Remote work was supposed to be a win-win. Employees got flexibility. Employers got happier teams and access to more talent. In the short run, these benefits can seem significant, but they may mask deeper issues that only become apparent over time.

When Flexibility Becomes a Liability in the Workplace

Some white collar workers are now “task masking”, faking activity to appear as if they perform their duties and meet expectations, without actually producing the work they’re supposed to. Popular tactics include fake meetings, keyboard weights to keep typing simulations going, and looping presentations that trick productivity trackers. 

Managers are noticing this drop in productivity. Surveillance software adoption jumped to 60% post-pandemic, and is expected to reach 70% by 2026. Employees are now closely monitored, with their activities tracked through these systems for productivity, security, and compliance. It’s not paranoia; it’s pattern recognition. One firm found that 7% of remote workers in a sample of one million were faking their activity using these methods.

You Can’t Coach What You Can’t See with Remote Workers

The real damage isn’t the two-hour Netflix binge during business hours. It’s what that lack of engagement does to your customer experience. Lack of attention to job responsibilities has led to missed calls, unresolved questions, and tone-deaf responses. These issues don’t just annoy clients, they send them shopping elsewhere.

And when you can’t tell who’s underperforming or slipping on compliance? That’s when client churn, operational drag and cultural rot take root.

Hiring an Operations Manager is one way to monitor performance and enforce standards. But between the $80K-120K+ fully loaded cost, long ramp-up times, and limited capacity to manually review calls or rate service performance, it’s rarely a silver bullet. Meanwhile, the root problem, visibility into day-to-day execution and consistency of performance, remains unsolved.

Magellan: Digital Surveillance Visibility Without Micromanagement

Magellan solves the visibility problem at its core. It gives insurance agency leaders full operational visibility without relying on surveillance tactics or taking up management’s time with micromanaging.

Every client call is transcribed and analyzed in real time, with Magellan using data from these interactions to provide actionable insights. Sentiment shifts, missed promises, and risky language are flagged automatically. Each employee’s performance is measured objectively, and churn-prone clients are surfaced to leadership before it’s too late. Magellan leverages advanced technology to deliver these capabilities efficiently and securely.

In addition, Magellan is able to compare phone call answer rates by location, role or employee.  Want to compare the performance of your full-time remote team vs. your in-office team?  What about a given employee’s performance during their “Work from Home Fridays”?  Magellan gives you the answers so you know where to look deeper.

Magellan integrates directly with your VoIP and AMS systems, utilizing powerful tools to enhance operational visibility and unlock the insights trapped in the systems you already have.

Why This Matters Now

Agencies are under pressure from direct writers in this hard market. Plus, customer service expectations are rising. Employee workloads are heavy with remarketing of accounts, making it crucial to manage and monitor workload distribution effectively. Magellan helps agencies track and share workload information, ensuring transparency and better prioritization.

Magellan lets you delegate without losing control. You’ll know which team members need performance management, which clients need outreach, and which workflows are breaking down, in real time. Magellan also provides support to both employees and managers by identifying where additional coaching or resources are needed.

And you’ll do it without listening to random call recordings or hovering over your team. Magellan helps address the challenges agencies face in managing remote teams by offering tools and insights that promote effective communication and oversight.

The Cost of Inaction to Productivity

An agency handling 800 calls a month could save 133 labor hours just by reducing ten minutes of admin time per call. At $35/hour, that’s $4,655/month in reclaimed time alone. These benefits include improved efficiency, increased client retention, and potential E&O savings.

What happens if a $4,000 commercial client churns because no one followed up on their renewal request? Or if a disengaged team member lets five personal accounts quietly expire?

Magellan helps you catch those signals before they become problems.

Ready to see what’s really going on in your agency? Try Magellan free and get your first sentiment and performance reports created in real time in under an hour.