'Thrilled to be coming back': Call centre looks to hire 170 people in Charlottetown

HGS Canada announced Monday it plans to create 170 jobs inMarch, bringing workback to its Charlottetown location.

• P.E.I. unemployed fall under 8,000

HGS plans to host a job fair for the new permanent, full-time and part-time jobs Thursday, Feb. 16 at the Red Shores Racetrack & Casino in Charlottetown. The company plans tobegin interviewing candidates to start in the next few weeks at its contact centre on Hillstrom Avenue.

We wanted to ensure we had the right business match for that location.Ross Duff, HGS Canada

"Given our deep history and experience in P.E.I., frankly, the reliable Island culture and the associated hospitality has become part of our company's DNA," said Ross Duff, senior vice president of operations for HGS Canada.

The companyclosed its call centre in Montague, P.E.I., in March 2016 after more than a decade, leaving 65 employees out of work. At the time, a company spokesperson said, "the limited labour market size has not allowed us to produce the scale that the business requires to be sustainable."

In 2014 the company says it reduced staff in Charlottetown "due to changing client needs". Since then 25 corporate employees have remained working from that location,said Duff.

"We expected there would be an opportunity to open our site again on the Island, but we wanted to ensure we had the right business match for that location," said Duff. That's why HGS retained ownership of its Charlottetown office, he added.

'Lighting the site back up'

"We finally landed a brand new business, brand new client, brand new contract and are lighting the site back up," said Duff, revealing only that that contract is customer support for"a highly-respected Canadian company."

Former HGS employees are welcome and encouraged to apply for the new jobs, Duff said. "Our focus will be looking at the alumni."

HGS is offering an annual salary of about $27,500 for an entry-level position, plus benefits, Duff said.

"We're certainly thrilled to be coming back home."

HGS has 44,000 employees in 66 locations around the world, the release states.

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS IBlizzard warning in effect as 'a real mess' hits P.E.I.
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS IMeet P.E.I.'s 2017 Easter Seals Ambassador