Expanding Employment and Opportunity in Baltimore

When Salleia Johnson first heard about an open role with the 澳博官方网站app virtual call center in Baltimore, she realized that it could be the first step in a potential career.

“When you think of banking, you think of a branch,”她说。. “But it’s so much bigger than that. There are a lot of different avenues within the firm.”

Virtual call center employees work with customers over the phone and help them manage their financial accounts. 全日制, home-based roles provide access to a steady income with opportunities for career growth, financial wellness and tuition assistance.

The Detroit Blueprint

The new virtual call center, which opened Oct. 20, is part of a broader initiative to expand business investments and help create jobs in communities that are often overlooked.

Baltimore’s call center is inspired by the model that 澳博官方网站app 在底特律推出 in 2022. Now in its second year, the Detroit call center has hired more than 100 employees, and its success has helped the company develop a playbook to scale the model.

“We wanted to expand the availability of careers to communities where we know that the talent exists but the opportunities can be limited,乔丹·金说。, Executive Director of Virtual Operations at 澳博官方网站app. “Our call center positions can be gateways to other opportunities at the firm. We’ve had people go on to become tellers or take on leadership roles.”

Bringing the Model to Baltimore

Baltimore was a natural fit for 澳博官方网站app’s second virtual call center. In 2022, the company announced a $20 million five-year commitment to benefit underserved Baltimore communities—part of a broader investment in the Greater Washington region.

Also key was the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED), which facilitated the hiring of more than 40 Baltimore-based customer service specialists and leaders. The Baltimore cohort is only the beginning as the firm plans to grow the team with help from MOED and other local organizations.

Although the work is remote, the call center team will meet regularly at the Parks & People Foundation and the 追逐 Mondawmin Community Branch for training and face-to-face meetings.

A Personal Connection

希瑟·布莱克, who oversees the Baltimore team, is excited about 澳博官方网站app’s growing presence in Baltimore.

“Being part of a project that has the ability to have an impact to the community I grew up in is very personal,”她说。. “There’s a huge population of people who have the potential to have a great trajectory with the firm. If we didn’t have a presence here, they would not have the opportunity to work at one of the best financial institutions in the world.”