" REMOTE WORK HAS ALSO SURFACED CHALLENGES... WHICH REQUIRE LEADERS TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT COMMUNI- CATION AND CONNECTION."
Remote teams perform much better in these situations. Recently, my team has seen unplanned absences fall by roughly half during critical events compared to normal days. We have also seen staffing increase by about 40 % as unscheduled agents log in to help, even if only for short periods of time.
Home-based employees can still experience disruptions, but spreading your workforce across multiple regions significantly improves resilience. For many organizations, remote work models have become a core part of BCDR planning.
BOX 1
" REMOTE WORK HAS ALSO SURFACED CHALLENGES... WHICH REQUIRE LEADERS TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT COMMUNI- CATION AND CONNECTION."
HAVE THERE BEEN ANY CHANGES IN HOW CONTACT CENTERS MANAGE REMOTE AGENTS, E. G., USE OF AI TOOLS AND ANY OTHER TECHNOLOGIES? NEW BEST PRACTICES, LIKE FOR RECRUITING, COACH- ING, TRAINING, TEAM COHESION, AND FOR ISSUES LIKE ISOLATION AND WELLNESS?
SECURITY AND WFH
Cybersecurity concerns have long been raised behind the reluctance of not a few organizations, like in financial services, as why they are reluctant to have their staff, like contact center agents, WFH.
So, we asked Jeremy Hyde,“ Is it becoming more or less risky security-wise for agents to be at home or on-premise? And what new, upgraded tools are there to minimize these risks for WFH agents?”
“ Security has become more standardized and much easier to enforce in remote environments than it used to be,” says Jeremy.“ No longer are the days of relying on‘ clean desk’ policies.
“ Modern platforms allow companies to lock down device access, restrict copy / paste and downloads, require secure VPN or VDI sessions, and the ability to have a voice or text-to-pay solution for accepting credit cards.
“ Screen recording and real-time quality tools also give leaders full visibility into agent activity regardless of location.
“ In short, remote work does not inherently increase security risks. What matters is the maturity of the organization’ s security posture. With modern security tools and cloud-based platforms, WFH agents can operate as safely as their on-premise counterparts.”
A: A lot has changed in how contact centers manage remote teams:
• Flexibility has shifted from a perk to an expectation, and employees place a much higher value on leaders who listen, act on feedback, and support their development.
• Remote work has also surfaced challenges, such as isolation and loneliness, which require leaders to be more intentional about communication and connection.
We’ re seeing that the direct leader is the most impactful factor on employee satisfaction and engagement, and more leaders are leaning into the human side of leading even as technology and AI dominate so many conversations.
Technology has evolved alongside these leadership expectations. The first wave of AI adoption in contact centers has focused on tools that support agents rather than replace them.
This includes tools such as real-time agent assist, automated quality monitoring, sentiment analysis, and training simulations that help new hires ramp more quickly.
The goal many organizations are moving toward is a true human plus AI partnership, where technology enhances the agent’ s work rather than overshadowing it.
ARE YOU SEEING ANY NEW OR RENEWED IN- TEREST IN MODELS OF WFH OR HYBRID WORK- ING, E. G., GEO-SOURCING, SATELLITE OFFICES? PLEASE DISCUSS WHAT THEY ARE AND THEIR BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES.
A: Remote hiring has opened the door to entirely new workforce models in contact centers:
• Some organizations simply cast a wide net and hire the best candidates anywhere in the country.
• Others are expanding globally through a mix of direct hiring, traditional BPO partners, and Employer of Record arrangements.
A more targeted approach is also emerging. Instead of hiring everywhere, some teams identify regions where there is a strong employer – candidate fit.
For example, my team focuses on part-time employees in specific small-town Midwest markets near the airports we serve. These employees can use flight benefits, have strong schedule flexibility, and often stay longer because the role aligns well with their lifestyles.
The possibilities with remote and hybrid models are nearly endless, but many organizations still limit themselves by managing remote work the same way they managed on-site teams.
WHAT ARE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CONTACT CENTERS SEEKING TO RETAIN, EX- PAND, AND MAKE THE BEST USE OF WFH STAFF?
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