New Digs, New Chapter: Voyse Moves to Belize City Seaside

It’s been quite the journey for Voyse International BPO. Since setting up shop in Belize back in 2007, the company has packed up and moved five times. But this latest move is a game-changer. Just weeks away from its eighteenth anniversary, Voyse has settled into a well-appointed seaside location on the outskirts of Belize City, right in a growing hub for call centers. This morning, the company marked the occasion with a launch ceremony, and News Five’s Paul Lopez was there to capture the moment. Here’s his report.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

After eighteen years in the country, Voyse International has set up shop along the Philip Goldson Highway, bringing fresh energy and a scenic view to its growing team.

 

John Malic, Senior Vice President, Voyse International

“Over the past eighteen years, Voyse has gone through several different eras and a part of it is moving from one location to another location. Here in Belize City alone this is our fifth move since inception in 2007, and I think it is a strong indication of investor confidence in always trying to find modern facilities and new location to provide inspiration environments for people that works in the call center business.”

 

The first and second floors of the building offer more than just a workspace. The modern design and open view of the Caribbean Sea is an added benefit for those seeking scenic therapy. But how is Voyse navigating the uncertainties that exist in the face of the controversial “Keep Call Centers in America Bill”?

 

Jimmy Wiley, Chief Executive Officer, Voyse International

“It is always interesting in the U.S. there is a lot or regulatory things and legislative things going on and certainly this period of time is no different and certainly there is a lot going on and we monitor things like that and it is very early in its process of where it may eventually go. But what we look at is that we want to continue to be here and continue the excellent work done here and this call center is very well thought of. We get rave reviews from customers in the U.S.”

 

Voyse International isn’t just expanding in Belize City, they’re also planting roots up north in Orange Walk. The BPO company, which now boasts a team of three hundred, has just opened a brand-new branch there and is looking to grow even more, with forty-five job openings up for grabs. Senior VP of Operations, John Malic, says it’s more about culture than it is about numbers.

 

John Malic

“The government would not be investing so much resources into protecting this industry and preparing it for the jobs of the future if it were a job as a last resort. In the U.S. the average tenure for a call center agent is six months. We have over fifty percent of our front line employees being five to ten years with the organization and I think a lot of that has to do with the culture we are creating as well as an career advancement path here at Voyse. A lot of people think oh you are going into a call center and that is a dead end. There is a lot of avenues you can go into it is just where you start.”

 

Ed Tom believes call centers like Voyse aren’t a last resort for employment in Belize, but a real career path with purpose and potential.

 

Ed Tom, Head of Human Resources, Voyse International

“While we really pride ourselves on our technology and facilities, with worldclass technology, what is at the heart of it is our people. I think you mentioned that John, just the heart of our people, the culture, making it a family environment, not just a job, but making it somewhere where you can grow from being an agent into IT and whatever position it might be in finance and so forth. So there is career growth and that is what is all about. We want to grow our folks. While we have three hundred active employees, we have a collective over one thousand six hundred years of experience. So that tell us about the longevity about what our employees come and find at Voyse. That is what it is really all about.”

 

Voyse is hosting an open day on Saturday in Orange Walk to fill its forty-five vacancies. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.