L to R Michael Moloney, from North Belfast and Stephen Hillis from Ingeus mark a major milestone for Firstsource Solutions. Michael is the 100th employee to be recruited through the Steps 2 Success programme, which is designed to help jobseekers build the skills and experience needed to find and keep a job.

A unique jobs partnership between one of Northern Ireland’s leading businesses and employment and skills specialists Ingeus has just marked a major milestone in Belfast.

Outsourced contact centre provider Firstsource, which is one of Northern Ireland’s largest private sector employers, has now recruited its 100^th employee from the Department for Employment and Learning’s Steps 2 Success adult employment programme, delivered in Belfast by Ingeus.

Firstsource specialises in product solutions and managed services for major UK companies in the telecommunications, media and financial services sectors. Steps 2 Success is designed to help jobseekers build the skills and experience needed to find and keep a job. The programme addresses each participant’s specific needs and challenges whilst helping them build skills and valuable experience as they progress into work.

The 100^th successful participant now employed by Firstsource is Michael Moloney, 20, from North Belfast. Michael was unemployed for almost a year, having previously been made redundant from his job in a local factory. Prior to that, he worked in a customer services role for a Belfast leisure centre and so had a taster of the skills required by Firstsource.

“I’m not a lazy person, and so being without a job was very frustrating,” he said. “I began to lose all structure to my days and was desperate to find something that would give me a reason to get out of bed each morning.”

Michael was referred to Ingeus for specialist employment support and he signed up to the Steps 2 Success programme. Straightaway, he was offered a place on Ingeus’s week-long music production course where he was encouraged to make the link between the skills required to make music and those needed to get a job, such as discipline, team work, time management, communications and planning.

“The course was a great experience, and it really spurred me on to get back into work,” he added. “Ingeus helped me understand how my skills and experiences were transferrable into other jobs. They encouraged me to refresh my CV, learn new interview techniques and look for jobs outside of the narrow band I had limited myself to previously.”

Working for Firstsource was one of the options Michael considered, and he was interviewed for a job as a customer services advisor to help banking customers with their everyday needs. He was delighted to learn that he had been successful, and has just recently started applying the skills that he gained at Ingeus within his new role at Firstsource.

“It’s early days, but it’s really great just to have a job,” he said. “I’m learning new things every day, and enjoy working with the team here. Not only have I got some financial stability, but I’m also making new friends and enjoying a social life once again. But more than that, I can look to the future with optimism.”

Laura Hourican from Firstsource UK said, “We have been working closely with Ingeus through their Steps 2 Success programme, which aims to give opportunities to long-term unemployed people. Steps 2 Success enables us to offer jobseekers an insight into the contact centre industry and employ those who are suitable for our jobs. Thanks to Ingeus we have now recruited 100 people who have come through the programme. Ingeus understands our needs as a business and have provided suitable candidates who are now an important part of the Firstsource team.”

Stephen Hillis from Ingeus added, “Our work with Firstsource is a great example of how we can support employers in Belfast by understanding their needs. This allows us to provide good candidates who have the right abilities, experience and commitment to fill their jobs.

“As well as helping Michael, the Steps 2 Success programme is supporting a wide range of local businesses as they expand and, as a result, is providing a boost to the Northern Ireland economy.”

ONE of Northern Ireland’s largest private sector employers, Firstsource Solutions, has launched a unique wellbeing initiative that aims to deal with mental health recognition within the workplace.

The ‘Mental Health Toolkit’ has been developed in partnership with Business in the Community Northern Ireland (BITCNI), supported by Action Mental Health (amh), and encourages all employees to be proactive about looking after mental health.

Firstsource is a leading global provider of Business Process Management (BPM) services employing over 2,000 people across three sites in Belfast and Derry/Londonderry.

The toolkit will equip managers across its sites with a greater knowledge and give them confidence on how to deal with employees who may have health issues.

Laura Hourican, GM – HR for Firstsource, UK said; “We are delighted to have worked with BITCNI on this new initiative and recently introduced it across Northern Ireland and our wider UK operation during our wellbeing week to help increase awareness.

“As a responsible employer, we are conscious that employee wellbeing and positive mental health is of paramount importance.

“The kit enables our managers to recognise the triggers, gives them the necessary tools to communicate with employees and allows them to offer a range of support services.

“It’s also the first in a series of resources geared towards helping managers be more proactive in addressing mental health.

“The workplace is often a pressured environment so these wellbeing weeks give staff some time-out from the call centre floor to help reduce stress and boost productivity.

“Staff can avail from a range of activities to encourage a more positive and engaging workplace including; massage therapy, health checks, holistic therapy, healthy food and fitness programmes.”

Stress and poor mental health are two of the biggest factors contributing to long-term sickness absence and costs the Northern Ireland economy around £4bn every year.

The ‘Mental Health Toolkit’ may help to reduce absenteeism for businesses in Northern Ireland.

Deborah McConnell, Workplace 20:20 Manager from Business in the Community welcomed the support from Firstsource, saying:

“Business in the Community is delighted to have worked in partnership with our Champions Network to develop this vital resource that we feel will be useful for all types of organisations.”

“Having been supported by Action Mental Health, we are certain the toolkit will help provide the right support and reassurance for line managers to feel more confident in addressing mental health in the workplace and in being able to proactively help and support employees dealing with this issue.”

Laura added; “We understand that a healthy workforce is a happy workforce and we are confident that other businesses will be encouraged to manage, recognise the signs, understand and provide support for the mental health of all employees.”

Lou Zonato, Senior Vice President – Client Relationship Management for Telecom & Media, Firstsource; Ash Schofield, Marketing & Experience Chief at giffgaff and Adrian Quayle NOA founding fellow and Managing Partner at Avasant, (Award Presenter)

FIRSTSOURCE Solutions a global provider of customized Business Process Management (BPM) services, is proud to announce that its partnership with giffgaff has been awarded both Best Outsourced Customer Service Team and Best Business Process Outsourcing Team at the National Outsourcing Association’s (NOA) Outsourcing Professional Awards 2014.

Firstsource was also shortlisted for Best Offshored Outsourcing Team at the NOA Awards, which were presented at a gala ceremony at the iconic Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London.

The company is one of Northern Ireland’s largest private sector employers, operates across three sites in Belfast and Derry/Londonderry and employs over 2,000 people.

The glittering evening was a celebration of the individuals and teams that add significant value to their companies, their partners and the global outsourcing industry.

This double award follows Firstsource and giffgaff’s earlier acclaim in June when they were awarded the Outsourcing Partnership of the Year in the European Call Centre & Customer Service Awards 2014 (ECCCSA) and the Outsourcing Center’s Outsourcing Excellence Award 2013 for Best Business Process, presented in Texas in May last year.

giffgaff is a mobile network virtual operator (MNVO) which is a part of the Telefonica Group. The prestigious NOA awards witnessed participation from various outsourcing and service organizations in the UK across 11 categories.

Iain Regan, Executive Vice President Sales & Marketing, Firstsource commented: “To win two out of the 11 prizes at the industry’s flagship awards event is truly remarkable. Coming as it did off the back of our success in Europe earlier in the summer, this is a tribute to the power of a lasting partnership dedicated to customer service excellence. Our giffgaff team has worked tirelessly to improve the customer experience and it is gratifying that this partnership between two organisations dedicated to innovation and continuous improvement is now acknowledged globally.”

Chris Halward, Director of Professional Development at the NOA said: “The Outsourcing Professional Awards was an outstanding event highlighting the best in outsourcing.

“I was delighted to see the variety of organisations represented and how well they networked and their willingness to share learning and experience. The Awards showed the immense depth and range of talent and capability in the outsourcing industry.”

NOA shortlisted entries represented individuals and teams who have gone above and beyond to make outsourcing work. The awards are designed to display that outsourcing is not just about contracts, but about the people, and seek to recognise the talents of the broad array of the outsourcing professions including: relationship managers; operations directors; CIOs; consultants; lawyers, who drive and achieve outstanding success within the industry.

giffgaff is acknowledged as a true innovator with its online customer service model, supported by a team of Firstsource agents. giffgaff is a pay-as-you-go, SIM only mobile provider, part of the Telefonica group and has been a Firstsource client since the giffgaff service first launched five years ago.

For more information on the NOA Outsourcing Professional Awards 2014 please go to:

http://www.noa.co.uk/files/606.pdf

A YouGov survey for outsourcing company Firstsource Solution has revealed that 61% of NI adults use their domestic landline once a week or more.

Northern Ireland may have the highest number of mobile users in the UK at 94 % but the landline still plays an important role with a higher take up in rural areas (89%) than urban areas (78%).

The domestic landline particularly proves to be most popular amongst the over 55s, with 86% of this age group saying they use it at least once a week.

One in three over 55s say they use a domestic landline every day.

The survey also shows that, despite common perceptions that young people only use their mobile phones, a quarter (26%) of 18-24 year olds say they use a domestic landline once a week or more.

Around 19% of NI adults never use their domestic landline and only 4% don’t have a domestic landline at all.

The survey also examined the type of calls UK adults make on their domestic landlines.

It shows that 78% of adults here use their domestic landline to phone family, proving the popularity of ‘friends and family’ packages available on the market.

The survey also shows that 47% of NI adults use their domestic landline to make important calls that need good or secure reception.

Iain Regan, Global Head of Sales & Marketing, Customer Management, Firstsource Solutions, said:

“The home landline still plays an important role in the lives of UK adults despite the huge growth of mobile phones and VoIP systems such as Skype.

“Communications service providers have developed attractive and user friendly packages for home phone use and also attracted customers through offering bundles incorporating the landline as part of wider TV and broadband home packages.

“There is also no doubt that domestic landline is popular because it remains one of the most reliable and secure ways to communicate.”

The survey, which interviewed over 2,000 British adults, was carried out by YouGov on behalf of Firstsource Solutions, a leading business process outsourcing company.

The research was carried out by YouGov on behalf of Firstsource between 30 July and 1 August 2013 with a representative sample of 2,087 adults in the UK.

NEW research indicates that there is little consensus among parents on the appropriate age for young people to have smartphones.

Half believe that smartphones are acceptable to teens but few could agree on an exact age.

The research was carried out by YouGov on behalf of Firstsource Solutions, a global provider of business process outsourcing (BPO) services.

While 12 (17 per cent), 13 (17 per cent) and 16 (24 per cent) were the most popular ages to allow access to a smartphone, there was no definitive age.

And 92 per cent thought it was suitable for children under the age of sixteen to have a smartphone.

Twenty-six per cent of parents thought that sixteen and above were the most suitable ages for children to have a smartphone.

Where the majority were in agreement, though, was around primary school children, with 88 per cent agreeing that smartphones are not suitable for the under-10s.

In spite of this, though, more than one in ten felt that it was acceptable for children aged between five and ten to have a smartphone.

While smartphone-use may be seen as part of everyday life, parents remain concerned about the effect they may be having.

Firstsource’s research found that over two-thirds of parents – 68 per cent – are worried that their child’s concentration and learning abilities could be damaged by too much time online or on smartphones.

In London, the South West and the East of England, the figure is even higher, with three-quarters of parents concerned over the impact of smartphone use on learning.

The survey also showed that social media poses a particular dilemma for parents.

YouGov survery carried out for Firstsource Solutions

Sixty-three per cent of parents would be happy for their children to use social media below the age of sixteen.

Nearly three-quarters of parents – 79 per cent – would be happy for their 11-17 year-olds to use social media but, as with smartphones, there was little consensus about what age would be a suitable ‘entry point’.

The most popular ages that parents thought were suitable for giving young people access to social media were 14, 15, 16.

While only four per cent believe that primary school age children should be able to use social media sites, 15 per cent believe such sites should only be accessible to those aged 18 or over.

Iain Regan, Executive Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Client Services, at Firstsource Solutions, said: “For many of us, smartphones are part of modern life – and that’s increasingly the case among children too.

“Our research shows that there is both concern and confusion among parents.

“It’s unsurprising that the use of smartphones and social media by young people is a major concern, particularly as their use is only going to become more widespread over time.

“Recent headlines will only compound parents’ concerns. It is important to strike the right balance to give children the benefits of smartphones and social media while protecting their security.

“That’s why network providers, smartphone manufacturers and government need to continue to work together to give parents confidence on these issues.”

L TO R: Firstsource employees Sharon White, Aoife White and Nate McCartney have been selected to showcase their talent at the ‘Music City!’ festival in Derry~Londonderry on June 21

FIRSTSOURCE Solutions, one of Northern Ireland’s largest private sector employers, is set to showcase local talent as part of its sponsorship of City of Culture’s ‘Music City!’ festival celebration event in Derry/londonderry later this year.

The global Business Process Outsourcer, who employs over 2,000 people in Belfast and Londonderry, is sponsoring the singer-songwriter stage at the ‘Music City!’ festival on June 21st.

And three talented Firstsource employees have been selected following a competition judged by music industry experts to perform alongside other professionals on the stage at the event.

The two joint winners were Nate McCartney and Aoife White, with Sharon White in third place, who have all secured their place in the Music City festival.

“City of Culture is very important for the local area and is a good platform to give Firstsource colleagues the chance to develop their musical talent. We are encouraging our employees to get involved with a number of activities with Firstsource throughout the year to mark the City of Culture,” said Fraida Silver, Marketing Director of Firstsource Solutions.

The Firstsource music competition had a huge response from aspiring musicians and also included a series of workshops with singer/songwriter Paddy Nash to boost confidence, inspire and develop skills further.

The judges of the Firstsource music competition were Charlotte Dryden, Oh Yeah centre, Paddy Glasgow from well known Glasgowberry music festival and Stephen McCauley, BBC Radio Ulster and 6 music, who were all very impressed with the standard of Firstsource musicians.

The Firstsource finalists have also received an extra prize boost from Arts and Business NI worth over £5,000, including instrument vouchers, studio recording sessions, CD production, additional gigs during the City of Culture and mentoring sessions with industry experts- all which will put them firmly on the road to performance success.

Brona Whittaker from Arts and Business, Northern Ireland commented: ”This event is just the type of partnership between the business community and the City of Culture events that we at Arts and Business Northern Ireland want to encourage.”

John (Tony Vegas) McBride, Stephen Harley, Shazz White, John Kelly, Kathryn Calvin (City of Culture Company), Seos Harkin and Nate McCartney

ONE of Northern Ireland’s largest employers has announced its involvement in the UK City of Culture 2013.

Firstsource Solutions, a global Business Process Outsourcer, is sponsoring the singer-songwriter stage at the ‘Music City!’ festival in Derry~Londonderry on June 21st.

The day-long celebration will feature music of all genres on various stages across the city.

Firstsource has four contact centres in Belfast and Londonderry, employing over 2000 people.

Employees based at Claremont Centre and Northland Road, Derry will be involved with the City of Culture activities.

As part of the Music City! event sponsorship, Firstsource will hold a competition in-house to find the company’s most talented musicians.

The winners of the competition will have the opportunity to appear onstage at the Firstsource singer-songwriter stage at Music City! on June 21st alongside well-known local musicians.

“As one of the biggest employers in the Derry area, it is very important that we support the City of Culture,” said Fraida Silver, Marketing Director of Firstsource Solutions.

“Over the coming months, we plan to introduce a number of initiatives to support the culture theme. As well as sponsoring the singer songwriter stage at the Music City! festival and organising our own music competition, we are also planning art exhibitions and encouraging our employees to get involved in City of Culture activities.”

Fraida Silver added; “It’s a great opportunity to involve all of our employees and engage with such an important event for the city of Derry. We have had a huge response already from staff keen to get involved with the City of Culture. There’s a diverse mix of instrumentalists, vocalists and singer-songwriters.

This new sponsorship is the perfect platform to give our employees the opportunity to perform alongside music professionals.”

Shona McCarty, Chief Executive of City of Culture, added;

“Music City! is going to be one of those days from 2013 which people will remember for years and years to come. It’s great that Firstsource has come on board in this way to help us celebrate the longest day of the year in style. Encouraging employees to become involved in City of Culture events is something we want to see happening right across the city.”

John (Tony Vegas) McBride, Stephen Harley, Shazz White, John Kelly, Kathryn Calvin (City of Culture Company), Seos Harkin and Nate McCartney announce Firstsource’s involvement in City of Culture’s Music City event later this year.

Firstsource staff present Michelle Carolan Fundraising officer for Clic Sargent with a cheque for £996.35

THEY say charity begins at home but staff at Firstsource Solution centres across the UK and Ireland have raised almost £12,000 through their fundraising activities in the past year.

The global Business Process Outsourcer has four contact centres across Northern Ireland and employs over 2,000 people in Belfast and Derry.

Over the last 12 months, staff in Derry have shown support to the local community through participation in a number of charitable events raising £996 for Clic Sargent, £1,500 for the NSPCC’s Secret Santa Appeal and a further £720 for a staff Christmas jumper appeal.

Clic Sargent was also Firstsource’s corporate Christmas charity and received an additional £1,000 from the company.

Fraida Silver, Marketing Director for Firstsource Solutions said: “We are very proud of all of our teams across the UK and Ireland and in particular the effort and enthusiasm that our local teams here have put in to raising funds for several worthwhile causes.

“Supporting charitable causes at a local, national and international level is an important aspect of the company’s CSR policy. Our teams are always generous in showing support through various events each year. These initiatives are a good way for staff to create a positive impact at their workplace and within the surrounding community.”

Other charities supported throughout 2012 include:

• Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice

• Little Orchid’s Centre for children with special needs,

• Children In Crossfire, a charity which supports children in the United Republic of Tanzania, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and the Republic of Gambia;

• Sperrin Cancer Treatment unit at the local hospital in Derry;

• PIPS (Public Initiative for the Prevention of Suicide and self-harm) in Belfast,

• Children’s Heartbeat Trust UKIrish Wheelchair Association

Firstsource staff present Michelle Carolan Fundraising officer for Clic Sargent with a cheque for £996.35

THEY say charity begins at home but staff at Firstsource Solution centres across the UK and Ireland have raised almost £12,000 through their fundraising activities in the past year.

The global Business Process Outsourcer has four contact centres across Northern Ireland and employs over 2,000 people in Belfast and Derry.

Over the last 12 months, staff in Derry have shown support to the local community through participation in a number of charitable events raising £996 for Clic Sargent, £1,500 for the NSPCC’s Secret Santa Appeal and a further £720 for a staff Christmas jumper appeal.

Clic Sargent was also Firstsource’s corporate Christmas charity and received an additional £1,000 from the company.

Fraida Silver, Marketing Director for Firstsource Solutions said: “We are very proud of all of our teams across the UK and Ireland and in particular the effort and enthusiasm that our local teams here have put in to raising funds for several worthwhile causes.

“Supporting charitable causes at a local, national and international level is an important aspect of the company’s CSR policy. Our teams are always generous in showing support through various events each year. These initiatives are a good way for staff to create a positive impact at their workplace and within the surrounding community.”

Other charities supported throughout 2012 include:

• Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice

• Little Orchid’s Centre for children with special needs,

• Children In Crossfire, a charity which supports children in the United Republic of Tanzania, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and the Republic of Gambia;

• Sperrin Cancer Treatment unit at the local hospital in Derry;

• PIPS (Public Initiative for the Prevention of Suicide and self-harm) in Belfast,

• Children’s Heartbeat Trust UKIrish Wheelchair Association

The details are revealed in a survey for Firstsource Solutions survey carried out by YouGov.

Battery life was closely followed by lack of internet access (20%) as the biggest obstacle to working on the move.

Lack of access to files was a factor for 16% of respondents alongside other irritations such as nowhere quiet to work (6%), not enough space (6%) and lack of electrical sockets (5%).

The survey also found that the majority of workers use their smartphone (21%) or laptop (19%) to work on the move.

But surprisingly, workers still prefer using traditional pen and paper (12%) to tablet devices (4%).

According to the findings, 29% of UK office workers need to access the internet ‘on the move’ at least once a day for work purposes during the working week.

However, only a third (32%) of UK office workers are actually satisfied with the internet on the move.

Iain Regan, Global Head of Sales & Marketing, Firstsource Solutions, said:

“As the traditional working environment evolves away from the office and working hours are extended to facilitate global communications, people are increasingly using their mobile devices to work whilst on the move.

“This new mobile world of work requires handset and computer manufacturers, as well as internet providers to step up their game and improve their services.

“Not only do the devices need to be more reliable to enable people to use them in various locations, but also internet access needs to be more robust.

“These survey findings indicate that 4G will be welcomed and could improve the ability to work any time, anywhere, using any device. But this extended use of mobile devices will create more pressure to provide the right level of customer services to support workers on the move.

“Specialist outsource partners will be vital to ensure that customer service solutions are available whenever required.”