Survey participants shared input on their work at-home agent program. Survey data includes demographics, agent profiles, recruiting, on-boarding, attrition and comparison of the at-home program versus the traditional call center.

1. At-Home Agent Selection
Benchmark Survey
March 2010

2. At-Home Momentum
With regards to at-home agents, are you:
11%
Not using or 6%
considering at-
11%
home agents
7%
35% 10-Mar
Considering at- 25% Nov-09
home agents 41% Sep-09
48% Apr-09
54%
Using at-home 69%
agents 48%
45%
All survey respondents were registered to attend an at-home webinar and completed a
survey as part of that process in the month listed. 2

3. 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 3
their work at-home from the start.

4. Status of Agents
The majority of at-home agents are full-time employees, though many companies 4
use part-time agents to expand/retract based on business needs.

5. 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 5
requirement for successful at-home agents.

6. 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 6
spouses and permanent part-time professionals.

7. 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. 7

8. Virtual or In-Person Onboarding
Only slightly more than half of companies using at-home programs bring newly hired agents into a 8
physical center to augment their initial training.

9. Compensation
It is common for at-home agents to be compensated differently than agents in the contact center. 9

10. Supervisor to Agent Ratio
Supervisor to At-Home Agent Ratio
40+ 1
31 to 40 2
26 to 30 6
21 to 25 5
16 to 20 4
11 to 15 21
1 to 10 22
Of those surveyed, the average supervisor to at-home agent ratio is 16.
10

11. 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. 11

12. Attrition
At-Home Agent Attrition Rate
Over 40% 2
31-40% 4
16-30% 1
6-15% 3
1-5% 5
0% 17
Of those surveyed, the average at-home attrition rate is around 12%.
12

13. Attrition Compared to Center
Most agreed that the rate of attrition is generally lower with at-home agents than with traditional agents. 13

14. More Resources on At-Home Agents
Request free white paper:
• 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
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15. 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 15

16. About the Survey
• At-Home Webinar registrants asked to participate
• Online survey
• Results originally shared during webinar
03/23/2010
• 176 participants across industries
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