Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Elected Leaders
Joined Discover in the Ribbon Cutting of the Center Set to Employ
more than 1,000 Employees from Invest South/West Communities,
Provide Free Space for Use by Community-Based Organizations and
House a Tech Hub
Discover today hosted the grand opening of its Chatham Customer
Care Center and Shine Bright® Community Center on Chicago’s South
Side. Joined by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, 6th Ward Alderman Roderick
Sawyer, and other elected officials and community leaders, Discover
cut the ribbon on its new facility which includes a community
center that is free for use by community-based organizations (CBOs)
and other local entities, as well as a technology hub that gives
current and prospective employees working at the Center access to a
career path in technology.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220801005649/en/
Timeline for Discover's Chatham Customer
Care Center. (Graphic: Business Wire)
Located at 86th Street and Cottage Grove, Discover announced
plans to open its Customer Care Center in March of 2021 and opened
a temporary space within the Center in just three months. The
temporary space employed more than 300 people over the last year.
With the grand opening of its permanent space, Discover expects to
employ more than 1,000 people by 2024, most living within a
five-mile radius of the Center and living in Invest South/West
communities.
“In the first year of operations, our Chatham Customer Care
Center has exceeded customer-satisfaction goals and is performing
at an industry-leading level,” said Roger Hochschild, CEO and
President of Discover. “Our Center’s success and this grand opening
celebration would not be possible without the contributions of our
employees and the help of South Side community leaders and
organizations who welcomed us into Chatham and connected us with a
large and talented pool of diverse candidates, suppliers, and
contractors. I hope our commitment to Chatham and the South Side
can serve as a springboard for further economic and equitable
development in this vibrant community.”
Discover’s employee retention rate at the Chatham Center exceeds
all its customer care centers across the country. To build and
maintain the site, Discover awarded 47 percent of its business to
minority-owned suppliers and 28 percent to women-owned suppliers—
far surpassing City of Chicago requirements. A quarter (25 percent)
of Discover’s construction spend went to local Black-owned
contractors totaling nearly $4 million.
For Discover, being a good neighbor was equally as important as
being a good employer. Hearing from local CBOs and residents about
the lack of space to host meetings and events, Discover worked with
them to design the nearly 13,000 square foot Shine Bright Community
Center, a multi-purpose, multi-room, and multi-generational space
that will be used for meetings and events for both Discover and
CBOs, schools, business and professional associations, and other
entities. The community space will also feature rotating art from
local South Side artists.
Discover also opened a technology hub in its Chatham facility.
While most of the positions housed at the Center are for customer
care representatives with a starting hourly wage of $18 per hour,
one of Discover’s goals is to expose the growing talent pool at the
Center to jobs in the IT field. The tech hub will train current and
prospective local talent for jobs in business technology. The first
two cohorts of employees have already started, and Discover is
looking to hire more experienced IT talent over the coming
months.
From the initial stages of planning the Chatham Customer Care
Center, Discover has worked with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s
office. The Center supports Lightfoot’s INVEST South/West community
improvement initiative and offers job opportunities and economic
development beyond Chatham to residents of INVEST South/West
neighborhoods including Greater Roseland, Auburn Gresham, South
Shore, and South Chicago. Discover plans to offer additional
customer care jobs that will report to the Chatham Center that
touch other INVEST South/West neighborhoods over the next couple of
years.
“Today, I am proud to see Discover’s vision for corporate
investment on the South Side once again come to fruition,” said
Mayor Lightfoot. “It takes bold leadership and visionary teams to
expand equity so that all our neighborhoods can thrive, and I am
grateful for their partnership and support. The new Discover center
will employ hundreds of talented people living in INVEST South/West
communities and provide economic opportunities that will have a
positive ripple effect into their neighborhoods and our city's
broader economy.”
Discover also worked with 6th Ward Alderman Roderick Sawyer, who
helped connect Discover with local MWBE and Black-owned contractors
as well as 8th ward Alderwoman Michelle Harris who introduced
Discover to key community leaders early in the process.
“What Discover has done can and should serve as a model for
corporations across the country,” said 6th Ward Ald. Roderick T.
Sawyer. “I am proud that together we have worked to make the Center
in Chatham a reality especially by partnering to employ
minority-owned contractors on the project. The legacy of this
project will benefit residents now and in years to come.”
Prioritizing hiring local talent and minority-owned businesses
has been key to Discover’s success in both the construction of the
facility and its employee retention rate.
“Discover is living up to the promise it has made to the Chatham
community,” said 8th Ward Ald. Michelle Harris. “The leadership
team has been fantastic and has collaborated with us every step of
the way. The opportunities we are creating for residents, small
businesses and nonprofits will only strengthen the fabric of our
neighborhood.”
Headquartered in Riverwoods, Discover has called the Chicago
area home for more than 30 years and employs more than 17,000
people—nearly 5,000 of whom are in the city and suburbs. They also
have a satellite office located downtown. Discover consistently has
been ranked as a Top Place to Work by the Chicago Tribune. The
Chatham Customer Care Center not only highlights Discover’s
commitment to bringing jobs to cornerstone communities, but also
further demonstrates its commitment to providing U.S. jobs. The
customer care jobs in Chatham are part of the award-winning 100
percent U.S.-based customer service Discover offers across the
country 24/7.
All full-time employees receive Discover’s full benefits
package, which includes health insurance, a 401k plan, eligibility
for 20 days minimum of paid time off, a focus on career
development, and the opportunity to receive a free college
education effective upon the first day of employment. Earlier this
year, Discover expanded its fully paid education benefit program to
the city of Chicago through a partnership with Chicago State
University (CSU). Both Discover employees living in Chicago who
enroll at CSU and current CSU students who work full-time at
Discover are eligible to participate. The partnership allows
students to not only finance their education but offers
professional development opportunities to help them advance their
careers.
Today’s ribbon cutting kicks off a week-long celebration of
events Discover is having at the center, including receptions for
local community-based organizations during the week and a
Back-to-School party in its parking lot on Saturday, Aug. 6 where
volunteers will be giving away more than 3,000 backpacks full of
school supplies.
Individuals and organizations wanting to learn more about
Discover and job opportunities for their Chatham Customer Care
Center can visit www.discover.com/shinebright.
For organizations interested in learning more about and
requesting use of the Shine Bright Community Center for meetings
and events, please visit here.
About Discover
Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is a digital banking and
payment services company with one of the most recognized brands in
U.S. financial services. Since its inception in 1986, the company
has become one of the largest card issuers in the United States.
The company issues the Discover® card, America's cash rewards
pioneer, and offers private student loans, personal loans, home
loans, checking and savings accounts and certificates of deposit
through its banking business. It operates the Discover Global
Network® comprised of Discover Network, with millions of merchants
and cash access locations; PULSE®, one of the nation's leading
ATM/debit networks; and Diners Club International®, a global
payments network with acceptance around the world. For more
information, visit https://www.discover.com/company.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220801005649/en/
Matthew Towson Director, Public Relations
matthewtowson@discover.com 224-405-5649
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