Majority want to split their time between the office and working remotely
Hybrid working models are in demand, with more than three quarters of UK-based live agents keen to be offered the option from employers.
A study from the CCMA (Call Centre Management Association) found 79% of contact centre staff want the hybrid working model.
The poll, which surveyed 200 UK-based contact centres and is supported by Poly, also found that more than half (59%) of respondents would like to split their time equally between the office and remote locations, or be mainly office based.
It also revealed that 76% expect to have a say in where they work and that there is a strong demand for co-working spaces with more than three quarters (76%) now happy to work from a shared location.
Richard Kenny, Senior Marketing Manager, Poly, said: “Hybrid working is a new term for call centres. This is a fundamental shift away from previous operating models and requires a reimagining of the role of the call centre, building towards more team, social and learning activities to keep advisors connected.
“This signals a dawn of a new type of contact centre advisor – a highly mobile individual who works from multiple locations and brings with them the tools they need to do their job. This requires an understanding of how employees can transition between across multiple locations and work seamlessly from anywhere and investment in pro-grade personal devices such as headsets and webcams.
“Contact centre advisors want to be involved in decisions on what equipment they use and in the choice of where they work, and now is the time to listen to the voice of the advisor so they can deliver an exceptional customer experience from anywhere.”
Of those keen on partial remote work, if they were to work in co-working spaces or ‘third spaces’ such as coffee shops, 85% said they would require specialised equipment to work effectively. This is in conjunction with a growing dissatisfaction for the basic communications technologies available outside of the office, with just over a third of contact centre employees saying they are satisfied with their current headsets (37%), telephones (37%), and webcams (39%).
The top reasons cited by call centre workers for working in an office are feeling part of a team, which was recorded at 33%.
Another factor is socialising with colleagues (32%). The most important considerations when it comes to remote working locations for live agents stand at natural light (55%), privacy (52%) and having a quiet space to work (51%).
Source: cx today
