The Scottish business processing operation sector, colloquially known as the call centre industry, has grown substantially over many years and currently employs c. 90,000 people in some 400 contact centres. In the UK as a whole, despite a recent upsurge of offshoring, the customer service sector employs more than 300,000 people and creates some £5 billion in employment income. This highly important industry comprises two key areas - contact centres and shared services centres.
Recruitment agencies dedicated to recruiting contact centre employees principally look for quick-learners with patience, tact and an ability to empathise over the phone. For customer service, no huge sales skills are necessary, but for telesales jobs, a robust personality and an ability to listen - and understand - the mechanics of a sales conversation are essential.
Typing proficiency and basic IT knowledge are generally required for both sales and customer service roles, but aside from these there are no formal requirements for entry and comprehensive training is almost always provided.
There are specific requirements in some call centres for bi-lingual or multi-lingual staff and these create their own recruitment difficulties – and opportunities, of course - for quality recruiters. All in all, contact centre recruitment is one of the fastest-moving and most exhilarating areas in which to work and for those who have the ability to handle volume recruitment quickly and professionally it’s a great place to develop your skills.
Recruiting for Contact Centre Jobs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, throughout Scotland and Manchester
View our current job vacancies or get in touch to find out how we can help you take the next step in your recruitment career.