The Covid-19 pandemic sparked a large and lasting shift to remote work. This column draws on detailed administrative data from a major call centre in Turkiye to show that a permanent shift to fully remote work can expand recruitment and raise productivity without compromising service quality. The transition increased the share of women, including married women, as well as employees from rural areas and smaller towns. Productivity gains were driven by quieter home environments and more efficient communication. But the benefits of in-person onboarding persist, even in a permanently remote work model.
Cevat Giray Aksoy, Nicholas Bloom, Steven J. Davis, Victoria Marino and Cem Ozguzel
1 June 2025
Vox EU
https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/fully-remote-work-expands-recruitment-and-boosts-productivity
This work is published under POID and the CEP's Growth programme.