Phone giant to create 180 jobs on Tyneside
MOBILE BRAND EE LOOKING FOR 420 NEW CUSTOMER ADVISERS
MORE than 400 North East jobs are being created by BT Group as part of a customer service drive returning call centre work to the UK.
EE – the UK’s biggest mobile operator and part of the BT Group – last year completed the first stage of its pledge to “reshore” jobs, with all EE pay monthly customer calls now answered in the UK and Ireland.
Now the firm is creating more than 800 jobs in the UK – including 420 in the North East – to support EE’s ambitions to provide customers with the best service in the UK mobile industry.
EE is looking to recruit around 185 people at its contact centre at Cobalt, North Tyneside, 90 at its base in Doxford, Sunderland, and around 145 people at its Darlington site, joining the 1,500 people currently employed at North Tyneside and 2,000-plus in Darlington. The firm instigated a huge push to bring the jobs back to the UK just over a year ago in a move which resulted in the creation of more than 260 jobs in the region. EE has not been alone in recognising the region as specialists in the call centre sector.
Last year, the number of jobs created in the sector topped 2,000 after outsourcing group Parseq opened a second site and began recruiting for 450 posts, joining the likes of Boldon’s EC Outsourcing, which created 100 sales and retentions jobs; Newcastle’s Allay, which announced 80 new jobs; and US outsourcing giant Convergys, which has moved into The Rocket in Newcastle’s Stephenson Quarter, creating some 600 jobs.
The firm said this recent recruitment drive will see it take on more than 800 contact centre advisers for its sites in North Tyneside, Merthyr Tydfil, Darlington, Greenock, Plymouth and Doxford.
EE was ranked third in The Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For survey, thanks to high scores for management and teamwork, and was also ranked in the top five in the annual School & College Leavers 2016-17 Awards.
EE chief executive officer Marc Allera said: “Our customers want great 4G coverage, and great customer service, no matter where they are – and we’ve been working non-stop to give them both.
“We’re recruiting new talent, providing great opportunities through our apprentice scheme and creating entirely new jobs for the UK economy that will help ensure our customers have a great experience.”
We’re recruiting new talent, providing great opportunities Marc Allera