The challenges and restrictions caused by the global pandemic highlighted the value of flexible work structures in today's dynamic business climate. 

Work-at-home setups continue to trend across all industries, resulting in questions about the short- and long-term implications of this new work environment, more so in the field of customer support.

One effective long-term solution that most CX companies have adopted is to provide work-at-home jobs for customer support agents. At Everise, our highly qualified home-based agents are called "Champions."

Despite the rapid adoption, working at home long term isn't for everyone. 

Do you have what it takes to be a work-at-home Champion? Watch this video and answer the questions below yourself to find out!

Question 1: Dealing with Change

Some clients experience high demand during some seasons and low during others. Home-based customer support agents may get hired to support customers of more than one client over the course of a year, and will likely be re-trained and transferred to support different clients during different times. Are you:

1. Someone who values continuous employment and appreciated the variety that comes from learning new things.
2. Apprehensive about taking on new challenges.
3. Not good at dealing with change.

Question 2: Appropriate Workspace Options

Home-based agents must maintain a workspace that is private and free of distractions, including from family members while working. Do you:

1. Have a private room you can dedicate exclusively to work while on shift.
2. Have a room you share with other people part of the time.
3. Sometimes have to pass the Mac and Cheese, please.

Question 3: Work Independence

Home-based agents have lots of co-workers, but will probably never see them in person. Are you:

1. Okay feeling isolated while working.
2. Prone to struggle in the absence of in-person contact.
3. Prone to lose touch with reality in the absence of in-person contact.

Question 4: Comfort with Technology

Even the best technology has issues, and working from home means not having an IT helpdesk on site to rely on. Are you:

1. Comfortable enough with technology to do some of your own troubleshooting.
2. Intimidated by technology.
3. Have a complicated relationship with technology.

Question 5: Adaptability

Home-based agents will very likely see their schedules changed, sometimes with very little notice. Do you:

1. Have a work life flexibility that can accommodate shifts any day of the week, sometimes on short notice, from 6 AM to midnight.
2. Expect to always work from 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday to Friday, and never on weekends.
3. Not good at dealing with change.

How are you doing so far? Keep going!

Question 6: Remote Training

For home-based workers, even training is done remotely via collaboration software with very little direct contact with the trainer. Are you:

1. A self-directed learner who can be patient and focus whether you feel training is moving too fast or too slow. 
2. Easily distracted.

3. Squirrel!🐿️

Question 7: Security and Privacy

The need for strict data security and consistently high call quality mean most everything home-based agents do while working is monitored. Are you:

1. Happy to have technology keep track of the excellent work you do.
2. A little weirded out by the idea of being tracked.
3. What do you think you're looking at, huh?

Question 8: Jumping Right In

Home-based agents sometimes wish they had more training before answering their first call. Are you:

1. An eager learner who likes to grow by getting outside of your comfort zone.
2. A perfectionist who prefers a nice and easy learning curve.
3. I don't care if it's Harry Styles on the other end, I'm not ready to answer it.

Question 9: Adhering to Schedules

Home-based agents often answer back-to-back calls at their workstation for eight hours a day, except for strictly scheduled breaks. Do you:

1. Love to keep busy and observe a well-defined schedule.
2. Like to take long lunches and leisurely walks whenever the mood hits.
3. Not exactly into rules.

Question 10: Commitment to Excellence

Home-based agents must always act honestly and professionally, which includes being polite to rude callers who may deserve to be hung up on. Acting unethically just once means that you will lose your job. Do you:

1. Commit to abide by the company code of ethical behavior 100% of the time.
2. Commit to abide by the company code of ethical behavior most of the time.
3. Not feel ready to make any commitments right now.

Scoring:

Give yourself three points for every A, two points for every B and zero points for every C answer.

• 30 points: being a home-based customer support agent is a good career choice for you! Apply here! you're ready to become one of our Everisers!
• 26-29 points: Home-based customer support might not be the career you're best-suited for.
• 25 points or less: you should consider pursuing a career as a Kardashian.

Want to know more about our work-at-home programs? Visit our careers page here to start your work-at-home journey with Everise:

Related Insights:

• In the Work-at-Home-Era, Psychographics is the New Demographics
• Solving the Cyclical CX Hiring Challenge
• Everisers Celebrate a Successful Work-At-Home Transition