Talent Retention in the Contact Center Industry: Why Remote, On-Demand Models Keep People Longer

Contact centers have always battled high turnover, but the last few years have turned talent retention into a true business risk. One Forbes-reported survey found that average yearly contact center turnover has climbed to about 60% – meaning many operations are rebuilding large portions of their frontline teams every year.  

That level of churn doesn’t just drive recruiting and onboarding costs. It erodes institutional knowledge, customer experience, and leadership’s confidence in scaling new programs. 

At the same time, worker expectations have changed. People want more control over how they work, when they work, and what they work on. That’s exactly where remote, on-demand contact center models – including gig-based networks like Liveops – can become a powerful talent retention strategy, not just a staffing strategy. 

Why Talent Retention is So Difficult in Traditional Contact Centers  

Before you can improve talent retention, it helps to be honest about why people leave in the first place. In many brick-and-mortar environments, frontline talent is dealing with: 

• Commutes and rigid schedules that don’t fit real life 

• High call volumes with very little control over pace 

• Limited input into which queues or programs they support 

• Few visible paths to grow skills or responsibilities 

• A sense of being “watched” rather than trusted 

Zooming out, McKinsey’s “Great Attrition” research found that 40% of employees across industries said they were at least somewhat likely to quit within the next three to six months. 

In other words, it’s not just a contact center problem. But contact centers feel it more intensely because the work is stressful, performance is tightly measured, and roles are often viewed as interchangeable. 

For talent retention, that combination is deadly. 

How Remote Contact Center Solutions Change the Talent Retention Equation 

Remote and hybrid work are no longer niche perks. There’s a structural shift in how people expect to work. Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends research found that hybrid and remote work arrangements can reduce attrition by up to 35% while improving employee satisfaction.  

Remote contact center models build on that retention advantage in several ways:

Work that Fits Around Life

In an on-demand model, customer service professionals can choose the hours and programs that align with their lives – school schedules, caregiving, second jobs, or health needs. That autonomy is one of the biggest drivers of talent retention because it removes a major reason people quit: work getting in the way of life. 

Instead of “I can’t keep this schedule,” the conversation becomes, “How can I arrange my work so it actually works for me?”

Access to a Wider Talent Pool 

Traditional centers source agents within commuting distance of a facility. Remote contact center solutions open access to talent across regions, time zones, and backgrounds. That matters for retention because it allows you to: 

• Match people to programs where their experience actually fits 

• Find specialists (licensed agents, industry-specific customer support, multilingual talent) without relocating them 

• Build diverse teams that reflect your customer base 

When people feel their skills are being used well, they’re more likely to stay. 

Less Friction, More Productivity 

Remote-ready contact centers that invest in the right tools see performance benefits too. Aberdeen research shows that organizations with remote work capabilities in the contact center enjoy 3x greater annual increases in employee productivity (7.2% vs. 2.4%) compared to those without.  

Higher productivity with less friction usually means: 

• Fewer repetitive tasks 

• Smoother systems and workflows 

• Faster access to knowledge and support 

Those are the conditions where talent retention isn’t forced; it’s a natural outcome of a well-designed operation. 

Talent Retention Strategies that Work in a Gig-Based Contact Center Model 

Remote, gig-style networks aren’t automatically better for talent retention. The model has to be intentionally designed around keeping great people engaged. Here are core strategies that companies like Liveops use:

Design Scheduling Around Choice, Not Compliance 

Instead of fixed shifts, use precision scheduling to let professionals select service intervals that align with their energy and availability. For talent retention, that means: 

• More control over weekly workload 

• The ability to scale up or down based on financial goals 

• Reduced burnout during peak seasons 

The result is a pool of experienced professionals who stay in the network year after year because they can adjust their work rather than walking away when life changes.

Match Talent to the Right Programs 

Talent retention improves dramatically when people feel they’re in the right role, not just any role. 

In a remote, program-based model, you can route people based on: 

• Prior industry experience (insurance, retail, healthcare, financial services) 

• Comfort level with sales vs. service vs. back-office work 

• Technical skills, language skills, or licensing 

That alignment improves performance, but it also helps people stay longer because they’re doing work that feels natural and valued. 

Make Learning Continuous and Accessible 

High-turnover centers often treat learning and development as a one-time “check the box” event. Retention-focused operations treat it as an ongoing experience. 

In a modern remote model, that can include: 

• Short, self-paced learning modules instead of long, one-time sessions 

• On-demand refreshers before peak season or new campaigns 

• AI-assisted coaching that surfaces targeted tips, not generic feedback 

When customer support agents see that their skills are improving and they’re better equipped for each new program, they’re more likely to stay engaged across multiple contracts and seasons.

Build Real Community in a Distributed Network 

One of the biggest myths about remote work is that it feels isolating by default. In reality, isolation is a design choice. 

Remote contact center networks that excel at talent retention typically invest in: 

• Peer communities, chat channels, and Q&A spaces 

• Opportunities for experienced professionals to mentor, coach, or support others 

• Recognition programs that spotlight great work, not just top metrics 

Those elements turn a loose group of independent customer support professionals into a community people don’t want to leave.

Be Transparent About Pay and Performance 

In gig-style models, trust is built on clarity. To support talent retention: 

• Use clear, predictable rate structures 

• Provide visibility into how performance is measured 

• Give professionals insight into how they can access higher-value work over time 

This removes one of the biggest sources of frustration: feeling that “the rules” are hidden or arbitrary. 

Rethinking Talent Retention as a Strategic Advantage 

Given the high turnover rates reported across the industry, leaders can’t treat talent retention as a side project. It’s a core part of operational strategy. 

The good news: you don’t have to choose between customer experience and talent experience. Modern research signals a clear pattern: 

• Hybrid and remote work models reduce attrition and boost satisfaction.  

• Workers across industries are still reevaluating their options, which means organizations that design around talent retention can stand out.  

• Remote-ready operations, when implemented thoughtfully, can unlock higher productivity – a sign of better engagement and design.  

For contact center leaders, that points to a simple conclusion: 

Remote, on-demand customer service models aren’t just a way to fill seats. They’re one of the most effective talent retention strategies available. 

When you give people control over how they work, match them to programs where they can succeed, invest in continuous learning, and design a genuine sense of community into your network, you don’t just keep talent longer – you build a bench of experienced professionals who can support your customers for years, not months. 

Conclusion: How Liveops Turns Talent Retention into a Competitive Edge 

For organizations that are serious about talent retention, the model matters as much as the metrics. Liveops was built from the ground up as a remote call center solution that puts talent experience at the center of service design. Instead of asking people to wrap their lives around a rigid schedule, Liveops gives experienced customer service professionals control over when and how they contribute, which directly supports agent retention and long-term engagement. 

Because Liveops operates a large, distributed network of support professionals, brands can match the right talent to the right programs, whether that means licensed insurance support, healthcare member services, retail customer care, or technical troubleshooting. That alignment makes work feel more meaningful, which is one of the most reliable drivers of talent retention in any environment. 

Liveops also invests in continuous learning, clear performance expectations, and community. Virtual call center solutions only support agent retention when people feel informed, supported, and connected, so Liveops focuses on accessible learning experiences, strong program support, and channels where agents can ask questions, share best practices, and see their impact on customers and clients. 

The result is a virtual call center solution where talent retention is not an afterthought. It is built into the way programs are launched, scheduled, and supported. For leaders who want to reduce churn, protect institutional knowledge, and grow with a stable bench of experienced professionals, partnering with a remote call center provider like Liveops is one of the strongest talent retention strategies available today.