Sky Q installation push: 500 more engineers recruited

Sky is employing 500 new engineers to install Sky Q in viewer's homes in the coming months, following a surge in demand.

It's part of a recruitment drive for the pay TV company which will see Sky’s UK and Ireland employee base grow to 25,000 employees – an increase of nearly 5%.

Sky is also creating 500 new customer service roles at its new contact centre at No 1 Leeds in the city centre. The soon to be recruited customer service agents will support customers across a range of Sky products and services including Sky Broadband, Sky Mobile and Sky TV, on top of the employees already based in Leeds.

The take up of Sky Q will help Sky streamline its offering - it currently has a fragmented customer base using either legacy Sky SD boxes, Sky+HD or Sky Q. Most new services and features are only being launched on Sky Q, with only limited extra functionality or features making their way on older Sky+HD boxes. Sky Q is currently the only way to watch Ultra HD content from Sky.

The push to install Sky Q in viewer's homes involves not just a change in receiver, but also making changes to the LNB fixed to the satellite dish. This has been somewhat controversial, as the change in the LNB has meant that non-Sky Q receivers, including Freesat boxes and Smart TVs with built-in satellite receivers can't use the dish, adding an extra hurdle if a household decides to ditch Sky for free-to-air satellite television. For that purpose, hybrid LNBs can be installed, but many viewers have not been made aware of this.

Stephen van Rooyen, CEO, UK & Ireland, Sky said:

Our customers love viewing all their favourite shows in one place with Sky Q, so it’s great that 500 new Sky engineers will be hitting the roads right across the UK this winter to meet growing customer demand. Together with our expanded team in Leeds, these 1,000 new employees are a real testament to Sky’s commitment to customer service and investment to create a diverse workforce right across the UK.