A recent report by Verint, The State of Agent Experience 2026, highlights significant challenges within contact centres, revealing that nearly one-third (31%) of agents are considering leaving their roles within the next six months. The findings underscore a growing gap between technological advancements and the day-to-day experience of agents.
Key Insights
The report identifies several important trends shaping the future of contact centre operations:
– Increasing Role Complexity:A substantial majority (94%) of agents expect artificial intelligence (AI) to impact their roles within the next three years. Additionally, 61% anticipate taking on more complex and technical responsibilities.
– Time Lost to Manual Processes:Agents continue to spend considerable time on repetitive and low-value tasks. In nearly half of all calls (45%), agents spend an average of three minutes searching for information, reducing efficiency and limiting their ability to focus on higher-value interactions.
– Demand for Flexibility:Work-life balance remains a critical factor, with 90% of agents indicating that schedule flexibility is a key consideration when choosing an employer.
Implications for Organisations
The findings suggest that many contact centres have yet to fully realise the benefits of AI integration. While investments in automation are increasing, they have not sufficiently addressed core agent pain points, such as workflow inefficiencies and administrative burden.
To remain competitive, organizations must move beyond pilot programs and adopt more comprehensive AI-driven solutions that are embedded directly into agent workflows.
The Role of AI in Enhancing Agent Experience
The report emphasises that the future of contact centers lies in the effective collaboration between humans and AI. Rather than replacing agents, AI should be leveraged to:
– Automate routine and rep
– Repititive tasks
– Provide real-time guidance and knowledge access
– Streamline workflows and reduce cognitive load
– Enable more flexible and intelligent workforce management
Conclusion
Improving agent experience is no longer optional—it is a strategic imperative. Organizations that fail to address these challenges risk increased attrition, reduced productivity, and declining customer satisfaction. Conversely, those that successfully integrate AI to support their workforce are likely to see measurable improvements in both operational efficiency and overall customer experience.
To download the State of Agent Experience report from Verint Click Here
Verint® is a leader in Customer Experience (CX) Automation, serving a customer base that includes more than 80 of the Fortune 100 companies. The world’s most iconic brands use the Verint CX Automation Platform and our team of AI-powered bots to deliver tangible AI Business Outcomes, Now™ across the enterprise. Verint is uniquely positioned to help brands increase CX Automation with our differentiated, AI-powered platform; driving enhanced customer engagement, increased efficiency and reduced costs across contact centres, back offices and digital channels. Verint, The CX Automation Company™, is proud to be Certified™ by Great Place To Work®
Survey Methodology
The findings from the Verint State of Agent Experience 2026 report are based on a survey of 1,000 contact centre agents from companies with at least 300 agents, across five industries (59% work in centres with 1,000+ agents). Data was collected via an online survey between Nov. 18 and Dec. 9, 2025. The survey captured responses from contact center agents across varying company sizes, age ranges, industries and levels of experience to ensure the findings represented the agent experience across the spectrum.
