For some business leaders who have difficulty finding and retaining contact center agents, AI has stretched an existing workforce. Other leaders have been able to cut their contact center staffing.
One of the biggest selling points of artificial intelligence (AI) is cost savings—and that savings involves automating functions that humans previously handled. In the contact center, AI cost savings translates into compensation reduction, as agents become more efficient with interactions that aren’t handled independently by bots or self-service.
AI’s impact on staffing affects new hires and existing employees—in both negative and positive ways, depending on your position. In Metrigy’s AI for Business Success 2024-25 global research study of 697 companies, we have found the following:
- New hires – More than half of companies (55.7%) reduced the number of new agents they needed to hire. The numbers are substantial: Those who did not use AI in calendar year 2023 hired 89% more agents than those who did use AI in their contact center.
- Existing employees – When AI is added to the contact center, 36.8% of companies laid off an average of 24.1% of their employees.
For business leaders looking for technology to drive cost efficiencies, AI is doing its job. For example, average handle time dropped by an average of 29.5% with the addition of agent assist, while each supervisor saves nearly two hours per week when AI helps with scheduling and capacity planning.
In addition to making agents and supervisors more efficient, AI-enabled self-service also is automating customer interactions so fewer even require live agent attention.
More than 80% of companies are increasing their AI spending in 2024, and the top reason, cited by 75.4% of those companies, is that they recognize the efficiencies AI brings. They’re investing in the technology—a move that is reducing total compensation for 37.8% of companies. That means lost jobs and fewer new hires in the contact center for many companies.
Filling the Staffing Gap
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