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Durrant Pate/Contributor

VLBPO, a Jamaican-owned back-office support and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) provider, is expanding its operations and is recruiting additional staff.

The Earl McDonald-led company is looking to recruit 100 to 150 agents, having secured its first enterprise-level client and is now ready to punch above its weight and scale operations. As the Kingston-headquartered BPO transitions from the start-up phase and takes on a large corporate account, it is ready to increase staff and expand operations.

McDonald, who is the founder and chief executive officer, is confident his company can achieve this goal. “Over the course of this year, based on the new business that we’ve secured, we’re recruiting possibly 100 to 150 agents. I’ve estimated it to be more because we have a lot of other deals in the pipeline,” McDonald explains.

“At present, VLBPO is recruiting agents to work with a US-based player in the health and insurance industry. As demand for its services grows from both existing and new accounts, the company will increase its headcount to meet those needs. We have other businesses that we are slowly scaling, as well, which are in financial services.”

Offering to new hires 

He adds: “What we’re offering to new hires at VLBPO goes beyond entry-level contact centre responsibilities. We are providing sustainable, long-term jobs in which they can build careers in high-growth industries. These are back-office operations, customer support, and case management roles.” 

The management notes that currently VLBPO has a staff turnover rate of 16 per cent, which is below the industry standard of 40 per cent. A key strategy for VLBPO in ensuring that turnover remains low is employee engagement and retention activities, including upskilling and offering employees value-added career options.

Moreover, McDonald cites the company’s culture of promoting a management structure that is both accessible and empathetic, as team leaders, including himself, have experience in local and international BPO services.

Looking ahead as VLBPO prepares for growth, McDonald is trumpeting the fundamentals of the company, such as a robust human resource management system, training, and world-class certifications and standards. These, he contends, could not have been achieved without the assistance of the Development Bank of Jamaica, which provided a technical assistance grant to upgrade VLPBO’s technological infrastructure. 

Early beginnings

Starting in 2019 with four agents and one client, VLBPO has increased its staff complement to 140 employees serving clients in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. Beyond the shores of Jamaica, VLBPO employs remote agents in the Dominican Republic and the Philippines, enabling the company to have a 24-hour service with multilingual capabilities in English, Spanish and Mandarin (Chinese).

Over the last six years, the Kingston-based BPO has served clients in the small and medium-sized enterprise subsector. According to McDonald, “over the course of this year, based on the new business that we’ve secured, we’re recruiting possibly 100 to 150 agents. I’ve estimated it to be more because we have a lot of other deals in the pipeline.” 

VLBPO’s clientele also includes companies in technology, real estate and legal services. By combining the expertise of skilled human talent with AI-driven voice and chat automation, VLBPO delivers the perfect balance of human connection and intelligent automation. This powerful combination enables smarter, faster, and more impactful customer interactions, driving sustainable growth and measurable business results.

Companies choose VLBPO for its hands-on leadership, commitment to quality, and ability to deliver scalable, results-driven outsourcing solutions that combine skilled human talent with AI-powered automation.