Working Solutions
On-demand BPO that staffs call center work with 150,000+ gig contractors, billed by the minute.
On the record
Checkpoint: Enterprise contract renewals, including Intuit-tier clients, testing whether routine call volume shifts to AI vendors
The call
A founder-run BPO selling human minutes for work AI agents are starting to do directly, with no named AI product of its own yet in market.
Working Solutions hires independent contractors to handle routine customer service calls and chats, charging clients by the 15-minute block. This is exactly the type of repetitive work that AI voice and chat tools from companies like OpenAI and Salesforce are built to do faster and cheaper, and a rival company called Humach (started by a founder with ties to Working Solutions) is already selling AI-based call handling instead of human workers. The company could survive if its large clients like Intuit choose to keep using human workers for customer service when their contracts renew in 2026 and 2027, but that seems unlikely as AI tools keep improving.
Why
01
AI pressure: AI voice and chat agents from Salesforce Agentforce, Sierra, Decagon, OpenAI. These agents target the same routine calls Working Solutions staffs with humans, and its own AI training tool shows it knows this. Could AI do the core job? Yes, likely.
02
Bigger players: Teleperformance, Concentrix, TTEC, Accenture. These larger BPOs already run remote and gig-style agent networks and could copy this model with more capital and reach. Could a giant copy it? Yes, easily.
03
What protects it. Three decades of vertical relationships in healthcare, senior care, and financial services, plus a flexible 1099 network that scales up and down fast.
What would change this call
Working Solutions announces a named AI technology partner or ships outcome-based pricing by 2027. Would show it is adapting to AI-agent competition rather than losing volume to it.
Enterprise clients like Intuit renew or shrink contracts in 2026-2027. Shrinking renewals would show routine call volume migrating to AI-native vendors.
Humach reports new enterprise client wins tied to its AI-native platform. Would show a founder-linked rival converting Working Solutions' market to AI automation.
Enterprise clients like Intuit renew or shrink contracts in 2026-2027. Shrinking renewals would show routine call volume migrating to AI-native vendors.
Humach reports new enterprise client wins tied to its AI-native platform. Would show a founder-linked rival converting Working Solutions' market to AI automation.
Key numbers
- 150,000+ independent contractor agents in network
- Founded 1996 in Omaha by Kim Houlne
- Claims 30% cut in educator delivery time via AI training tool
Named risks
- Core routine call/chat business directly exposed to AI voice and chat agent displacement.
- No named AI technology partnership or outcome-based pricing model as of 2026-07.
- Entire workforce model depends on 1099 contractor classification amid gig-worker misclassification litigation trends.
- Heavy dependence on founder Kim Houlne after ~30 years as CEO with no disclosed succession plan.
- All financial and headcount data are unverified aggregator estimates with wide spreads.
Rivals, as read in July 2026
| Rival | Direction | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Humach | losing to | Founder-linked AI-native rival acquired InfiniteAI in 2020 and Markets EQ in 2025 for AI CX tech |
| Teleperformance, Concentrix, TTEC, Accenture | contesting | Larger public BPOs investing in AI contact-center automation, capable of copying WS model as of 2026 |
| LiveOps, Arise, Omni Interactions, NexRep | contesting | Near-identical 1099-contractor virtual agent peers competing for same routine call volume in 2026 |
Questions people ask
- Is Working Solutions profitable?
- No audited financials are public. Working Solutions is privately held and does not disclose profitability; third-party aggregator revenue estimates range from about $25M to $335M and are unverified, so profitability cannot be confirmed as of 2026-07.
- Could AI replace Working Solutions?
- Much of its core business, routine call and chat handling billed in 15-minute increments through 150,000+ 1099 contractors, is exactly the workload AI voice and chat agents now target. As of 2026-07, the company has no named AI tech partnership or outcome-based pricing model.
- Who owns Working Solutions?
- Working Solutions is privately held and founder-owned by Kim Houlne, who founded the company in 1996 in Omaha, Nebraska and remains President and CEO as of 2025-11-26. No public funding rounds or institutional investors have been confirmed.
- Who is Working Solutions' biggest competitor?
- Humach, run by Tim Houlne (linked to Working Solutions' founding family), is the most direct threat: it made AI acquisitions InfiniteAI (2020) and Markets EQ (2025) to build an AI-native CX model, contrasting with Working Solutions' unaugmented labor model as of 2026-07.
- Is Working Solutions doing layoffs?
- No layoff announcements were found. Working Solutions' small corporate team of 51-200 employees (2026-05-04) has stayed roughly stable, while its independent-contractor agent network grew from 110,000+ in 2017 to 150,000+ by 2026-07.
- What does Working Solutions actually do?
- Working Solutions is a US-based virtual BPO providing on-demand contact center services, customer care, sales, tech support and back-office work, delivered by independent-contractor agents billed in 15-minute increments, as described on its site as of 2026-07-02.
Timeline
- 2026-05-08Marks 30th anniversary of Working Solutions
- 2026-05-05Named BPO of the Year finalist by Customer Contact Week again
- 2026-02-18Wins Online Learning Platform of the Year for AI-assisted agent training
- 2025-01-08Ranked #1 on FlexJobs Top 100 remote-work companies for 2025
- 2025Humach (founder-linked rival) acquires Markets EQ
- 2023-02-16Ranks #148 on OA500 BPO leaders list
- 2020Humach acquires InfiniteAI to build AI-native CX capability
- 2018-06-18Corporate headquarters moves from Plano to Dallas, Texas
- 2017-04-27Marks 20-year milestone with 110,000+ contractor agents
- 1996Kim Houlne founds Working Solutions in Omaha, Nebraska
Revision history
24 July 2026
First assessed. Losing its protection. The text above is fixed as of this date and is not edited afterwards.
In the same band
Sources
- 25 Years in Business (2022-02-01)
- Working Solutions Headquarters Moves from Plano to Dallas (2018-06-18)
- Scalable CX Solutions by Working Solutions (2026-07-02)
- U.S. Business Marks 20-Year Milestone (2017-04-27)
- Founder and Chief Executive of Working Solutions (2025-11-26)
- Working Solutions's Competitors, Revenue... (2026-02-26)
- Working Solutions - Overview, News & Similar companies
- Working at Working Solutions (2026-05-04)
- Working Solutions Again Named BPO Finalist by CCW (2026-05-05)
- Working Solutions Wins Online Learning Platform of the Year Award (2026-02-18)
- Working Solutions Ranked #1 for Best Remote Jobs in 2025 (2025-01-08)
- Scalable, Expert Solutions for Superior Service