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IBEX Global to hire 1,000 BPO workers at downtown headquarters

Published:Thursday | January 18, 2018 | 12:00 AMJason Cross/Gleaner Writer
Bob Dechant (left), IBEX Global Solutions chief executive officer, speaks with Minister Without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation Daryl Vaz, and Diane Edwards, president of JAMPRO, at IBEX’s official opening at Digicel headquarters in downtown Kingston on Wednesday.

Within the next six months, IBEX Global Solutions, which has become a major player in the local business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, will be embarking on a major recruitment drive to fill 500 to 1,000 vacancies at its newly opened branch on the Digicel building in downtown Kingston. The location will also serve as the company's headquarters for the Caribbean and Central America, and will occupy the first three floors.

"We are doing some hiring events. Between here and the other branch at Portmore Pines Plaza, IBEX has a total of 2,500 employees, and our objective is to be at 5,000 in the next two years," IBEX's vice president for commercial operations, Greg Rajchel, told The Gleaner at the official opening ceremony on Wednesday.

"We have 50,000 square feet of space here, with 906 production workstations that will house approximately 1,700 employees over the next 12 months. We have 500 employees already at this location; we will be hiring 500 to 1,000 in this location and will be doing mostly customer service calls coming in from the US market place. This facility demonstrates a great partnership with Digicel. They supplied all the PCs and equipment, as well as they will be providing our connectivity going forward."

IBEX's chief executive officer, Bob Dechant, said the 5,000 jobs that the organisation is aiming to provide was sparked by a commitment he made to Prime Minister Andrew Holness some time ago.

"In 2016, we were standing in a similar position with a magnificent ribbon cutting in Portmore. At that event, Prime Minister Holness set an expectation and a vision. He said that this market, in his belief, could provide 80,000 to 100,000 jobs in the BPO market at the time. Following his vision, I then set the IBEX vision, and I boasted to provide 5,000 jobs in three years," he said.

"Today, we have over 2,500 employees, which is half way to the target in approximately 12 months. We have won the Frost and Sullivan 2017 Central American and Caribbean Contact Centre Outsourcing Service's Growth and Excellence Leadership Award. That means this BPO company has grown the fastest in this industry. I believe that the IBEX brand is the strongest in the Jamaican market."

jason.cross@gleanerjm.com