Sykes aids US assault on Euro careers

The multi-million-pound deal involves CareerBuilder using Sykes' services, including IT, customer care and back office support, as it aims to develop the European job site market.

Last year, CareerBuilder overtook Monster.com to become the largest job site in the US. Five years ago it was one-fifth the size of its main rival.

The Chicago-based firm is now building its presence in Europe. Initially the company targeted four European markets: the UK, Holland, Germany and Sweden. Working with Sykes it is now established in 14 markets, working in ten languages and still expanding.

Ron Hayman, of CareerBuilder, said: "This is an extraordinary performance, which we could not have achieved without the use of all the technical and operational support from our operations partner Sykes here in Edinburgh."

CareerBuilder operates in conjunction with web operators such as Facebook, MSN, AOL and Virgin to provide their job search portal.

It covers 92 per cent of the UK internet market, with job seekers making two million visits to CareerBuilder in the UK in one year, 36 per cent more than its nearest online competitor. Hayman said that similar results are beginning to come through from all over Europe.

"In Greece, Sweden, France and the UK, we are the largest," said Hayman, "In Belgium we are second and in Holland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Norway and Denmark we are becoming increasingly dominant and I estimate that we will be the largest within the next 12 months."

Based in Sykes' Calder House, just off the Edinburgh Bypass, CareerBuilder said it is in good shape to grow in Europe.

CareerBuilder said that it is creating valuable jobs in Scotland to beef up its European operation, with four management positions and 50 Sykes employees dedicated to its development.