Australian operator Telstra issued a call for 2,500 people to fill temporary contact centre and back-office roles, to improve customer service and create employment opportunities in the country during the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

In a statement, the operator said some of the roles will be directly employed by Telstra, while others will work for its partners. It is hiring for positions in nine locations including Newcastle, Perth and Sydney, but noted many of the roles allow people to work from home.

The new hires are in addition to 1,000 temporary contractors it began recruiting in March to help manage call centre volumes, with facilities in the Philippines disrupted by virus containment efforts.

At that time, Telstra also said it put planned job cuts on hold for six months, as part of its contribution to a national economic stimulus plan.

The company also is redeploying its workforce to handle customer service needs, with some retail and technical staff interacting with customers through a digital messaging service.

Telstra noted it received 19,000 applications for the jobs announced in March, employing AI to speed the selection process and issue offers within a fortnight.