Manulife cutting 700 jobs as part of digital business transformation

Manulife Financial Corp. said Thursday it will cut about 700 jobs as it looks to streamline and digitize its customer service operations.

The cuts will largely target customer service positions that are no longer necessary as the company automates customer transactions, said Manulife Canada CEO Michael Doughty.

“Our industry, including us, are still doing too many things the old way: processing paperwork, accepting mail, answering telephone calls on information requests that clients should be able to access on their own.”

“This is a pretty bold step in transforming ourselves to become a digital, customer-centric organization,” said Doughty.

The job cuts will come through voluntary exit programs and natural attrition over the next 18 months, the financial services company said.

Manulife plans to focus personal client services on the 20 per cent of services dealing with major life events like a death in the family, while automating the 80 per cent of client interactions that cover submitting claims, asking questions and other routine tasks.

Manulife said that along with cuts to customer service jobs, the company will look to recruit and train digital talent to adapt to new technologies.

The company is already using artificial intelligence in its life insurance operations to analyze millions of data points with algorithms to speed up the underwriting process, Doughty said.

Manulife will continue to expand its use of technologies including artificial intelligence across the company, he said.

Manulife said it will also consolidate its two Kitchener-Waterloo operations into one Canadian division headquarters to cut about 350,000 square feet from its footprint in the city.

The company also has major operating locations in Oakville, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax.