Hiring, motivating and promoting our diverse, talented team who exceed customer expectations
We are committed to celebrating the diversity of our global TELUS International team of more than 62,000 talented professionals. We know that how we approach diversity and inclusion in the workplace requires more than policies and programs. It is about respecting the unique needs, perspectives and potential of all team members, so that everyone feels valued, respected, supported and comfortable to be their authentic selves. Read our Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Policy to learn more.
Impact sourcing to support our customers and communities
Our hiring practices focus on hiring the best and the brightest from around the world. In some regions and for some roles, however, we intentionally identify occasions to coach and prepare those with limited economic opportunity for long-term career growth at TELUS International. HOPE (Helping Our People through Education), hiring those with disabilities, the TELUS International Language Academy and the Digital Solutions University are examples of powerful, life-changing impact sourcing programs we have been developing since 2012.
Training and recruiting youth and young women
HOPE is an eight to 10-month life-changing program in Guatemala and El Salvador, designed to assist youth and young women by teaching English and job skills while they receive a living allowance, computer equipment and supplies, and psychological support from TELUS International. At the end of the program, students who qualify are given fulfilling roles in the company, enabling them to support themselves and their families.
To date, we have trained 300 high school graduates from public schools, of which 174 have obtained a position at TELUS International. The program consists of intensive English language classes (40 hours per week, during 12 months), certification in Customer Service Skills and psycho-emotional group and individual support.
Providing people with (visible and invisible) disabilities support
The Inclusion Program for the Hearing Impaired at TELUS International has been running since 2015 in Central America, in partnership with the Guatemalan Hearing Impaired Association, to encourage people with hearing disabilities to apply to work with us. In 2021, team members recruited through this program won Top Performers Awards and continued to excel.
Supporting customers of diverse needs
Our caring culture is extended to our customers, including specific programs for those with diverse needs. Since 2018, we have supported customers with disabilities, including people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or have low vision. In 2021, we grew our accessibility team in Austin, Texas by 25 per cent. Additionally, we expanded our frontline support in Cork, Ireland. We hire team members with diverse needs and specialized skills, including American Sign Language representatives, Screen Reader subject matter experts, Quality Analysts and Accessibility Consultants, because of their ability to assist our customers by approaching their issues with high quality and genuinely empathetic support.
HOPE, hiring those with disabilities, the TELUS International Language Academy and the Digital Solutions University are examples of powerful, life-changing impact sourcing programs we have been developing since 2012.
Teaching tech skills: Digital Solutions University
We introduced our Digital Solutions University pilot in 2020. The program consists of a two-month virtual bootcamp, and ends with the development of a four-month project with support from a company mentor. Participation is open to team members and members of the public. Available in Guatemala and El Salvador, candidates are required to pass a technical test and participate in an interview to ensure they meet the minimum technical skills required. During their full-time participation in the program, students receive an economic incentive.
Connections: The women’s network
Connections is the global women’s network of TELUS International, a program that creates an inclusive community and connects the needs and interests of women in the company, while supporting their professional and personal development. Through our eight Connections chapters, thousands of women attended webinars on how to help advance their careers, celebrated International Women’s Day and attended an online learning program to support personal and professional development.
Connections members also launched the Mama Bear program in 2021. Designed by mothers at TELUS International for mothers at TELUS International, it is a community to help one another thrive at work while managing family responsibilities.
Spectrum: A resource group for LGBTQIA2S+
We believe in the power and happiness that comes from bringing your true self to work every day. We are proud to support Spectrum, our resource group for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two Spirited (LGBTQIA2S+) team members. With chapters in the Philippines and the U.S., in 2021, Spectrum members participated in:
- A virtual drag competition featuring TELUS International Philippines team member drag queens, which raised funds for the LoveYourself Foundation
- Hosted sexual orientation, gender identity and expression sessions
- Held gender sensitivity workshops
- Celebrated World AIDS Day by hosting virtual HIV 101 sessions and offering on-site free HIV testing and counseling.
of team member respondents agree, “At TELUS International, we put customers first.”*
*Based on annual survey of team members conducted by Kincentric
Supporting the holistic well-being of our “digital first responders”
In our business, we have a dedicated team of highly trained and well-supported, resilient team members — our digital first responders. They help companies safeguard their user communities by actively screening and removing threatening, offensive, illegal or otherwise inappropriate content or actions that contravene our clients’ policies and community guidelines.
Reviewing raw user-generated content can be emotionally challenging and exhausting work, which is why trying to hire team members with the right character, skills and experience — then supporting them with wellness programs and the requisite support — is important. Beginning with the interview process and extending to the new hire training, we set very specific program expectations that outline the type of content to anticipate, including details of the types of extreme content they may be exposed to from time to time and how to build resiliency to do the job.
We run and continue to evolve our proprietary resilience and wellness training coupled with our Employee Assistance Program and comprehensive health plans. Our programs were developed by wellness experts, including a former United Nations Chartered Psychologist hired in 2021.
We focus on well-being management for our team members, providing workflow rotation based on volume and severity of content screened and wellness counselor input. We also conduct relevant training for different work options, tools and knowledge built in other industries to help manage stress and build resilience. In particular, we:
- Focus on preventative wellness, prioritizing empowering team members with skills to self-regulate (instead of simply activity-based wellness programs that are more reactive in nature)
- Adopt a holistic approach to wellness that includes education, communication and a supportive work environment with the goal of improving and maintaining the general well-being of our team members, including physical and financial well-being
- Manage wellness for not just our frontline team members working from an office, but also our diverse and distributed community spread across global locations.
At TELUS International, we pride ourselves on checking in with our digital first responders to ensure the assistance we provide meets their needs. On one account this year, as an example, 96 per cent of our digital first responders reported they were aware of our wellbeing support program.