I can see how the customer service call center jobs can be shipped overseas, easily. All the other major corporations are doing it. Customers don't like it, but it's become more and more common.
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I think any employee who needs to be licensed is very safe. As long as they are doing their job, not coming in late or calling out sick. It's not cheap to train or license all those people.
The Hubs are safe....for now. The people working in them are not safe. Plenty of severed folks in the hubs along with employees with QTD’s.
Recently, I was having an issue with AT&T over billing charges for a business landline. The first contact was made with someone located somewhere in the US. He switched me to a second level associate who had pretty good English skills, but she had a slight accent. I asked her where her office is and she told me the Philippines. The problem didn’t get resolve so I canceled the line, as most of the calls were marketing calls even though the line has been on a no call list since inception, but that is another story.
Last weekend I contacted Ebay over a sale in which someone hacked a seller and set up a fraudulent sales scheme. After wasting time through their phone system, I finally got an Ebay account associate. She had an accent and you guessed it she was from the Philippines! She gave me an inquiry number, but referred me to PayPal as they handled the billing. After more time wasted time through PayPal's system I got another live body and your guessed it, another Philippines associate. The fraudulent charge eventually got credited to my Visa account.
While some logistics and state licensing will prevent moving some services offshore, you can bet that the initial contacts and some processing jobs can be handled by English and Spanish fluent associates from almost anywhere. It has been estimates that there are most English speaking persons from China than in the US.
While I am not a fan on how SF has handled their cost cutting moves, I do understand that they have to remain competitive in price in a cut-throat industry. Best of luck for all that have been negatively affected and for those who may be in the future!
Policy center does not replace underwriters. I have worked at two insurance companies, both with policy center, and it hasn't come close to replacing underwriters at either of them. That is not what the product does.
So glad I didn’t move to one of the hubs. I guess their motto, live work and play is being replaced by numbers numbers numbers.
Agree with below. Start thinking about what you want to do next. Close any gaps with training and education. Network. Strengthen your resume. When things get worse, you will have options. I noticed some very good people leave on their own and control their destiny (the old State Farm is gone anyway, so why stay). Unemployment rate is very low. The job market is hot. Employers would love to hire some good employees. Others who have to stay, just keep yourself sharp. No one is safe. Noticed all the executive and directors retirements. I am not sure they were by choice.
Folks there is no longer any “safe.” The only safety is you making yourself the best version of you. Do your job to the best of your ability, try to keep a professional attitude, and continue to develop and refine your skills. If the time comes you will have a strong resume and be very marketable. Make yourself safe, don’t depend on some Company to do it for you.
I'm in a hub and everyone looks stressed out. From the top down, too.
I'm in a hub and everyone looks stressed out. From the top down, too. The tension is palpable.
No one is "safe" and more change is coming and is inevitable. Full stop.
Ask bank employees at hubs if they were safe....
Very safe due to the high turnover there will always be jobs. Even tenured employees are leaving. If you just hang on long enough you'll be safe.
Policy center will automate applications. Completely. The agent will put information on a client into the Policy Center interface, the system will process it, underwrite it, issue it, and mail all documents. The process has always been done by teams of underwriters and underwriting assistants amd represents thousands of jobs. Poof. As soon as Policy Center goes live for all states, thousands of employees are replaced by the system....I'll leave the rest for imagination....but they won't be in line for Christmas gifts, retirement, bonuses, or promotions.
I agree with most posters. In this day and age and with this company or any other, you must keep on top of things including technology so you can learn what might make your job obsolete or require you to use and be proficient at that technology. I think nobody can afford to be complacent if you need a job. I am mot saying those who were let go became complacent. But going forward be aware this is not a career its a job and the only loyalty you shoukd jave is a fair weeks work for a fair weeks pay.
This used to be a place you have a career. Now it’s just a job for as long as you can tolerate it. (Or have to.) I think the moment they started having TMs work tasks that their panic mode became apparent. Anyone wanna give a ballpark figure of how many tasks are in your demand pool’s queue?
No location is safe but it is dependent on your current role, your mobility, and previous experience in other business units (as in if you're in Ad Services but have experience in claims etc).
Look at people they relocated to Phoenix or Dallas or Atlanta and then for them to find out they had to compete for their jobs again.
Look for more cuts in the first quarter of 2019. We ain't doing so good.
I can assure you those of us in the hubs are not feeling secure. Patrolling armed guards doesn't help either. Everyone needs to have a Plan B ready. I would not transfer anywhere with this company right now.
I work at the Phoenix hub. It seems pretty secure unless I'm totally in the dark.
Can you explain what is Policy Center? Not familiar with that term.
Auto injury is a joke
No one us safe in the Hubs. Once Policy Center gets up and running in auto, fire, and Business Lines, there will be less need for underwriting and service folks. Therefore, no safety. The company just has to limp along until policy center gets up and running and presto, fewer rank and file positions.
Yeah I wouldn’t trust leadership. Lying doesn’t bother them one bit.
No, the hubs aren't any more safe than anything else is. If the need arises to shutter one of them, they'll do exactly that.
The mantra being spewed is that the Hubs and Bloomington are safe, and everywhere else will go away. All growth will be in the Hubs & Bloomington. That being said, all properties are now leased so if there was an area that wasn't meeting expectations, say Atlanta, we could easily transition out of there to another location. If you go down the path that you want a career with the Farm and not just a job, you will need to keep your eyes open as to where growth is occurring and where it is not. You will also need to be mobile if the need arises.