Batt O'Keeffe
Ceist:87 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if 20 per cent of call centres' staff have left their jobs within one year. [22206/99]
Written Answers. - Call Centres' Staff.
It is generally accepted that staff turnover is higher in call centres than in other sectors of the economy. It is difficult to give a meaningful average for the industry as the rate of staff turnover varies widely among different companies. The turnover rate in some cases exceeds 20-25 per cent which is in line with international trends.
The rate of turnover is influenced by a wide range of factors including the nature of the company's work, the quality of management, location of the office, terms and conditions of employment, availability of alternative employment in the area as well as other factors.
Factors which might contribute to high turnover rates include that many young graduates with international language skills take up positions in call centres as interim jobs while they search for more senior positions; call centre jobs appeal to young people who nowadays are more mobile; recruitment in the IT sector is highly competitive and, consequently, there is considerable staff movement between call centres; and entry jobs in call centres are generally at the lower end of the pay scale.