There is a growing trend in telemarketing that is quickly gaining momentum. Many employers who have in the past operated traditional land based call centers are sending their agents home to work.
Telemarketing companies employing agents working from home is nothing new. Some very large companies that provide outsourced telemarketing services have been doing this for years. What is new is the growing trend among well known companies adopting the home based agent business model.
In the past 30 days alone (as of February 14, 2008), at least 3 well known companies have announced plans to close their land based call centers and/or expand their at home telemarketing labor forces.
The companies making these announcements include such household names as Hilton, Marriott and MetLife. The advantages to these companies of adopting the home based agent model are numerous.
Many of the expenses associated with operating a call center are greatly reduced or eliminated when an agent is employed from home. Savings on such things as computers, cubicles and buildings provide great financial incentive to companies transitioning to a home based workforce. Add to that greater employee satisfaction and increased retention in an industry with historically high rates of turnover, and the argument in favor of this business model becomes even more compelling.
This is also good news for job seekers interested in working from home. While finding these jobs is not easy, increasingly there are resources available to help. Also, as more and more employers begin to transition from facilities-based to home-based workplaces, you can expect to see these jobs become more widely available and easier to find.
