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Why Are Call Centers Always Hiring and Should You Work in One? 

The call center industry is booming. In 2022, the call center market size increased by 2.8% and is expected to grow even more in the coming years. 

If you’re interested in working at a call center, you might be wondering, “Why are call centers always hiring? Is it a good idea to work in a call center?” I’m going to answer these questions for you to help you out. So let’s go!

The 7 Reasons Why Call Centers Are Always Hiring

If you want to become a call center agent, you’ll notice that there is no end to the job openings. It seems like call centers are always on the lookout for new recruits. And that’s true. 

Here are the 7 reasons why call centers are always hiring:

  1. Customer service is a high priority
  2. People tend to come and go quite a bit
  3. They deal with loads of calls every day
  4. They work around the clock
  5. They need agents with specific skills
  6. They hunt for agents who can work remotely
  7. They implement specialized campaigns or projects

1. Customer service is a high priority 

Companies can increase their revenue by 4% to 8% by placing a higher emphasis on customer service. It’s no wonder then that many companies are all about quality customer support

Since that’s the case, more and more call centers are popping up to help support these companies. And with more call centers, more call center jobs are added. This is one of the reasons why the industry is always hiring. 

2. Agents tend to come and go quite a bit

Call centers have very high turnover rates, between 30% to 45%. Many call center agents come and go every month. The main reason why call center agents quit is because it’s a very stressful job with not the best salary. I’ll talk more about this below. 

Because workers are always leaving, call centers are always on the lookout for replacements. This is why you’ll find hundreds of listings in one job search. 

Read More: 30 [Amazing] Low-Stress Jobs That Pay Well Without a Degree!  

3. They deal with loads of calls every day

On average, call centers receive around 200 calls a day! That’s a lot. To be able to answer most of the incoming calls, they need quite a lot of customer service representatives on hand. It’s no wonder they are always hiring. They need to fill in the gap to provide customer satisfaction to everyone. 

4. They work around the clock

To assist anyone at any given time, call centers have to be available 24/7. To be sure, they can’t keep the same agents in throughout the day and night. So the center needs to consider employees for different shifts. 

They need enough agents to handle both the day services as well as the night services. If you think about it, that’s a LOT of agents required. No wonder call centers are in constant need of new hires. 

5. They need agents with specific skills

Call centers are also always hiring those who have specific skills that are required. They have agents that deal with ordinary customer service experience, and they have special agents that deal with more intricate tasks. 

For example, they look for workers who know how to speak several languages. They may also look for agents that have deep knowledge about a certain industry, like finance or tech. 

6. They hunt for agents who can work remotely

Besides looking for agents for the day and night shifts, as well as those with specific skills, call centers also hunt for agents who can work remotely. With the introduction of technology, it’s now possible to do the job from home. 

However, not many agents want to work remotely for several reasons. For one, there is a lack of teamwork and personal management. They can also counter a lot of distractions or increased electricity bills. Since not many like to opt for this option, call centers are open to whoever wants to take the slots. 

7. They implement specialized campaigns or projects

Call centers may frequently hire to handle specific campaigns, promotions, or projects that require additional staffing. These can include product launches, marketing initiatives, or seasonal promotions. This is why there seem to be even more call center agent job listings during certain periods. 

Should You Work in a Call Center?

So now you know the answer to the question, “Why are call centers always hiring?” Next up is, “Should you work in a call center?”

OK, being a call center agent probably isn’t your dream job. However, these jobs have relatively low barriers to entry. If you need quick work, this is a good place to go. I mean, we just learned that call centers are always open to new hires. 

Another thing. If you hear about how bad the work environment is, remember you can choose to do it remotely. These are all good reasons to join the call center industry. 

But what are the cons if you work in call centers? Unfortunately, there are quite a few (no wonder agents are always leaving). Let’s look at them quickly:

  • You’ll experience burnout pretty quickly. Working in customer service roles is exhausting. You’ll have to take in customer calls the moment you log in to work. You have to overtime if a call takes several minutes. There’s hardly any time for breaks (yes, even bathroom breaks). It’s even worse if you work nights. Pretty soon, you’ll be burned out from it all. 
  • The pay is not good. For such a high-demand job, the salary range is pretty disappointing. As an entry-level agent, you’ll probably just earn the minimum working wage. You can expect a salary of $3,104 a month. 
  • It’s hard to advance your career. A promotion is hard to get by at call centers. This is because there are so many policies to keep in mind you’ll no doubt make a few mistakes. Also, you’ll be dealing with nightmare clients who can give you bad reviews (even though you didn’t do anything wrong). Besides that, the job might not be as stable as other jobs, especially with the advancement of technology and robots. 
  • It’s a very stressful work environment. Not only do you have customers yapping at you – your manager will keep complaining about your performance. Your stress levels can constantly be on overload, affecting your mental, emotional, and even physical health. 
  • There is a lack of sufficient training. This is especially true if you decide to go the remote route. When you don’t have enough training, you might not know what to do or how to act. Since that’s the case, you can make mistakes that will lead to even more complaints from the customers and managers. 
  • It’s known to have incompetent managers. This makes the whole experience even worse than it already is. New workers will have more problems than necessary because of incompetent managers who are very unprofessional. 

Of course, not everyone has the same experience working at a call center. You can be one of the lucky ones and have a great time there, especially if you love a career in customer service. 

However, most agents say that they hated the job. Here’s what someone from Quora had to say:

The pay sucks! I can guarantee you that all entry-level call center job is on minimum wages, which is “fair enough” for such an entry-level job. However, the expectation is HIGH!

Another person from Reddit said :

Working at one just involves way too much getting screamed at. often for stuff you have little or no control over and had nothing to do with in the first place. there are some upsides, but the stress can just be too much.

I’m not saying DON’T work in a call center. For some, that’s their best opportunity. However, before you make a final decision, consider the things that I discussed here and see whether it’s a job worth doing. 

Final Words

Why are call centers always hiring? This is because there is so much demand for agents in specific departments. There are the day shifters, the night shifters, the ones with specific skills, and those who work remotely. Plus, the industry is ever growing but the turnover rate is very high. 

With that in mind, should you work in a call center? Only you can decide. But consider the pros and (mostly) cons that I mentioned here before you answer that question. Is it worth it?

About Author

Founder of Eggcellentwork.com. With over 20 years of experience in HR and various roles in corporate world, Jenny shares tips and advice to help professionals advance in their careers. Her blog is a go-to resource for anyone looking to improve their skills, land their dream job, or make a career change.

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