The customer experience (CX) landscape is always changing. But the speed of the transformation underway today is undeniable. While industry headlines are dominated by the disruptive potential of AI-driven innovation and the relentless rise of customer expectations, a critical piece of the puzzle too often gets lost in the noise: the experience of the agents on the frontlines of CX.
Our latest Voice of the Agent report takes you behind the headset, offering a comprehensive look at the agent experience through the eyes of those living it every day.
Together with Get Out of Wrap, we surveyed 540 agents to uncover the reality of their daily experience and their views of the future of the contact center. Download the free report today to dive deep into these essential perspectives—and explore the defining trends and key takeaways that every CX leader needs to know to empower their most valuable asset in 2026.
Leading Trends Shaping the Contact Center Agent Experience
The contact center is moving away from its reputation as a transactional cost center and toward a hub of value creation. However, the data reveals a complex reality for the people driving that value. Here is what is defining the agent experience right now.
Agents’ Pride is on the Rise, as Role Evolves from Job to Career
For years, contact center work was unfairly stereotyped as a temporary stopgap. That narrative is rapidly collapsing. The latest data reveals a workforce that is increasingly engaged and professionalized. Today, 68% of agents say they are proud to work in the industry, and a remarkable 75% would recommend their job to a friend.
This isn’t just about job satisfaction—which sits at a healthy 67%—it is about professional identity. Agents no longer view themselves as mere operators; they are brand ambassadors and problem-solvers. Perhaps most significantly, nearly half of all agents (47%) now see themselves pursuing a long-term career in the industry. A certain stigma associated with the role is fading, replaced by a workforce that sees a future as a key contributor—whether as an agent and elsewhere in the CX operation.
Day-to-Day Experience is Still Plagued by High Stress
Despite rising pride, the emotional cost of the job remains dangerously high. The report uncovers a stark reality: only 11% of agents describe their job as “not very stressful,” implying that nearly nine in ten operate under consistent pressure.
This stress is not without consequence. While pay is always a factor, the data shows that stressful workloads and burnout (35%) are top reasons agents consider leaving their jobs. The industry may be winning the battle for professional respect, but as we’ll explore, there is still work to protect its people from the sheer weight that comes with the role.
Agents Need Support in Navigating High Customer Expectations
As automation and self-service handle the simple queries, human agents are left to manage the complex, emotionally charged interactions that bots cannot resolve—and do so at scale.
Agents are now the “emotional anchors” for customers, entrusted with diffusing frustration and delivering empathy. While 58% of agents say customer expectations have stayed the same over the last year, that baseline is incredibly high. Newer agents, in particular, are often shocked by the intensity of how customers speak to them.
The modern agent requires more than just technical answers. They need the resilience to navigate friction and emotionally charged interactions. Of course, by resilience, we don’t mean a thicker skin. Resilience and stress management are increasingly crucial—and teachable—skills in the modern contact center. And the agents we surveyed ranked these skills as the area they need the most improvement.
Agents Report More One-on-One Meetings, Cite Key Role of Leadership and Culture
One of the most positive trends in this year’s report is the deepening connection between leaders and teams. In a year where reported pay raises slowed, “supportive management” has emerged as a top driver of agent happiness, ranked right alongside fair pay.
Organizations have responded to agent needs by increasing touchpoints. The report finds that 67% of agents now have monthly one-to-one check-ins with their managers—a significant jump from 49% just last year. Moreover, 70% of agents now receive training at least monthly, and 69% find these sessions useful or very useful.
How to Elevate the Contact Center Agent Experience in 2026
Understanding the trends is only the first step. To truly empower agents and elevate their experiences in 2026, leaders must translate these insights into strategic improvement.
Close Gaps in AI Understanding and Technology Access
Artificial Intelligence is reshaping the contact center, but the agents using it are often left in the dark. A worrying AI knowledge gap has emerged: only 35% of agents know which of their tools actually utilize AI. This lack of clarity breeds anxiety, with 55% of agents expressing concern that AI might replace or fundamentally change their roles.
The appetite for learning is there, but the access is not: 40% of agents say they haven’t received any AI training but would like to. To elevate the agent experience, organizations must move beyond deploying tools and start educating their teams, demystifying AI to turn anxiety into adoption.
Meanwhile, agents cite speed and efficiency, as well as having the right knowledge to resolve issues, as key areas where they need to improve. Yet, the data shows that nearly half of agents never use Knowledge Management, Performance Analytics, and Customer Feedback tools.
Contact centers can enable agents to take advantage of the latest tech, whether it’s primarily powered by AI or not. With targeting training focused on the latest workforce and conversation intelligence solutions, there’s great opportunity to empower frontline agents to uncover data-driven insights and put them into action, fueling both autonomy and efficiency.
Offer Clear Pathways for Career Growth, Not Just Upskilling
If agents are viewing this role as a career, organizations must provide the roadmap. There has been progress here—55% of agents now say they know what career pathways are available to them, up from 43% last year. However, that still leaves nearly half the workforce unsure of their future.
Agents are clear about where they want to go. When asked about internal roles, 48% expressed interest in becoming Team Leaders, 38% in becoming Trainers, and 29% in Quality Assurance . With “potential for career advancement” ranking as a top-five factor in career choice, leaders must formalize these pathways. It is not enough to offer upskilling; you must show agents that their ambition has a home within your organization.
The Human Element is (Still) the Future of CX
The Voice of the Agent 2025 report paints a clear picture of a workforce that is ready to evolve. Agents are proud of their work, eager to learn new technologies, and committed to building long-term careers in this industry. However, they cannot navigate this transition alone. The gap between their ambition and their reality—marked by high stress, challenging interactions, and untapped technology and tools—must be closed by strategic leadership.
As Ed Creasey, VP of Sales Engineering at Calabrio, notes in the report:
“AI hasn’t made agents obsolete, it’s made them more indispensable…Our focus now should be on giving them the right knowledge, confidence, and support to thrive alongside new technology.”
The organizations that win in 2026 will be those that recognize agent experience as their most critical competitive advantage—absolutely central to delivering standout customer experiences. By investing in career pathways, closing gaps in AI trust and technical know-how, and prioritizing emotional support, you can build a better contact center and ultimately a brand that customers trust.
Ready to go deeper into the data? Download the full Voice of the Agent 2025 report to uncover the complete findings and start building your future-proof workforce strategy today.
