FEATURE
Companies also seek to maximize customer coverage by locating facilities across time zones. Additionally, a strategy to be considered would involve establishing a hub office in a Tier 2 or 3 metro and then having one or more satellite offices within a reasonable distance( possibly up to two hours).
Both the hub and satellites could be hybrid. This strategy would minimize business disruption and allow for tapping into smaller labor markets, bringing supply / cost advantages.
Design expectations are evolving as well. Because the work has become more intricate, and because employee expectations have shifted, companies are investing more intentionally in their physical environments.
Ergonomic furniture, wellness and quiet rooms, collaborative breakout areas, and natural light are now common design priorities, along with amenities that support employee wellbeing. Overall, the traditional blueprint for contact center locations is being reimagined. Organizations are selecting markets more strategically, choosing facilities that align with broader corporate needs, and designing spaces that better support employee engagement and productivity.
"... THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL BE MOST SUCCESSFUL ARE THOSE WILLING TO RETHINK TRADITIONAL SITE SELECTION CRITERIA, PRIORITIZE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE, AND BUILD FLEXIBLE WORKFORCE STRATEGIES..."
WHAT ARE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CONTACT CENTER DECISION-MAKERS WHO ARE SEEKING TO OPTIMIZE WHERE AND HOW TO LOCATE TO FIND AND RETAIN QUALITY LOYAL EMPLOYEES?
A: For contact center decision-makers, I would say optimizing where and how to locate operations has never been more critical: or more complex.
As today’ s agents are being required to handle more complex customer inquiries, they will need to possess superior foundational skills.
In addition, it could be important for potential new hires to have direct experience in the type of customers comprising the bulk of a contact center’ s market( e. g., health care, financial services, insurance, consumer products, manufacturing, etc.).
What will be key is selecting labor markets allowing for a deep pool of qualified applicants at an affordable cost level, balancing labor availability, long-term sustainability, and operational resilience while designing an employee experience that attracts and retains the right talent.
My first recommendation is to broaden the lens through which location decisions are made.
10 CONTACT CENTER PIPELINE
Instead of focusing solely on wages or population size, organizations should evaluate markets based on workforce stability, infrastructure reliability, climate resilience, and the presence of a diverse labor pool capable of supporting increasingly complex customer interactions.
Equally important is designing an employee value proposition that aligns with the expectations of today’ s workforce.
Flexibility remains a defining priority. However, that does not necessarily mean going fully remote. Markets that support hybrid or location-aware models tend to produce more reliable applicant pipelines and better retention outcomes.
Facility decisions also play a large role in talent attraction. Modern contact centers benefit from environments that support wellbeing, collaboration, and training. In addition, selecting office sites that will minimize commute times is important.
We encourage organizations to think in terms of distributed resilience. Whether through multi-site footprints, a blend of remote and on-premise staffing, or geographically diverse hiring pools, reducing dependence on a single labor market or climate zone is essential.
Lastly, as customer service agents will be handling more complex tasks, companies need to re-examine the following:
• New-hire selection criteria.
• Onboarding process.
• Compensation levels( at or above market for comparable skills is advisable).
• Flexibility for work / family balance, in time-off policies.
• Fringe benefits to include childcare assistance( e. g., dependent care flexible spending accounts), career mobility potential, excellent health insurance, wellness programs.
• Attractive office space with on-site or nearby amenities.
Ultimately, the organizations that will be most successful are those willing to rethink traditional site selection criteria, prioritize employee experience, and build flexible workforce strategies designed for a more dynamic and uncertain operating environment.
Brendan Read is Editor of Contact Center Pipeline. He has been covering and working in customer service and sales and for contact center companies for most of his career. Brendan has edited and written for leading industry publications and has been an industry analyst. He also has authored and co-authored books on contact center design, customer support, and working from home. Brendan can be reached at brendan @ contactcenterpipeline. com.