Progressive Insurance To Add 300 Workers
At Riverview Call Center
The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies said Wednesday it plans to add 300 jobs at its call center in Riverview.
The auto insurance giant said it's filling 80 positions now, and it plans to hire an additional 220 employees during the next year. Recruiting manager Lynley Spoto Williams said the company needs more workers because business is growing.
Spoto Williams said the company decided to expand in the Tampa Bay area because the four-building campus here has room to accommodate additional workers.
"This is our second-largest call center, and we're already here and we're established," she said. "This is the place where we have infrastructure."
At the Riverview complex, employees take calls from prospective customers looking to buy automobile, motorcycle, RV and boat insurance. They also help customers who need to file insurance claims.
The new hires will increase Progressive's employment roster in the Bay area by 15 percent, to 2,300 workers.
The new jobs will pay $11 to $14 an hour, depending on an employee's experience level, Spoto Williams said.
Progressive isn't seeking government or state incentives or tax rebates as it expands its staff, but it is offering some incentives of its own. People hired by the company in November, December and January will be eligible for a $500 "signing bonus," Spoto Williams said.
Company officials said they're counting on the $500 bonuses to bring in more applicants during the holiday season.
Spoto Williams said there's a lot of competition for workers at the end of the year.
Reporter Dave Simanoff can be reached at dsimanoff@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7762.
