Verint Releases "The State of Agent Experience 2026" Report Targeting Contact Center Agents: Approximately One-Third Considering Leaving Due to Deteriorating Work Environment

Despite advancements in AI and automation, contact center agents continue to express dissatisfaction with the high volume of manual, repetitive tasks and poor work-life balance. Nearly one-third (31%) of surveyed agents indicated they are highly likely to leave their current positions within the next six months. However, the solution is clear: integrating AI directly into agent workflows is expected to reduce their burden.

These are some of the key findings from "The State of Agent Experience 2026" report, released by Verint® (The CX Automation Company™), based on a survey of 1,000 contact center agents.

The report uncovers the future of contact centers, agent experience, and key trends influencing AI adoption. It also highlights how the appropriate use of AI can yield meaningful results through automating daily tasks, providing rapid access to knowledge, and offering real-time guidance. Furthermore, the report indicates that contact centers need to move beyond experimental AI pilot phases to a stage where they generate measurable outcomes for both customer and agent experiences.

Key Findings:

Agents' work is becoming increasingly complex: 94% of agents believe AI will change their role within three years, with 61% expecting to handle more complex and advanced tasks as a result. Already, nearly half (49%) work across multiple channels.

Manual tasks pressure agents' time: Agents report spending significant time on monotonous, repetitive tasks that could be automated. In 45% of calls, agents spend an average of three minutes searching for answers, taking time away from tasks that require empathy, judgment, and creative thinking.

Importance of agent experience is growing: Nine out of ten agents prioritize scheduling flexibility when choosing a job, making the implementation of intelligent scheduling and AI-powered workforce management essential.

Anna Convery, Chief Marketing Officer at Verint, states: "The future contact center is not an 'either-or' choice between humans and AI. It's about human-AI collaboration to achieve efficiency and empathy at scale. Companies must proactively build AI-powered contact centers. Otherwise, they risk significant opportunity loss due to agent overload and turnover."

For more details, download "The State of Agent Experience 2026" report and discover how Verint's AI-powered solutions can achieve greater effectiveness rapidly and measurably.

Survey Methodology:

The results of Verint's "The State of Agent Experience 2026" report are based on a survey of 1,000 contact center agents from companies with 300 or more agents across five industries (59% of respondents work in centers with 1,000 or more agents). Data was collected via an online survey conducted from November 18 to December 9, 2025. The survey gathered responses from agents of varying company sizes, age groups, industries, and years of experience to broadly reflect the agent experience.

Verint Systems Japan Co., Ltd.

Verint is a leader in Customer Experience (CX) Automation, serving a customer base that includes over 80 Fortune 100 companies. Leading global enterprises utilize the Verint CX Automation platform and AI-powered bots to achieve tangible AI business outcomes "Now™" across their organizations. Verint is uniquely positioned to help companies enhance CX automation with its proprietary AI-powered platform. This enables improved customer engagement, operational efficiency, and cost reduction across contact centers, back offices, and digital channels. Verint, "The CX Automation Company™," is Certified™ by Great Place To Work®. For more information, visit https://www.verint.com/ja/.