Learn how to hire remote customer service jobs. Discover hiring strategies, compliance tips, and key skills to consider when building a successful remote team
The world of customer service has changed. What used to be in-person and onsite transactions has evolved into interactions via chat or phone. These are more convenient for the customer as they get support anytime, anywhere. All thanks to remote customer service jobs.
In this article, we’ll share some ideas and best practice on hiring remote customer service jobs. We’ll go over the benefits of hiring remote jobs, key skills to look out for, and strategies in screening talent. Finally – and most importantly – we'll touch on compliance issues when hiring.
This piece is for HR leaders who are looking to build remote customer service teams. It’s also for those who plan to shift their existing customer support staff from an onsite to a remote arrangement.
Whether you're setting up or pivoting to a remote work setup, having a robust remote work policy is a good place to start.
There are three factors that led to the rise of remote customer service roles:
The pandemic was a game-changer. Companies needed to comply with lockdowns and shelter-in-place directives while being available for their customers. They were able to adapt to remote working with the help of laptops, Wi-Fi, and cloud technology.
Customer service has evolved even more, with chatbots and automation now part of the customer journey. These tools support, not take away from, customer service jobs. Chatbots provide quick responses to general queries, while customer service agents offer more personalized support.
According to a report by online job board Virtual Vocations, customer service is one of the top industries that attract remote workers (the others are IT, healthcare, and education).
Also, a 2023 Forbes article states that:
Let’s go back to that report from Virtual Vocations. It mentioned a 35% increase of customer service job postings on its platform from 2023 to 2024. This was a sign that more of their partner companies were shifting to remote models for hiring customer support teams.
Recruiting top talent for representatives or agents is the most crucial step in building your remote customer services team. We’ll go through the details of hiring, but first, let’s look at the advantages of going remote:
Here’s what employers stand to gain by hiring remote customer service teams:
Lower overhead costs: hiring remotely translates to savings in office lease, electricity, maintenance. Savings made can be channeled into funding equipment or other employee programs
Access to a larger talent pool: you’re no longer limited by what’s available in the state or area where your business operates. There are, of course, labor and tax laws to consider – we'll discuss that more in a later section
Higher retention rates: studies show that employees who work remotely are much more likely to stay with the company. This reduces attrition and helps build expertise within your team
Business continuity: having a remote workforce helps guarantee continued business operations despite natural disasters or traffic accidents near the office
Remote work statistics also show that employees are healthier and happier when working from home.
When hiring customer service staff, be on the lookout for the candidate who has these essential skills:
This is the most important skill to look for. Think of your potential customer service hire as a representative of your company. You would want them to be someone who speaks and listens well.
This is key when working remotely. The ideal candidate should be able to work on their own, meeting set targets and KPIs on time.
Find out if they’ve worked in a remote setting before and for how long. That should give you an idea of whether they do well in a remote work setup.
If they are new to remote work, ask about their background and interests. These can offer insights into what they might be like as a remote employee for your company.
Knowing this will help determine whether they need more in-depth training in using CRM tools and software. Those with previous experience using Zendesk or HubSpot would have an advantage.
Find out if your potential hire has good typing speeds and data entry skills, if these are required for the job.
Empathy and problem-solving skills are essential for customer service agents. While AI can handle routine tasks, only humans can bring warmth and understanding to every interaction.
You can find talent or advertise job vacancies on job boards and freelance platforms. Here are some examples:
LinkedIn is a great source for talent, with over one billion members worldwide. Job postings are filtered according to work setup (i.e. remote, hybrid). LinkedIn offers several job posting features to hiring managers – some are free, while others fall under their subscription packages.
Remote.co is a job board, blog, and Q&A resource, all in one place. Posting jobs is quick and straightforward. Finding candidates is easy too, with simple filters to make your job search efficient.
We included LinkedIn and Remote.co on our list of the best remote work websites for hiring top talent.
Remote.co’s sister company, FlexJobs, has been in the remote work business since 2007. It’s a job site for candidates that also offers resources like reports and opinion pieces for employers. As of February 2025, FlexJobs has almost 73,000 listings for remote customer service jobs.
Upwork is a platform for freelancers and contractors from all over the world. Its Talent Marketplace has filters to help you narrow down your search:
The site has a detailed legal page to guide freelancers and hiring managers throughout the process.
If you’d rather outsource the hiring and management of remote customer service jobs, choose a top recruitment agency for the task.
Here are some best practices for HR teams and hiring managers to consider:
That sounds like a given, but it’s worth mentioning – you'll want to see how the candidate comes across in a remote setting. Arrange a video interview and some phone calls to see how they register online and on the phone.
Role plays can tell you everything you need to know about your potential hire:
Role playing can give you a preview of what the candidate will be like in that customer service role. Come up with a scenario that’s like real-life cases at your place of work. See how the candidate responds to and resolves the situation.
Consider email or chat tests to gauge the potential hire’s communication skills. Include a scenario-based writing test – have them reply to a customer complaint, for example – to give them a taste of the job. This should give you an idea, too, of whether their approach aligns with the role.
There are important HR and legal compliance issues to consider for any remote job. First, decide if you want to hire remote customer service jobs:
Next, you’ll need to look into labor and tax laws, along with workers’ compensation requirements, for each state you’re considering hiring from. Hiring outside of the US comes with similar obligations.
“When you have team members in different countries or even in different US states, it is essential to comply with region-specific labor laws, tax requirements, and other factors,” says Job van der Voort, CEO and co-founder of HR platform Remote. “This can be confusing, time consuming, and expensive. Navigating these complexities requires careful planning and specialized expertise.”
One solution is to have an employer of record (EOR) in states or countries where you don’t have a presence. This is one of the services that Remote offers. See our in-depth review of Remote for more.
Let’s say you’ve found the right talent and you've met HR and legal compliance requirements. Your new hire's start date is approaching. Do you have everything they need to make sure they’re off to a good start?
This is important for any new hire, but it is crucial for remote employees. A great onboarding experience can make a difference in employee engagement, job satisfaction, and engagement.
Make sure they have everything they need before their first day: laptop, access to software, any other tools they might require. Guide them in setting up their workspace at home, if that’s part of what you offer.
When the time is right, talk to your customer service team about career progression. Reassuring them is important; a 2024 study said that remote workers were less likely to get promotions or pay raises.
Customer service teams are among the most hardworking in any organization. They shouldn’t be left behind when it comes to promotions.
While remote working is in itself a strong recruitment and retention tool, having a well-being program enhances the benefits package further. It makes employees feel supported.
Remote customer service teams need to know when they’re doing a good job. Instant reward and recognition are a great tool for this. It also lets them feel that they’re valuable members of the organization.
Our Best in HR special reports page has a list of the best HR software and technology. Check it out if you’re in the market for rewards and recognition tools.
Hiring for remote customer service jobs is unlike hiring for other jobs. There are many points to consider: the candidate’s skills, experience, and, most importantly, their ability to empathize and help customers.
Don’t limit your options to the city or state where your company is based. If possible, go beyond borders in finding the perfect fit for remote customer service jobs. Make sure that you meet labor, tax, and workers’ comp requirements where you plan to hire.
Is that too much work to fill a customer service job? Not at all. The person you choose will represent your company, so it’s important to get this right.
What challenges do you foresee when hiring for remote customer service jobs? Let us know in the comments below
