Training labs at the Sykes Enterprises Inc. call center in the Lonesome Pine Business and Technology Park are full of new employees completing paid training sessions on company computers.
The Wise call center has hired 60 new employees since June 1, bringing the total number of workers there to about 415, including about 350 entry-level employees and about 45 employees in management.
But the new employees are just the beginning of a larger hiring push, which, according to local Sykes administrator Todd McReynolds, will net the company about 350 new entry-level employees and 30 new management positions over the next four months. By the time the company closes its doors on new hires at the end of the summer, McReynolds estimates it will employ a total of about 700 people.
New contracts within the Sykes corporation, which includes about 50 call centers in the United States, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Africa, India and Asia, have led to the need for new employees, McReynolds explained in a Friday telephone interview. He couldn't divulge who the new clients are, but added that both are customer service-related contracts.
The Wise call center handles incoming calls from several clients, McReynolds explained. Employees there help customers with a little bit of everything, including travel arrangements, financial information, insurance, technical support and more.
Basically, the business handles just about any service for which you might dial a 1-800 number, McReynolds explained.
"That's what's unique about Sykes,"? McReynolds said. "We're well-diversified in different fields across the spectrum. We're definitely here for the long run,"? he added. He noted that the corporation has more than 180 clients worldwide.
The last time the Wise Sykes location made local news was in 2003, when the corporation closed several call centers, including one in Perry County, Ky., located near Hazard. Many speculated the rural United States call centers were being closed in favor of cheaper labor overseas.
All that has changed, McReynolds said. The company as a whole is in a growth mode, he said, as its existing clients expand their contracts and other clients look to come on board.
The Wise call center has had to renovate its interior after only five years in business, he added, to accommodate the swelling need for employees. In recent months, the call center's main floor area has been reorganized, with cubicles stacked more tightly together, to make better use of space.
McReynolds says the company's ability to expand and to retain employees in the United States are due to Sykes' 27 years of experience and high level of performance. New contracts are carefully considered, he added.
"We have confidence that they will stay, or else we wouldn't do business with them,"? McReynolds said.
The new jobs
The new Sykes jobs come with benefits and the opportunity for quick pay raises, McReynolds explained.
For the 350 entry-level positions, applicants only need some basic computer knowledge and good customer service skills, he explained. The jobs start at $8 per hour, including training, with a 9 percent incentive once applicants complete training. Within a Sykes employee's first year on board, he or she can expect a 50-cent pay increase, he said.
All positions, even the entry-level ones, include health insurance, a 401k savings plan and the opportunity for tuition reimbursement, he added.
Those interested in the new positions can either apply in person or inquire through the Virginia Employment Commission, McReynolds noted.
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