

Before you start, decide what you want new reps to learn. For example, do you want them to focus on discovery questions, handling objections, or guiding the caller to a solution? Clear goals make the training more useful.

Next, choose a mix of calls for new reps to listen to, such as introduction calls, product demos, support requests, or follow-ups. This helps them understand different situations and learn how calls change based on customer needs.

Then, pair new team members with experienced reps who communicate clearly and are comfortable explaining their approach. If possible, let trainees learn from more than one rep so they can see different styles and techniques.

Before joining a call, review who the customer is and what the call is about. The mentor can also let the trainee know what to pay attention to, for example, how they open the call or what questions they plan to ask.

When the call starts, let the trainee join quietly and listen. They watch how the rep builds rapport, asks questions, explains solutions, and sets next steps. Taking notes makes it easier to remember key moments.

Once the call ends, the mentor and trainee talk through what happened like:

• What worked well?
• Why did the rep choose certain responses?
• What would they do differently next time?

During call center shadowing, show new hires how agents use the system to manage calls, such as transferring calls, placing customers on hold, and adding call notes.

After the trainee has listened to enough calls, it's time to move into call nesting. Here, they begin handling calls themselves while the mentor quietly listens and steps in only when needed. As they get more comfortable and consistent, the mentor can gradually step back, allowing the trainee to manage calls on their own with confidence.

While call shadowing focuses on observing how experienced agents handle live calls, call nesting emphasizes putting those lessons into practice.

Call shadowing offers observation. On the other hand, nesting builds real experience by allowing new employees to handle the customer interaction directly.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison between the two for better understanding:

Call shadowing is one of the most practical ways to prepare new agents for real customer interactions. Instead of only relying on scripts or recordings, it gives trainees firsthand exposure to how experienced reps handle real conversations, how they greet customers, respond to questions, stay calm under pressure, and guide conversations towards the right outcome.

To make call shadowing truly effective, you also need the right technology. Calilio’s business phone system provides everything required for a smooth training process, including live call monitoring, call listening, and AI-powered call reports that help trainees understand conversations more clearly and improve with each session.