Managing the Remote Workforce

Can occasional in-person contact sustain productivity and retention in fully remote workplaces? We address this question through a randomized controlled trial at the call center arm of a large multinational firm that has operated fully remotely since 2020. Agents were randomly assigned either to remain fully remote or to attend the office one day per month for nine months. Office days included shared breaks, team lunches, and brief training sessions designed to foster social interaction and refresh skills, while agents otherwise performed their regular tasks. We find that monthly office visits led to gradual improvements in productivity. Treated agents handled about 3% more calls per hour than controls, with the effect driven by shorter call durations and, in particular, reduced talk time. We find no impact on customer satisfaction or random audit ratings, indicating that service quality was not compromised. Retention improved as well: agents assigned to office visits remained with the firm for an average of nine additional working days compared with their fully remote peers. Survey evidence further indicates modest improvements in job satisfaction and perceived team cohesion among treated agents. Taken together, these results show that even minimal in-person contact (just one office day per month) can improve performance and reduce attrition in a fully remote workforce. The findings highlight how structured but low-frequency office interactions can serve as a scalable and cost-effective management tool for firms navigating the future of work, balancing the flexibility of remote arrangements with the benefits of occasional face-to-face engagement.

Joint work of Cevat Giray Aksoy (EBRD and KCL), Nick Bloom (Stanford), Steve Davis (Stanford), Victoria Marino (EBRD), and Cem Ozguzel (PSE)