CareOne Hires Nearly 350 Employees in 2010

COLUMBIA, Md., Nov. 23, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- At a time when many other companies remain slow to hire due to concerns about the economy, CareOne Services Inc. has hired nearly 350 full-time workers this year alone. The workers filled both vacancies left through normal employee turnover, but also new positions within the company. CareOne now has nearly 800 employees.

A key part of the hiring strategy centered on selecting the very best talent, regardless of geographic location. As such, CareOne processed and reviewed more than 10,000 detailed job applications  from across the United States.

While some of these employees have come from the area around CareOne's headquarters in Columbia, Md., thanks to its use of technology, about 300 of these new hires work from home and connect remotely to CareOne's computer network. Some of the largest hiring efforts have been in Charlotte, Atlanta, Tampa, San Diego and Ontario, Calif.

More than two-thirds of CareOne's employees are now a part of this virtual workforce.

"We have wonderful, talented employees at our corporate headquarters, but technology allows us to widen our search for top talent no matter where they live," said Bernaldo Dancel, chairman of Ascend One, parent company of CareOne, one of the nation's leading debt relief companies. "Our company exists to help consumers who are struggling with their financial situations find the right solutions to put their debts behind them. We've helped more than 2 million people over the past eight years, and we have found the most important asset we can provide is associates who can truly listen to each individual's situation and help them determine the best debt relief solution."

CareOne initially created its virtual workplace program in 2006. To be suitable for the program, an employee must be able to avoid distractions and have a space in their home devoted to work. The company expects team members to treat their home base like a traditional workplace environment, while enjoying the benefits of a virtual job.

To maintain strong employee relationships and engagement in a virtual workplace, a technology team coordinates communications between managers in the headquarters and remote employees. Team members also receive personal support and encouragement to achieve a healthy work life balance.

"Our virtual team members are thrilled with the opportunity to work from home," said Dancel. "They are able to spend more time with their families and do the things they enjoy most."

This flexible work arrangement has also helped CareOne to earn several workplace accolades, including being regularly named one of the Baltimore area's "Best Places to Work" by both Baltimore Magazine and the Baltimore Business Journal.

Undertaking this transformation was part of a deliberate strategy by CareOne to, in the language of management guru Jim Collins, transform from "good to great." CareOne is already a leader in the debt relief industry. A recent independent survey of CareOne customers found that 85 percent felt the company had helped them successfully avoid bankruptcy and 82 percent had met their goal of eliminating or reducing debt.

"We are proud of how well our associates have performed over the past few years in serving consumers who need debt relief services. But in these tough economic times, we can and must do more to ensure that people get the very best advice, counsel and service," said Dancel.

About CareOne

CareOne Services Inc. is a debt relief company formed in 2002 to provide consumers with multiple solutions to complex money issues. CareOne takes a holistic approach to assisting customers in debt and reviews each situation to create achievable financial solutions. CareOne's services include credit counseling, debt management, debt settlement, as well as free referrals to bankruptcy attorneys if that is in the best interest of the consumer.

CareOne also provides the CareOne Community (Community.CareOneCredit.com), a free online resource for consumers that includes educational tools, blogs and forums where more than a million people share their experiences and receive support from others in similar situations.

Headquartered in Columbia, Md., CareOne has helped more than 2 million people. In 2009, it provided consumers with the tools and assistance to pay down more than $294 million in debt. CareOne provides services in 41 states. For more information, call 1-800-373-3225 or visit CareOneCredit.com.

SOURCE CareOne Services Inc.