By: Deborah Johnson Wood
5/3 Bank is expanding its Grand Rapids call center and will establish 100 new jobs over the next six months. In addition to this core group of employees, the bank will create as many as six positions for training specialists, quality specialists, and supervisors.
"The number of calls coming in has increased substantially," says Madeline Erickson, recruitment manager for Michigan. "Our Cincinnati call center serves callers until midnight, and due to increased demand there's a need to expand hours, so we're bringing the jobs here."
The call center currently employs 233. All of the new positions are second-shift and include a three-week training course in basic banking practices such as checking and savings accounts. After the initial three weeks, workers graduate to what 5/3 calls "the nest," where they are tested on handling calls and receive intensive hands-on help from trainers.
"Once call center employees learn the basic skill group, which is checking and savings, and are performing to standards on a consistent basis, they can move on to one of five other skill groups, including mortgage lending and installment loans," Erickson says.
She goes on to say that in addition to hourly rates, employees can earn cash incentives based on the number and type of products, like mortgage lending, referred to customers. Those incentives could range from $50 a month to $500 a month or more, depending on the individual's sales skills.
Entry-level wages are $12 per hour, which includes a 10 percent shift premium. Employees who are bilingual in English and Spanish start at $12.50 per hour.
Source: Madeline Erickson, 5/3 Bank
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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