call, centre, jobs, staff

Call centre jobs set to increase

06 Oct 2004 | (Survey)

More positions are likely to be created in UK call centres next year despite the drain of jobs to India, an industry survey has found. Nearly 60% of employers questioned by research firm Incomes Data Services said they expected call centre staff numbers to rise over the coming year.

Just 5% of companies said they intended to cut call centre staff. However, firms said staff retention was a major problem with a quarter of staff leaving their jobs last year. Absenteeism is also a concern with call centre staff taking an average of twelve and a half days sick leave a year, well above the national average.

Alive and well

Of more than 100 employers canvassed by IDS, 58% said the number of staff working in call centres had grown in the past year. A similar number forecast higher employment in the coming year.

The forecasts echo the findings of a Department of Trade & Industry report, published in April, which argued that 200,000 new jobs could be created in the next three years. This comes despite British companies outsourcing more and more jobs to India. Last month, insurance group Norwich Union revealed it was moving 950 call centre jobs to India and Sri Lanka. It intends to have 7,000 staff working in India by 2007.

The threat posed to UK call centres by India could increase further after the Indian government announced plans to reform the country's data protection laws. It is looking to bring its data protection laws into line with those in force in the EU which, experts believe, could make it an even more attractive destination for foreign firms. Despite these concerns, Sarah Miller, who produced the survey for IDS, said the UK industry remained healthy.

"Despite all the worries about work being moved to India, the call centre sector is very much alive in the UK," she said. However, two thirds of employers reported difficulties keeping staff with turnover rising to 25%. Miss Miller said employers were making a real effort to address the problems of low morale and commitment.

Career progression

"We found that most employers in our survey are taking active steps to improve the retention of staff, for example, building in opportunities for career progression and making the working environment more pleasant," she said. Some firms are now offering financial incentives to tackle the problem of absenteeism, she added. According to the survey, average pay for call handlers ranged from £13,000 to £16,000 last year. Managers were paid on average between £17,000 and £22,300. The survey found that two thirds of staff working in the sector were women.

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