[PODCAST] The Work From Home Boom w/ Sheila McGee-Smith

Are you still working from home? Before COVID-19 swept across the United States, less than 20% of contact center agents were being supported by a cloud-based solution. Those 20% had an easy time making the switch to a WFH model. 

The other 80%? They had a bit rougher of a go. It’s hard to equip agents with physical phones, physical servers, firewalls, and VDI instances, rather than just issuing laptops. 

Which begs the question: What will this WFH scenario look like a year from now? 

Sheila McGee-Smith thinks that for the most part, it’s here to stay. 

Why? Partly because the restrictions around workplaces coming from the CDC are going to be difficult to implement. Wear a face mask, frequently wash hands and surfaces, staggering shifts. 

None of these things are highly conducive to a contact center, where folks will sit for hours before getting up to take a break. Which is why she thinks that this time next year, 25-30% of agents will still be working from home. 

What about you? Are you still working from home? Will you go back soon? Will your employees? What does a return to “normal” look like?


Listen to our entire interview with Sheila here.