You’ve probably heard of HSN before (formerly called the Home Shopping Network). Heck, you may even be a loyal watcher and shopper of this long-standing channel.
If these three little letters mean nothing to you, that’s okay. Let me give you a little history lesson. It’s kind of an interesting story.
HSN got its start by accident. In 1977 a Clearwater-based radio station accepted electric can openers as payment when one of its advertisers couldn’t pay their bill. The station owner turned around and auctioned off (and sold out of!) all 112 can openers live on air. And so the idea was hatched for a regularly-scheduled segment where listeners could ‘shop’ from home.
By 1985, the idea transitioned to television and went nationwide, airing 24/7. And the rest, as they say, is history. You can read all about their story and some of the cool things HSN is up to these days on their About Us Page.
While you probably know HSN for its nonstop array of handbags and jewelry, and varied assortment of home decor and fashion, you may not realize that there’s an entire HSN work from home department! That’s right, this mega-retailer is also remote-friendly.
If you’ve been looking for a home-based sales and customer support position, HSN may be the virtual workplace for you. But there are some things you need to know before you apply.
About HSN
HSN is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida with more than 6,000 employees spread out in virtual and on-site roles.
Today, HSN is billed as a $3.5 billion “interactive multi-channel retailer.” In other words, you can shop HSN online, in stores, through catalogs and, of course, on TV.
So What’s This HSN Work From Home Job All About?
The main type of employment available at HSN is through their Customer Care Department, what they refer to as the “heartbeat” of the company.
The Customer Care Team includes team members working both sales and customer service roles.
What Does a Sales Rep Do?
HSN home-based sales reps receive incoming calls and help customers place orders. This also includes up-selling and cross-selling products in the process.
Reps can help troubleshoot issues too regarding everything from billing to shipping and returns.
Is This Seasonal? Full-Time? Part-Time?
Depends. Before the holiday season, HSN ramps up their hiring for virtual reps. These jobs are seasonal and typically full-time to keep up with the demand of orders.
Throughout the year, HSN routinely hires both full-time and part-time permanent employees.
Whether full-time, part-time, or seasonal, you will be classified as an employee. This means you’ll have to fill out a W2 and taxes will be withheld from your check.
What Are The HSN Work From Home Hours?
HSN operates 24/7, 364 days out of the year (no live shows on Christmas!). Keep in mind, they’ll need reps readily available at all these times. During the holidays, you may be expected to work a flexible schedule to cover peak hours.
During the hiring process, you can discuss your schedule requirements and availability with your recruiter. The good news is, HSN is known to be flexible when it comes to schedules and swapping shifts (more on that later).
Where Does HSN Hire?
Although this is a remote position, the work from home HSN program is only available in select locations. Currently, HSN hires virtual reps in Florida, Tennessee, and Virginia.
But, there’s a catch, you have to live in particular areas of these states to be considered.
Florida
Florida residents need to reside in one of the following counties to be eligible:
Highlands, Glades, Charlotte, Lee, Collier, Hendry, Dade, Monroe, Palm Beach, Broward, Orange, Martine, Saint Lucie, Hernando, Pasco, Osceola, Volusia, Polk, Sarasota, Citrus, Sumter, Indian River, Brevard, Manatee, Hardee
Tennessee
Tennesse residents need to reside in Nashville or surrounding areas (615 or 931 area code).
Virginia
Virginia residents need to be in the Roanoke area to be considered for home-based employment at HSN.
HSN Work From Home Requirements
If you live in one of the select areas where HSN hires, you’re not totally in the clear yet to apply. First, make sure you meet their must-have requirements before you apply.
Landline
HSN requires home-based reps to have a good ol’ fashion analog landline. No VOIP or internet-based telephone service. And, your home phone number needs to have a specific area code.
Florida Area Codes
863, 941, 239, 305, 786, 954, 561, 407, 321, 352, 386, 552, 772
Tennessee Area Codes
615 or 931
While not always advertised, there are occasionally openings for home-based reps in Ohio. But this is through Cornerstone, an HSN-owned catalog company. So, while technically an HSN home-based job, it’s not the same exact position I’m talking about here.
No Landline? Your current cable provider may be able to install one for you as part of a bundled service. The good news is, if you go ahead and install a landline, you’ll likely be able to write it off at the end of the year.
Internet
High-speed internet is a must. No dial-up, broadband, or WiFi connections allowed. When working, you must be hardwired to your modem using an ethernet cord. Why? This allows for the greatest call stability while working.
Headset
You can buy a decent headset on Amazon for under $20. This will be used to take incoming calls during your shift. Invest in one that is comfy — you may take calls for up to 8 hours at a time.
Other Requirements to Consider
You’ll need to be a high school graduate or have your GED to be considered for employment. Previous sales and/or customer service experience is also a must.
Since you’ll be handling a high-volume of callers (especially during the holidays), you’ll need to be patient, a good listener, and able to handle even the most difficult callers with ease.
Get Ready to Apply
Before you apply, make sure to give your resume a remote makeover specifically for the HSN Home-Based rep position.
To do that, visit their career page and filter listings by “work at home.” Read the listing carefully and pull out important keywords. Now place these keywords into your resume! Doing so will make sure your resume stands out among the many applicants. And it also helps your application get seen by an actual recruiter.
Not sure if you properly keyword optimized your resume? No problem.
Head on over to Job Scan. It couldn’t be simpler to use. Paste the job ad on one side, your resume on the other and, voila, JobScan will analyze both to see how well your resume matches the job description like so:
The greater the match, the better optimized your resume (and the better your chance of getting a call back for an interview!).
It’s free to try JobScan for a certain number of scans each month (it’s frequently changing). But it’s definitely worth a try if you’ve never keyword optimized your resume before.
To learn more about the process, be sure to read the one resume hack you need to get your resume noticed by recruiters.
What Others Are Saying
Glassdoor reviews from current and former sales reps at HSN love the autonomy that comes with working from home. Many reps also noted the flexible schedule, including an ability to swap shifts with coworkers without needing management approval.
And, reviewers noted that even part-time employees receive PTO from day one, another awesome perk.
On the flip side, sales reps seem to agree that there is little room to move up in the organization. And, thoughts on management are spread out across the board — really just depends on who you get as your superior.
The pay rate is often referred to as OK, with no specific mention of rates. However, many reviewers like the ability to earn prizes and bonuses through coworker contests. Plus, all reps receive a discount, which is a nice perk if you’re an HSN shopper!
Work From Home HSN Review
There’s no denying that HSN is very much a reputable company that hires remote reps. Unfortunately, they only hire remote workers in select areas in Florida, Virginia, and Tennessee. If you don’t live in one of these states, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
If your geographic location is just right, HSN can offer flexible home-based work.
Keep in mind, this is a home-based customer service position, which means you’ll spend a lot of time on the phone. And don’t forget, you will need to provide a landline and high-speed internet to get the job done.
But if you don’t mind phone work and meet the pre-hire requirements, this is a great opportunity to build a cubicle-free customer-service career.
Questions about the hiring process? Have you worked for HSN before? Please leave your comments and personal reviews in the comments below 🙂
Happily,
Ashlee
P.S. This post contains affiliate links for JobScan, a program I use and love! Please read my disclosure statement to learn more.
