Sitel Hires 400 Agents in Canada, Saying Demand For Customer Services is Rising

American call center firm Sitel is set to hire 400 agents in Canada’s St. Catharines, a glimmer of hope for the industry battered by a rising wave of automation and COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The new hires will provide customer care services to an American telecom firm, the call center stated in a press release.

To comply with social distancing measures in this age of coronavirus, the BPO provider is restructuring workspaces at the facility in Canada’s Niagara region.

“With the size and space available in our contact center, the new associates will be on the production floor, where we’re implementing strict social distancing policies, as well as rigorous cleaning activities,” said site director Gemma Dale.

Also, every employee will be told to wear a protective mask at the office and work on staggered shifts.

The pandemic is driving demand for customer services, says the BPO, which, in April this year, revealed a plan to hire 10,000 work-at-home agents for its operations across North America.

When Covid-19 led to stringent travel restrictions in St. Catharines earlier in March, Sitel ordered 95% of its agents to operate from home. A month later, it added 200 more employees to its payroll on the back of increased demand for customer care service.

All new positions are full time, says the call center provider, adding that new hires will be trained in the job.