Call centre job applicants rise 'dramatically'

Employers are mostly looking for experienced candidates with a solid track record in exceeding sales targets. Photo / Getty Images

The most sought-after jobs these days?

Call centre workers - if the latest report from specialist recruitment firm Hays is anything to go by.

"The number of people looking for work in telephone call centres has grown dramatically", it says.

But Hays New Zealand director Jason Walker warned today that to be successful, job candidates needed a history of tenure within the sector.

"Employers will question the motives and commitment of someone who hasn't worked in a contact centre for 10 years but suddenly seeks a return," he said.

Hays latest quarterly report, published today, said the dramatic rise in the candidate flow for contact centre work was particularly strong among candidate with less than two years experience.

Mr Walker generally cautioned job seekers about looking for roles they considered easier to secure, if they were having difficulty finding a job in their sector at their level of experience.

"This has seen some candidates applying for positions at a level comparable to their recent position rather than making a career move forward - and in some cases even contemplating a backward step," Mr Walker said.

"But employers are just as reluctant to accept an over-qualified candidate as they are an under-qualified candidate. To the employer, a senior candidate in an intermediate role is a risk because they are thought to be using the role as a short term solution until a position at their level becomes available."

Hays latest report highlighted several areas where staff are still in demand, despite rising unemployment and tough economic times.

For contact centres the workers being sought included credit control and collections staff. Pressure to increase sales and maximise revenue had also created demand for experienced telesales consultants with a solid track record in exceeding sales targets.

Demand for collections staff was expected to rise steadily in the coming quarter as businesses took a closer look at the role of credit and collections functions, Hays said.

Organisations in many sectors sought specialists to manage credit risk and collect bad debts.

Among other skills in demand, experienced company accountants with specific industry backgrounds were a "hotspot", particularly in the manufacturing sector.

Financial planning, wealth management and associated support roles for wealth managers also remained hotspots, Hays said.

"The need for foreign exchange dealers continues to grow, with independent institutions now competing with large banks for their commercial and corporate foreign exchange business."

In information technology, core skills in infrastructure and development were the hotspots, with the focus on candidates that could provide a hands-on contribution to work completion and a direct immediate return on investment.

- NZPA