About 150 jobs are available, says company official

Eight months after it agreed to open a new call center in Kalispell, TeleTech Inc. has announced that it will start hiring people next week.

Public Relations Director Julie Lucas said the company has about 150 jobs available. Training classes are scheduled to begin on Nov. 15.

Lucas said a variety of positions are available, including customer service representatives, management, human resources and trainers. The bulk are full time, although there are part-time jobs for people who want them.

"We're pretty flexible with the arrangements," she said.

The training classes are expected to last about four weeks.

TeleTech provides customer service and technical support to a variety of clients. It employs 33,000 people in several countries.

Lucas said it's taken the company this long to open the Kalispell center because it was looking for the right client.

Local employees will provide in-bound call support for an unnamed major telecommunications firm, helping its customers with issues ranging from opening an account to more technical needs. More employees will be needed as additional clients come on board.

The call center will operate out of the city-owned space in Gateway West Mall, which is located off U.S. 2 on the west side of town. The facility was previously occupied by Stream International until that company unexpectedly closed last year.

TeleTech signed a lease for the space in March. It agreed to create 425 jobs within three years, including 340 full-time positions, in exchange for a 100 percent lease rebate. The positions must pay a minimum of $8 per hour, plus a 20 percent benefits package.

Anyone interested in applying for a job can drop off resumes and fill out applications at the Gateway West center on Tuesday or Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Shorter hours will be available on Friday.

The company also will host a job fair on Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. An applicant's background and skills will be assessed during the event, and interviews will be conducted.

People who previously submitted applications and were tested through the Flathead Job Service are also being asked to attend the fair.

Hiring also began recently for the new Lowe's Home Improvement store, which could affect how many people are available for the TeleTech positions.