Barclays defy credit crunch with jobs bonanza in Liverpool

Oct 9 2008 by Tony McDonough, Liverpool Daily Post

BANKING giant Barclays is defying the credit crunch by creating 240 new jobs in Liverpool.

The company will recruit 24 “account consultants” every month for the next 10 months at its Wavertree Technology Park base where it is launching the second of its UK-based Proactive Telephony Centres.

The new full and part-time workers will be in addition to the 1,000 plus people already employed at the site.

Expansion across its retail business sector has resulted in the growth of Barclays’ Proactive Customer Contact division.

Having spent the last 18 months cultivating this division in the UK at its Sunderland contact centre, the group is looking to replicate its success in Merseyside.

Barclays is also looking to recruit supporting management and leadership positions, ensuring that its 200-plus consultants have “the right level of leadership support”.

The bank’s head of premium segments, Alan Longmuir, said: “This is a fantastic further investment into the Merseyside economy and provides great confidence in our position as a key and progressive employer in the region.

“Ours are not your average contact centres. Our Proactive Contact Centre division has grown rapidly to meet the needs of our customers and clients right across the UK retail banking portfolio – from our personal customers to our local business and premier clients.

“We are looking for individuals who can have a great conversation with our customers.

“We want people who can introduce new financial solutions to our customers that help them to make and save them money and build long-term customer relationships.

“With an exceptional starting salary of £16,000, impressive bonus scheme, comprehensive training and induction plan and one of the best holiday and employee-care schemes in the UK, Barclays can offer truly unique career opportunities.”

This is the second significant expansion by Barclays in Liverpool in the last few months. In June the bank relocated its commercial banking team from Moorfields to 20 Chapel Street.

The 38-strong team took up residence on the 13th floor of the new office development. An eight-strong team of private bankers from the Barclays Wealth division is also based there.

It is the first time Barclays Wealth has had a presence in the city and the move reflected the higher number of wealthy individuals now resident in Merseyside.

OPINION: PAGE 10;

MARKETS: PAGES 26-27

tonymcdonough