HOBART — Teleperformance, a customer service outsourcing company, announced Monday it’s hiring an additional 500 agents at its Hobart location within the next 30 to 45 days, bringing its total number of full- and part-time employees there to about 1,000.
The Salt Lake City-based company also recently extended its lease at its NorthWind Crossings location at Marcella and 61st Avenue for another five years, expanded its break room and is expanding its parking lot to the south, which will result in a total of 550 to 600 parking spaces, said Scott Amo, director of operations for Teleperformance’s Hobart location.
Amo said new clients, the majority of which provide health care and Medicare customer service, prompted the new hiring.
He said no health care knowledge is necessary; new employees will be trained.
Amo said Teleperformance hires a number of college students, who could go to school during the day and work nights at the call center. Open from 6 a.m. to midnight, the company can accommodate different shifts.
Amo said the positions start at $10 an hour with insurance provided after 60 days for both full- and part-time employees.
“The majority are temporary jobs, but last year we kept 75 percent of the people. They turned into year-round jobs,” Amo said.
He said 90 percent of the company’s business is in-bound calls with 10 percent telemarketing.
Amo took some Hobart city officials on a tour of the building Monday morning, showing where new walls are being built to provide client privacy, rooms where new hires are in training, offices, and the expanded break room.
“What’s important about the jobs here is that they meet the demands of a workforce that a lot of employers can’t meet,” Mayor Brian Snedecor said of the company’s flexible hours and scheduling.
The mayor also said that Teleperformance has invested in the community.
“Teleperformance is not only active in the chamber, but it’s supported a lot of city projects,” Snedecor said. “Even corporate type businesses like Teleperformance find ways they can help. They see the value in being active.”
Amo said the company will conduct its annual Feed the Children event Sept. 27, when screened recipients can receive donated food. The program will be at the company’s location in the 1900 block of Northwind Parkway.
Amo said the company also is hoping that Gary Public Transportation Corp. will expand bus service to its site to seven days a week and put a bench there.
Snedecor said he would reach out to the bus service once he knows how many people use it.