Total Express (TE) is a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company with headquarters in Miami, USA. BPO companies specialize in back and front office services on behalf of clients in many areas including: banking, telecommunication, eRetail, technological support. TE will offer eRetail sales and technological support services for smart devices including computer, tablets, and smart phones. TE opened its first Jamaican operation in Kingston, Jamaica in January 2017 and plans to expand additional locations in Portmore and Montego Bay. Plans to expand in Jamaica is expected to increase market share and provide other benefits for TE and the Jamaican economy. The benefits for TE include Jamaica's close proximity to the USA, a large population of English speakers, lower overhead cost than the US, similarity in the time zones and business hours, quick and reliable direct flights to Jamaica and North American cities. According to the Jamaica News, by 2022 the BPO sector will generate revenue of US$1billion dollars and will employ over 250,000 young Jamaicans. Jamaica's economy will benefit significantly from foreign direct investment and increased employment rates. The Mission Statement of Total Express (TE) is to serve global customers offering state of the art technological support by highly skilled customer service professionals providing the highest quality differentiated customer support services to meet the demands of clients while achieving a profitable and secure return for investors and business growth. This Vision is to become the market leader in BPO (Business process outsourcing) services in the world. The world class service will be delivered, creating the ultimate customer experience. TE will require 1000 new employees for the Portmore branch which is expected to be opened by December 2022. The General Manager, A. Young Duncan is responsible for operations and Sarh for human resources. TE will be recruiting 200 Customer Service Agents (CSAs), 10 Support Staff by December 2022. The CSAs will be required to answer incoming calls from customers who want to place orders, respond to inquiries, manage complaints, troubleshoot significant customer service problems, and provide general information. He/she will be a member of the primary contact team for consumers interested in the products offered by the organization and will be responsible for assisting them in completing purchases online and over the phone. They will also inform customers of the product features and demonstrate a professional company image through voice, online and social media interactions. The Human Resource Manager is overwhelmed with the human resource duties and responsibilities and is considering hiring a Recruiter to manage the Recruitment function at TE. She has drafted a job description and requires assistance to complete the process.

Challenges at TE

Customer Service agents represent a large percentage of the TE staff. Schedules are based on seniority, which means that priority is given to most senior employees. Due to high turnover, recruitment is ongoing and takes up most of the Human Resource Department time and resources. Most of the CSA are students or young people in their twenties and earlier thirties. During exit interviews, two main reasons for leaving the company are the work does not meet their expectations or they do not feel there is any opportunity for career advancement within the organization. It could be because employees who are placed in the jobs may be too difficult for them or their skills were being under-utilized so they became discouraged and quit. Inadequate information about skill requirements that are needed to fill a job may result in the hiring of either underskilled or overqualified workers. The company should carefully study the requirements of the CSA job and then workers should be tested for the requisite qualifications and then hired. Proper selection should be conducted with candidates not just to ensure they have the right skills but also that they fit well with the company culture, managers, and co-workers.

1. Identify the current challenges at TE

2. Recommend four (4) strategies that could improve/remedy employee retention at TE.