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At last Monday’s job fair in Hamilton for a new call center opening, visitors would have noticed signs saying “Brand Warrior.”
Colorado-based business services company StarTek Inc. is hiring nearly 700 Brand Warriors to staff the new call center it plans to open in downtown Hamilton later this year. Once renovation work is completed, StarTek plans to open in the former Elder-Beerman building at 150 High St.
When StarTek managers say they employ Brand Warriors, they mean they’re looking for people with enthusiasm for the job, whether they have experience or not, according to Scott Farmer, site director for the company.
“They fight for our client’s rights and to protect the brand every single day and they do that with enthusiasm and passion,” Farmer said.
Businesses that outsource customer service hire companies such as StarTek to answer phone calls, and in some cases respond to customers on social media, as well as provide other services.
Those hired by StarTek should feel empowered to make decisions on behalf of the brand or customer, he said.
“We make a bad decision, we learn from it,” he said. “Our clients expect because we are talking to their customers to always bring recommendations and suggestions for how to make things better.”
A job at StarTek can be the beginning of a career path, Farmer said. He started his career as an agent answering phones, and has now spent 17 years in the industry, for example.
Advancement opportunities include moving up to work in the training department, workforce management, data analytics, or as supervisors, team leaders, or managers working directly with top management as liaisons between StarTek and its clients, he said.
“I think (customer service) positions are some of the most valuable positions that we have because our clients are entrusting that our folks are going to have these amazing conversations with their consumer and increase customer satisfaction,” he said.
“When you take a look at career development inside a call center, I’ve always thought the call center is the heartbeat of the organization. You have the real-time voice of the customer,” Farmer said.
Hiring has begun, and the first of several job fairs to be scheduled was held April 13 in downtown Hamilton in the former Fifth Third building at the corner of High and South Third streets. Interviews were conducted on the spot for customer service and technical support.
There are 50 immediate job openings due to a business customer whose services are being relocated from Cincinnati to Hamilton, and those hired to do that work could start the positions the first week of May. Training will start at that time in Cincinnati, and the jobs could move to Hamilton in mid-June or as soon as the Hamilton building is ready for StarTek to start moving in, Farmer said.
Hiring for remaining positions will be ramped up as business contracts are finalized, he said.
“I think what makes them good job opportunities is two things: one is really the perspective of understanding that if you really have a passion to serve, and you’re enthusiastic about dealing with customers — StarTek is a great place to be,” he said.
“The second thing is I’ve built a management team that’s very supportive of our front-line Brand Warriors and their career advancements. I think it’s important that we create a culture where people are excited about coming to work,” Farmer said.
The Hamilton call center has the potential to become StarTek Inc.'s second-largest facility in North America once it ramps up to full operations, Farmer added during an April 13 interview with the Journal-News. The Hamilton call center would be second in size only to the company's Colorado Springs location.
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