The headlines over the past 12 months appear to give the impression that remote work/work-from-home (WFH) is dying as employers seek to gain more or regain control over their workforces by compelling them to return-to-office (RTO), raising concerns like security (see BOX 1 on security).
At the same time, there have also been reports of pushback to RTO by employees. WFH freed them from arguably arduous, expensive, and sometimes dangerous commutes, and from struggling to find and access affordable childcare. And such freedoms have made it hard (and costly) to go back.
But contact centers have long been early WFH adopters to provide flexibility, business continuity disaster recovery (BCDR), and to recruit/obtain the services of and retain workers who live outside of daily commuting distance. Business cases that appear to still hold today.
So, what is really happening with WFH, including in the contact center? Is it finished as a practice? Or are organizations realizing that it has a place in the workplace?
To find out, we had a virtual conversation (from our home offices, naturally) with Jeremy Hyde, president, WFH Alliance, which serves as a mutual, sharing resource for contact centers seeking information and guidance on remote working.
Q. What is the state of remote working/WFH in the contact center? Are you seeing it increase, decrease, or stay the same as last year?
Despite the headlines, contact centers aren’t experiencing a mass RTO. Nationally, remote work has dipped slightly in average days per week, but it has largely stabilized.
Much of the national RTO narrative is overstated, and the data we’ve seen (see CHART 1) suggests we’ve settled into a new normal of roughly two remote days per week across the U.S. workforce.
For contact centers, that number is typically higher, and most teams that adopted remote or hybrid models (see BOX 2 on hybrid work) have continued using them because the structure works well for staffing, performance, and flexibility.
So, RTO is happening in pockets. But not on the scale that public narratives suggest (see CHART 2). This can create the perception that remote work is shrinking when it’s actually holding steady.
It’s also worth noting that demand for remote roles remains extremely high. Research suggests, drawing from other studies, that about twice as many job seekers want fully remote positions versus what employers have or have offered.
Q. How is the use of WFH by contact centers compared to that in other departments? Is there a convergence or divergence of trends like RTO?
Many of the concerns that drive RTO elsewhere, such as visibility into work or productivity monitoring, are less relevant because contact centers already rely on clear performance metrics, recorded interactions, and structured workflows.
As a result, WFH adoption remains strong in the contact center. Oftentimes, even if an organization has an RTO mandate, the contact center is excluded from the requirement due to effective management, geographical locations of agents, and space constraints.
Q. Has there been any pushback to RTO in contact centers?
Yes, there is pushback to RTO in contact centers, and it typically shows up first in hiring. Many job seekers filter for remote-only roles and never consider on-site positions, which makes it significantly harder to attract talent when teams are required to RTO.
Attrition can increase as well. But the more immediate challenge is the shrinking candidate pool.
Q. Let’s discuss BCDR. Is the severe weather that has also been in the headlines prompting organizations to look again at WFH? In how they use it, noting that remote agents are also affected by these events? Or are they resorting to AI-driven self-service instead of WFH as a BCDR strategy?
BCDR is a very strong operational reason to offer hybrid or fully remote work. Using an airline example, a snowstorm at a Midwestern hub creates a spike in delays and cancellations.
At the same time, agents who must commute may be unable or unwilling to drive to the office. Staffing drops at the exact moment customer needs spike.
“...even if an organization has an RTO mandate, the contact center is excluded from the requirement...” —Jeremy Hyde
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.
Q. 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, coaching, training, team cohesion, and for issues like isolation and wellness?
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.
Q. Are you seeing any new or renewed interest in models of WFH or hybrid working, e.g., geo-sourcing, satellite offices? Please discuss what they are and their benefits and challenges.
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.
Q. What are your recommendations for contact centers seeking to retain, expand, and make the best use of WFH staff?
My recommendation is to design your remote model intentionally rather than simply replicating old on-site practices.
Start with strong frontline leadership, because the direct supervisors have the greatest impact on retention, engagement, and overall performance. Equip leaders to communicate frequently, act on feedback, and create meaningful connections so remote employees don’t feel isolated.
Second, embrace flexibility where possible. Remote work is a major retention driver, and small amounts of schedule flexibility can open up highly reliable talent pools you might otherwise miss.
“Remote work has also surfaced challenges...which require leaders to be more intentional about communication and connection.”
As mentioned earlier, there are twice as many candidates who want remote jobs as there are remote jobs, so if you offer a good one, people will want to stick around.
Finally, rethink your hiring strategy. Remote work allows you to tap into new geographic markets, tailor roles to different talent segments, and access stronger fits for your business.
Teams that approach staffing creatively get the most out of their WFH model, improve retention, and build resilience into their operations.