Latest news : More graduates work in call centres

One in three call centre workers now has a university degree, reflecting the difficulty in getting graduate positions, according to a new survey.

Around 35% of call centre workers are now qualified to degree level says the report on call centre workers by recruitment company Hays and Top 50 Call Centres for Customer Service. This represents a jump of 10% on the corresponding figures from last year.

The report clearly shows that - despite having a far from positive image - call centre work is increasingly appealing to graduates in a difficult jobs market.

‘Call centres are becoming more demanding of their staff so it isn’t surprising that the profession is attracting more people with degrees, particularly when faced with a challenging economy and high unemployment levels,’ said Geoff Sims, managing director of Hays Contact Centre. 

The report questioned 286 call centre managers across the UK, with 43% saying they had noted an increase in applications from graduates. A further 72% of those surveyed had seen an increase in applications for advertised jobs.

However, hope that the economy improves means that many call centre managers could see an exodus of graduate staff to more skilled jobs. Two-thirds (67%) of those surveyed believed it will be more difficult to retain their best staff as the economy improves.

Improved progression opportunities, better training and flexible working were all cited as ideas that could improve staff retention.