Call centres abroad: one manager’s experience Alain Meric

The life of an ex-pat working in the contact centre industry is not without challenges. Being away from home experiencing life and work in a different culture can at times be difficult both professionally and personally, as there are many adaptations that have to be made.

Here, Alain Meric, client relationship manager at SITEL talks about how working life in the UK is different to his native France, where he was previously responsible for managing the call centre for Disneyland Resort Paris. 

The decision to move to the UK and work abroad was based around my desire to experience life in different cultures. To be given the opportunity to work in the UK is invaluable and I am confident that it will give me great leverage and many opportunities to move anywhere in the world as a result of the knowledge and experience I have built and will continue to enhance.

There is a common business language that originates here, and being exposed to that gives me the chance to learn about the culture of European businesses in general. Many large companies have their European offices situated in the UK so I can learn so much more than I can in France and, at the same time, experience life in the UK and all that comes with it.

It is not easy, however, to enter the UK employment market as someone from outside the country. Obviously English is not my native language and therefore it is harder, I think, to be culturally accepted within the job application process.

As someone from outside of the UK looking for a job within the contact centre industry, speaking a different mother tongue puts up an automatic boundary that makes it much harder to find a job. I spent over a year looking for a suitable position and it was made even harder because I was still living in France at the time and therefore could not attend interviews at the drop of a hat. This is certainly a hurdle that ex-pats need to consider if looking to enter the UK job market.

The business benefits that come with working abroad

I have now been working in the UK for two years, and although there are times when I would like to be back in France, generally I enjoy living and working in England. There are business benefits for me here, as the market is so much more mature. In the UK there are often people that I speak to who have been in the industry for 15 to 20 years. This longevity means that the industry is structured very differently than back home. Software, tools and expertise are all much more advanced. The industry moves far faster here, too, and there is a different set of rules governing how it operates.

For instance, the market here is extremely process-driven. There are sets of rules for each interaction that govern the way I operate in my position. In France, management is very directive, but here in the UK it is very consultative. My experience so far is that a decision is not made by managers alone. There is a process of consultation, which means that it can take longer to get things done than it does in France. However, undoubtedly there is more discipline, knowledge and experience within the UK market, which makes the industry stronger. It can sometimes be frustrating for an agreement to take a long period of time, or to be put in to action, but the contact centre industry here has developed this way, and ultimately it works.

There are also cultural differences within the environment that surrounds the contact centre industry. In France there is a constant drive from staff for additional benefits. The culture of contact centre employment has not reached the same levels of maturity as here in the UK. As a manager in France, I had to put a lot of my energies in to maintaining my teams. In the UK, my management skills are utilised in the recruitment and training of quality staff.

Lessons learnt in ex-pat management

Working as a client relationship manager in the UK has taught me so much about European business and business in general. I wouldn’t consider working in France again now. Not only are the benefits of learning the industry extremely worthwhile, but there is also a balance between work and personal life that is uncommon in France.

Again, I think that because of the maturity of the industry here, there is a divide between work and personal life that allows me to enjoy being part of UK culture while at the same time experiencing a fulfilling career.

What is perhaps most significant is that my work doesn’t dictate my status as a member of society. This is a refreshing change from France, where things are far more traditional, and status is determined by job title. As a manager working here in the UK I am expected to meet my targets, whereas in France we are expected to meet and exceed them. Culturally, the two countries are very different.

The UK definitely has a culture that is very dynamic and project-driven, but it’s less conservative and moves at a faster pace. Projects are easier to drive forward because of the technologies and systems in place. Communication channels are open and the flow of information to me is far greater than I experienced in France. I like this - it’s easy to get information and progress with projects and there are far fewer barriers. Technology in the UK is so much more advanced.

I would recommend for people to have this experience. Although I have had to take great efforts to immerse myself within UK culture and learn the business and adapt my management skills, living and working here in the UK has given me great experiences and a fantastic foundation upon which to build.