Afni hiring for 140 positions at Phenix City job fair on Wednesday

Call center company Afni is in need of about 140 new employees for its facility in Opelika, Ala., thus it will be holding a job fair today at the Goodwill Career Center in Phenix City.

The recruiting event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon at the center on 3605 U.S. Highway 431 North, adjacent to Waffle House.

Afni is looking to fill customer sales and service representative positions, Goodwill of the Southern Rivers said. Basic criteria include being at least 18 years old, having a high school diploma or GED, good computer skills and passing background checks.

Goodwill did not say if Afni is looking for inbound phone or Internet chat employees. The call center’s website indicates there are now positions open for both at its 1000 Jeter Drive facility in Opelika.

The major difference in the two is the pay structure of the web chat jobs, with staffers receiving hourly pay plus commissions ranging from $700 to $1,400 a month for top sellers, according to Afni’s job description. In those positions, workers sell products, services and subscriptions, while also answering questions and updating customer accounts.

“Build trust and make positive connections happen with customers when they visit our clients’ websites,” says the job description, which also indicates there can be pressure to sell. “Meet and exceed monthly up-sell and retention goals.”

Bloomington, Ill.-based Afni has call centers in the United States and the Philippines. Aside from Opelika, it also has a center in Bowling Green, Ky., and two in Tucson, Ariz., one of which was hiring recently for a few hundred workers. The privately owned firm has about 6,000 employees in all, according to its website.

Afni’s hiring comes with Convergys Corp. filling the void left by Road America’s exit at its former 1838 Victory Drive call center in Columbus. Convergys, which also has a facility in Valdosta, Ga., has pledged to increase its workforce in Columbus to 450 positions within 18 months. The firm’s career page on its website has job listings for Columbus and a multitude of other Convergys locations across the United States.

This story was originally published August 9, 2016 at 12:47 PM with the headline "Afni hiring for 140 positions at Phenix City job fair on Wednesday."