The decision is part of the company’s plans to expand into more diverse communities where there is a need for more employment opportunities.
EUGENE, Ore., October 2, 2020 – FCR, the premier provider of customer experience and business process solutions, announced it would expand its contact center operations into the community of Southfield, Michigan. The expansion will bring hundreds of new career opportunities to the greater Detroit region.
The expansion is part of FCR’s ongoing effort to bring opportunities and jobs to diverse communities in need across the United States. FCR recently announced a move into nearby Romulus, Michigan, on September 1st. It has since hired more than 30 new employees from the city thus far and intends to expand rapidly from there.
President, FCR
“We are very excited to expand our operations further into Michigan,” said FCR President and Founder Matthew Achak. “Since we announced our move into Romulus, we’ve had substantial interest from both our clients and the local communities to push further and faster into the region.” He added, “The city of Southfield is located just 20 minutes outside of metro Detroit. It fits perfectly into our business model of offering customer service and technical support careers to those living in smaller communities. While Southfield is larger in population than our current locations, in many ways, it is similar to our communities in Oregon and Montana. It’s full of hard-working people looking for new opportunities and career paths into the startup and tech sectors. We are confident we will find plenty of good candidates who have the skills we are looking for, and we can’t wait to bring new opportunities to the area.”
The new career opportunities offered in Southfield will be Work from Home customer service and technical support positions. Employees will be provided with all the necessary equipment to operate in a remote environment. They will complete their training remotely as well. Once completing their training, the new employees will answer calls, emails, chat sessions, and more for several clients FCR currently services.
As the country continues to address systemic racism and racial injustice, FCR’s focus on expanding into more diverse communities across the country is part of its effort to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion within the workplace.
“What we are seeing happen across the country with systemic racism and racial injustice presents every business leader in our industry with an opportunity. We can choose to sit on the sidelines and watch it all unfold, or we can do things within our own companies to make real change happen.” Achak said. “We made a conscious decision to look at our company’s efforts concerning diversity and equity. We started asking ourselves what we could do differently and how we could make a difference. We asked if we were doing everything we could to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplaces. FCR has always been a company that has embraced diversity, and we support the movement for racial justice.” Achak added, “One of the biggest challenges has been overcoming a lack of diversity within the regions that we currently operate and reside in. We asked ourselves how FCR could increase its diversity in our local communities when little diversity exists within the places where we live.”
The company would soon find a way to accomplish that goal. As the country began to tackle the Coronavirus pandemic challenges, FCR pivoted away from a traditional brick-and-mortar call center operation. The company transformed its business model to a Remote Work from Home environment in mid-March. The move would preserve nearly every FCR employee’s job in the process, saving more than 2,000 people from unemployment.
“Unlike many industries during the pandemic, the demand for our services has continued to grow at an unprecedented rate. We continue to add hundreds of jobs each week, hiring new employees directly into Work from Home positions,” Achak said. “We are no longer operating in the old business model that says we have to hire people in a specific physical location. Now, we can hire new colleagues from all over the country. We can focus on offering opportunities to communities where we can access the best people for specific roles and programs.”
“We decided that instead of waiting for diversity to change within our existing communities, we would proactively expand into communities where diversity already existed, and specifically where there are communities of color,” Achak said. “There are economic and demographic conditions in those communities that mirror what we see in Oregon, Montana, and Idaho. We are confident we can replicate the success we’ve had over the past 15 years in places like Romulus and now Southfield.”
FCR has also pledged to increase its racial diversity by hiring a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager to ensure it meets its goals in this effort.
Mayor of Southfield, MI
Southfield Mayor Kenson Siver said, “The City of Southfield is delighted to partner with progressive and forward-thinking companies like FCR. We welcome companies who want to bring new career opportunities to our region.” He added, “Southfield is a diverse community with hard-working and talented people who are looking for an entrance into the tech and customer service sectors of the economy. FCR is offering a unique opportunity in those fields. The fact they are offering Work from Home positions also presents added flexibility and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
COO, FCR
“What makes FCR different is that we offer our colleagues the opportunity to build long-lasting careers that utilize each individual’s unique talents,” said Katheryn Carnahan, COO for FCR. “Our colleagues are the reason for our continued success, and they allow us to accomplish all of our goals. Without their dedication and commitment, we would not be here. We are confident that the city of Southfield will provide us with even more talented and dedicated colleagues. We can’t wait to get started and to be a part of the Southfield community.”
FCR will immediately offer work-from-home positions for Customer Service and Technical Support. In addition to entry-level positions, the company will also provide leadership and management opportunities. FCR is currently recruiting to support some of its largest and fastest-growing clients who are expanding their business in 2020. The company hopes to hire between 100 and 200 new colleagues in the Southfield area this year.
To be considered for a position, candidates will need a high-speed internet connection from their home. However, FCR will provide all the necessary computer and telephone equipment. Those interested in learning more about FCR or who wish to apply for a position can do so at the company’s Careers website, careers.gofcr.com.