Many Agents Plan to Leave Their Current Job, but Fear of AI Isn’t a Big Factor

Why It Matters

High turnover risk threatens contact‑center stability, and AI adoption will reshape job requirements, making flexibility and upskilling critical for firms.

Key Takeaways

• One‑third of agents consider quitting within six months
• 90% say schedule flexibility drives job decisions
• Only 8% fear AI replacing their roles soon
• AI can cut 2.7‑minute info‑search per call

Pulse Analysis

Turnover in contact centers is reaching a tipping point. The Verint survey shows that roughly 33% of agents are actively looking to leave within the next half‑year, a figure that eclipses concerns about automation. Schedule flexibility has become the primary lever for retention, reflecting broader labor‑market trends where workers prioritize work‑life balance over traditional full‑time structures. Companies that fail to adapt scheduling policies risk a talent drain that could erode service quality and increase hiring costs.

Artificial intelligence is poised to change the nature of the remaining roles rather than eliminate them. Agents spend an average of 2.7 minutes per call hunting for information—a repetitive task that AI‑driven knowledge bases and real‑time assistance can handle instantly. By offloading this “busy work,” AI frees agents to focus on empathy, complex problem‑solving, and decision‑making, effectively raising the skill ceiling. The result is a hybrid workforce where human judgment complements machine speed, driving faster resolution times and higher customer satisfaction.

Customer preferences still favor human interaction. Surveys from Verizon Business and Pegasystems reveal that 88% of consumers are satisfied with human‑led digital support, compared with just 60% for AI‑only solutions. This underscores the strategic advantage of an AI‑augmented model that keeps a human touch at the forefront. For businesses, the imperative is clear: invest in flexible scheduling to retain talent, upskill agents for higher‑value tasks, and deploy AI as a productivity enhancer rather than a replacement. Balancing these elements will be key to sustaining competitive advantage in an increasingly automated service landscape.