At Home Agent Selection Benchmark Survey

At-Home Agent Selection

Benchmark SurveyMarch 2010

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At-Home MomentumWith regards to at-home agents, are you:

45%

48%

7%

48%

41%

11%

69%

25%

6%

54%

35%

11%

Using at-homeagents

Considering at-home agents

Not using orconsidering at-home agents

10-MarNov-09Sep-09Apr-09

All survey respondents were registered to attend an at-home webinar and completed a survey as part of that process in the month listed.

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Sourcing At-Home Agents

From previous anecdotal information, there appears to be more growth in the new hires category. As more centers pilot with existing agents, they move into a more mature model where agents begin

their work at-home from the start.

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Status of Agents

The majority of at-home agents are full-time employees, though many companies use part-time agents to expand/retract based on business needs.

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Important Qualities

Momentum for at-home agent programs is building, but finding the right talent for these programs is key to their success. According to those polled, the ability to work independently is a critical

requirement for successful at-home agents.

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Recruiting Tactics

There is a specific profile that makes for a successful at-home agent. The best candidates tend to be stay at home parents, disabled individuals, retirees, senior citizens, graduate students, military

spouses and permanent part-time professionals.

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Recruiting Tactics

• Phone Only Interview• Special Referral Programs• Posting in Areas without Centers• Additional Interviews• W@H Job Boards• Technical Assessment• Hiring for Specific Traits• Hiring for More Experience

At-home agents must be able to quickly adjust to different technologies, a new social dynamic, and the challenges of time management, focus and initiative required to effectively work from home. It is critical to

ask targeted questions during the interview process to determine if candidates are a good fit.

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Virtual or In-Person Onboarding

Only slightly more than half of companies using at-home programs bring newly hired agents into a physical center to augment their initial training.

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Compensation

It is common for at-home agents to be compensated differently than agents in the contact center.

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Supervisor to Agent Ratio

Supervisor to At-Home Agent Ratio

22

21

4

5

6

2

1

1 to 10

11 to 15

16 to 20

21 to 25

26 to 30

31 to 40

40+

Of those surveyed, the average supervisor to at-home agent ratio is 16.

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Supervisor to Agent Ratio Compared to Center

For most, supervisor-to-agent ratio with at-home programs is the same or lower than in the center.

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Attrition

At-Home Agent Attrition Rate

17

5

3

1

4

2

0%

1-5%

6-15%

16-30%

31-40%

Over 40%

Of those surveyed, the average at-home attrition rate is around 12%.

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Attrition Compared to Center

Most agreed that the rate of attrition is generally lower with at-home agents than with traditional agents.

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• More benchmark data:– http://www.knowlagent.com/Resource-Center/Call-Center-

Statistics-Pardot.aspx

• Webinar related to these results:– Lucky or Good? How to select the right agents for your at-

home program.

• Contact Debbie Dockery or Scott McRay for more info:– ddockery@knowlagent.com– smcray@knowlagent.com

More Resources on At-Home Agents

Request free white paper:

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About Knowlagent• For 14 years companies around the

world have reduced labor costs with Knowlagent’s agent management software.– Hiring– Training– Coaching

• Easy to use, on-demand software– No capital expenditures– Deployable in 30 days– Accessible via the Web

www.knowlagent.com

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About the Survey• At-Home Webinar registrants asked to participate• Online survey• Results originally shared during webinar

03/23/2010• 176 participants across industries