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Contact Centre staff

As part of our drive to improve our service for customers and increase efficiency, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is expanding the number of Contact Centres.

Although the type of work may vary depending on which part of DWP you work for there is a lot of similarity – at the heart of all our Contact Centre work is the need to engage with customers over the phone.

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What’s the work like?

There are a lot of different companies who offer work in Contact Centres – working in a DWP Contact Centre is different. Here are some details about working in a DWP Contact Centre.

The services provided by the Department are delivered through several different businessess. These include Jobcentre Plus, The Pension Service, Debt Management and Disability and Carers Service.

Some of the duties that you may be required to undertake include:

Here are some questions we have been asked about working in DWP Contact Centres.

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What are your customers like?

Working within a DWP Contact Centre team, you will interact with a diverse range of customers over the telephone. The work you do to help them will make a real difference to their lives. Sometimes these customers may be difficult to understand, anxious, upset or angry. For example they may have recently lost their job, be confused about what they should do next or be telephoning for someone else and may not have all the facts. You may deal with people who have recently suffered a bereavement or illness. You will need, after training, to develop the skills to deal with these customers, maintaining a professional level by remaining calm and offering assurances that are clear and comprehensive. As part of our team, you need to show sensitivity towards the customers’ needs.

What some colleagues working in Contact Centres said:

"I used to work at a Centre that dealt with customer complaints on washing machines – which isn’t exactly an insurmountable problem! But here I feel I genuinely help people."

"I come from a retail background, which was face-to-face with customers and when I first applied for the job I didn’t realise what the job exactly entailed here. Generally I’m surprised by how nice most people are."

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Is working in Contact Centres stressful?

Work in DWP Contact Centres is challenging because it can, at times, feel repetitive and you may be expected to work set hours that may change to suit business needs. Where possible you will be given a chance to work within time bands that suit you. You will have to respond to calls as they come through and so the pace you work at is often not controlled by you. Often there are busy periods followed by periods with less calls – you will need to get used to these ‘peaks’ and ‘troughs’.

All of the aspects of your work will be monitored including the time you spend on the telephone and you will be set target numbers of calls to take. The advantages of DWP Contact Centre work include no ‘in-tray’ and working as part of a supportive and friendly team with people on hand to help you. It can also be fun with most Contact Centres holding events for charity like theme days. There are also chances to get involved in other activities including a Departmental sports and social club which organises trips and activities. The team spirit often continues after work with informal social events.

What some colleagues working in Contact Centres said:

"There’s more responsibility here. You have a certain amount of control over work which makes you feel responsible and important and like you’re contributing to the company. You can make outbound calls and prepare for them and have time after the call to write up if you need to."
"With outbound calls it’s more of a team effort. If you don’t meet your targets, no-one gets told off. It’s a team effort, you can pass outbound calls on to a colleague if you haven’t got time for it."
"Management are willing to get involved. For instance if there’s a difficult call they’re far more willing to help than with other Centres I’ve worked in."
"People who actually run the Contact Centre say ‘Hello’ to you in the lift. It’s really different to other Contact Centres I’ve worked in. It freaked me out at first because I wasn’t used to it when they come over and say ‘Hello’ but they ask you if you’re having any problems etc and it’s great."

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Will I learn anything working in a Contact Centre?

I’ve heard that working in Contact Centres doesn’t need much skill:

You will receive training to develop your customer service skills – for example communicating with a diverse range of people and handling difficult customer enquiries. Working within a DWP team, you will also spend time using a computer. Whether this involves navigating through the system to obtain the relevant information, checking, reading or entering information, it is crucial that you are willing to learn how to effectively use the benefits of a computer system. For example you will need to input information that the customer tells you into the computer while continuing the conversation and providing good customer service. You will also be shown how to use a headset so that you can talk to the customer and operate the computer at the same time.

As an Equal Opportunities employer, DWP will seek to make reasonable adjustments to equipment whenever needed to accommodate people with disabilities. There will also be the chance to formally develop your Contact Centre skills and work towards an externally recognised qualification in a growing sector – NVQ as well as other Learning and Development opportunities in DWP. You will also be encouraged to use existing skills – for example if you speak other languages you may be asked to use them for some customers.

What some colleagues working in Contact Centres said:

"I learn something new every day. It’s a feather in your cap."
"You get training in I.T. so you don’t have to know how to type. Some people who work here had never turned on a computer before they started."
"I was nervous at first when I did a phone call in my own language, Punjabi’ where I was concerned over how I would explain things that didn’t have an exact translation but I surprised myself because it went fine. The customer was really happy and we sorted everything out."
"We have to deal with people speaking French, Spanish, Asian and other languages and it’s great that you can ask a colleague rather than contact someone at the language translator service."

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What’s in it for you?

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Rewards and benefits

The DWP offer a wide range of rewards and benefits:

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Right people

So, what makes an ideal candidate?

There is no ideal candidate – and no need for formal qualifications. Previous experience is not essential either as the DWP selection system is based around the DWP Values and Competencies and allows for the use of technical skills and expertise as part of the process. As an Equal Opportunities employer we welcome applications from everyone.

Everyone recruited to a post in the Department, which is or has the possibility of permanency, must be selected on merit and on the basis of Fair and Open competition.

Essential elements include:

The DWP has over 80 Contact Centres throughout the United Kingdom, with over 5,000 employees working in them.

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Contact Centre Selection Tool

We have designed a questionnaire to help give you a better understanding of the type of work that DWP staff carry out in our Contact Centres.

It’s designed to give you more of an idea of the day-to-day demands of the job, and to help you to make a well informed decision as to whether you would like to proceed with your application. Although there are various roles within centres, the scenarios are intended to present you with a view of typical examples of what the work can be like.

Find out more

We hope you have found this information helpful in dispelling any myths surrounding Contact Centre work and that it will help you to decide to apply for a post within a DWP Contact Centre. The most important thing is for you to make up your own mind about the perceptions and realities yourself.

For more information and support on specific DWP Contact Centre vacancies, visit our Current vacancies section and contact the person named in the advertisement.

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