Sitel is planning to hire more than 200 people immediately, and that’s welcome news for Covington County in current economic times.

Brandy Miller, Sitel’s site director, said the company’s goal is to have at least 100 more people on the payroll within 90 days. The openings include positions that are both permanent full-time, as well as temporary.

“I have 600 total seats and I’d like to fill them all. We have the business.

Each seat can be used more than once — you do the math,” she said. “There’s always going to be attrition.

Sitel, which is located in Sanford, is an inbound customer call center with 60,000 associates in 27 countries. Locally, the company currently employs 400.

“We have an amazing team of people here and are always looking for eager and motivated individuals to add to our team — a lot to be exact,” Miller said. “We are committed to supporting and developing local talent for our site. I don’t believe there is anything more satisfying than creating an excellent customer experience. Every day our agents make someone’s day better.”

Miller said a variety of companies have employed Sitel to handle their customer service; the most recent addition to their roster is a national cell phone provider. Additionally, there is a need to fill positions in its temporary employment program with a company that has ties to the digital cable conversion industry.

“There has been a lot of talk about the conversion, like if it was going to happen or if it wasn’t,” Miller said. “It is and we need to get ready for it here in Andalusia. Our temporary position program — where employment could last from a week to a month or longer depending on the demand — will be handling calls related to the change from analog to digital cable service in February. Now, these calls won’t be coming from local customers, they’ll be coming from a different geographic region.

“This is also a great time that if you’ve been thinking about working for Sitel but wasn’t sure if work was right for you, to come try us out,” she said.

Miller said there are many benefits to working at Sitel, such as:

Insurance, paid vacation/sick leave and 401(k).

Paid training.

Casual and fun work environment.

Leadership training and advancement opportunities.

“And the two things that people like to hear the most — we will work with college schedules once training is completed and there is an opportunity for bonuses,” she said. “For each employee who has someone list their name on their application once employed, if someone lists them as a ‘referred by’ person, a person can earn a $200 bonus once that person has worked 90 days. We have some employees that really supplement their income with those referrals.”

The company will host a job fair and “Bring Your Friend to Work Day” on Wed., Feb. 4, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

“We’ll have refreshments, facility tours and you’ll even get to see firsthand what it means to work at Sitel,” she said. “You’ll get to listen in on some calls and see what we do.”

Application assistance and door prizes will be given.

Interested applicants can also fill out applications online at www.sitel.com and click on “Careers” or call 334-428-2900 for more information.