Telstra’s digitization may accelerate demise of its offshore call centers
Telco giant Telstra demonstrated that it has a clearer idea of its future workforce and how its customers will expect to deal with big companies in the post-pandemic era.
The COVID-19 pandemic enabled the progress already made on its T22-enabled it to fast-track the digitization and automation of many of its processes and systems and rapidly shift its office-based employees to working from home. This also means the acceleration of the demise of offshore call centers.
Telstra has announced 12,000 indirect role reductions (such as contractors) and 7,300 direct workforce role reductions since it launched T22 in June 2018. By the end of June 2020, its direct workforce was around 5700 lower than it was two years ago
The company found itself in the headlines back in the first half of the year when its call center staff in the Philippines were reported sleeping at their offices, without practicing social distancing.
