TeleTech still hiring

The Daily Inter Lake

TeleTech hopes to hire 130 more employees over the next few weeks for its Kalispell call center.

The company wants to hire 50 full-time, permanent employees, at a starting hourly wage of $8.50, company spokesperson Julie Lucas said. Those employees will be eligible for benefits and TeleTech's Optimum Rewards, a performance-based bonus program in which workers can earn up to 20 percent additional pay each month.

Teletech also intends to hire 80 temporary employees to work from Aug. 15 through January 2006, at a starting hourly wage of $9.25. The higher wage helps to offset the lack of benefits with the temporary posts, Lucas noted.

"These jobs will deal with in-bound calls for a major financial services organization," she said. "It's not telemarketing. This would be a great opportunity for someone who is seeking to make some extra money for the holidays, or who seek a more flexible work situation."

The company is setting up an online site at www.hirepoint.com that will allow job applicants to apply online and track their applications. It will be ready within the next few months and will feature a virtual tour of a call center. Users will also be able to view video testimonials and read "a day in the life" scenarios of call-center representatives, Lucas said.

The Colorado-based firm opened the Kalispell call center in the former Stream International space in Glacier West Mall in the fall of 2004, hiring 200 workers initially. The Kalispell center currently employs 300 workers.

TeleTech provides a variety of customer-management services to its corporate clients, including telephone- and Internet-based call-center support.