Remote Work, Employee Mix, and Performance

This paper studies the long-term impact of a permanent shift to fully remote work in the call center division of a major multinational firm. Using detailed administrative data, we document three key findings. First, the shift to remote work enabled the firm to tap into previously underutilized segments of the labor force and substantially reshaped the composition of its workforce-increasing the share of women (including married women), older individuals, and those living in small towns and rural areas. Second, remote work led to sustained improvements in productivity, driven primarily by shorter call durations, without compromising service quality. Third, employees who received initial in-person training prior to going remote exhibited higher long-term productivity and lower attrition, highlighting the critical role of in-person onboarding in fully remote settings.