New York translation services firm hiring hundreds for expanded Phoenix call center

By Hayley Ringle - Phoenix Business Journal - June 2, 2019

TransPerfect Global Inc., a New York-based translation services company provider, has opened a new call center in Phoenix with plans to fill it with 900 workers.

TransPerfect’s Connect division, which opened a Tempe call center with 150 people in 2011, recently opened the new 75,000-square-foot Phoenix facility because it needed a larger space.

TransPerfect closed down another 35,000-square-foot Tempe call center in July, moving those 250 employees to the new Phoenix facility the same month, said Phil Shawe, TransPerfect's president and CEO.

“We closed it because we were bursting at the seams and we needed a larger facility,” he said. “We like Phoenix because of its educated, multilingual workforce available, especially Spanish speakers. Phoenix is also uniquely situated in an area that is very safe from natural disasters.”

Phoenix is known for its “experienced customer service workforce,” said Christine Mackay, director of Phoenix Community and Economic Development.

“Advanced business service providers such as TransPerfect find the quality workforce in Phoenix to be a valuable asset,” Mackay said in a statement. “TransPerfect is capitalizing on that experience and a diverse population with multiple language capabilities to grow in Arizona.”

The new Phoenix facility, at 4809 E. Thistle Landing Drive, is one of the largest facilities used by the company. It features a large cafeteria, game room, meditation/quiet room, mothers room and prayer room.

“The new facility is state-of-the-art,” Shawe said. “Employees care more and more about amenities. We want to be the employer of choice.”

TransPerfect Connect offers outsourced call center help desk services, as well as phone interpretation services, using local interpreters who speak Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, French, Vietnamese and Korean.

Customers include JPMorgan Chase & Co., State Farm Insurance, Hilton Hotels, the U.S. government and the Arizona government.

TransPerfect plans to hire 300 employees by mid-2020, Shawe said. TransPerfect already has 400 employees in the Phoenix area and plans to be at 1,050 over the next three years, with possible expansions beyond that, Shawe said.

The company is looking for educated, diverse employees who speak a variety of languages. Open positions include call center agents and executives, interpreters, technical staff, basic call center operations and human resources.

Shawe would not share salary ranges but said TransPerfect pays a few dollars more than its closest competitor.

The office is staffed 24/7 and takes calls from around the world.

“The company is growing at a really good clip,” he said. “We love the Phoenix area and we’re excited to be expanding there. We’re excited about the workforce in the community.”

In 2017, TransPerfect had $615 million in revenue, which grew to $705 million in 2018. The company expects to make around $775 million in revenue this year, Shawe said.

TransPerfect has offices in over 90 cities worldwide, offering its services in over 170 languages to more than 5,000 global organizations.

Original Article: https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2019/10/09/new-york-translation-services-firm-hiring-hundreds.html