Charter Communications said it has hired more than 3,000 new employees across the country since March -- mostly in front line positions including customer support reps and field tech positions -- adding that it is "actively seeking to fill thousands of additional jobs" across its 41-state operating territory.
The jobs are not necessarily new headcount -- Charter had expressed a need for additional employees, particularly in call centers, weeks ago. But with shelter-in-place orders in virtually every state as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company said its switch to a “virtual hiring” platform in mid-March has helped it maintain the pace of new staffing.
Charter said it has been using virtual hiring practices for several years, including web-screening applications and video interviews, in addition to traditional face-to-face interviewing. Through February, the company was hiring 25% of new workers virtually, but that number spiked to nearly 100% after the coronavirus pandemic took hold in March.
“Charter has been at the forefront of using virtual hiring technology to recruit and screen candidates, so we were able to transition quickly and seamlessly to virtual hiring when this crisis started," said Charter group VP, talent, Seth Feit in a press release. “Charter provides vital broadband internet, video and phone services, and our employees are critical to keeping our residential and business customers connected. Through the effective use of virtual hiring practices, we have maintained a steady rate of hiring and as the country begins to resume office work, we are well-positioned to hire even more people in the many markets in which we operate.”
Charter said it is recruiting for about 200 positions at its newly renovated Spectrum Mobile call center in Rotterdam, N.Y.; 185 positions at its mobile call center in Kansas City, Mo.; 100 new customer billing agents in Portland, Maine; and 350 new jobs at its Spectrum sales operation center in El Paso, Texas. The company also has more than 60 recruiters participating in the National Youth Hiring Day virtual job fair on May 7, which engages entry-level job seekers and unemployed young people.
Charter, which faced some criticism in the early days of the pandemic, has stepped up in recent weeks, committing to no layoffs or furloughs for at least 60 days, and increasing its minimum wage to $20 per hour. Charter also has increased the number of its employees working remotely, providing equipment and training to enable workers to perform their jobs at home.
According to Charter, the virtual hiring process begins on its website, where applicants can fill out an online assessment and answer a series of questions. Applicants who move forward in the process may be asked to take part in a phone interview and/or schedule a video interview, which can be conducted live or recorded by the candidate to submit at a later date.
All pre-employment screening is conducted remotely, and once a new employee electronically signs their acceptance letter, their employee badge is mailed to them.
During the current crisis, Charter said it has taken steps to maximize social distancing if a new employee must report to a workplace, including smaller class sizes for training courses and additional distance between workstations. Some new employees, depending on their role, may go to the office only to pick up their equipment to allow them to work remotely. More information about Charter’s career opportunities can be found at Jobs.Spectrum.com.
