This story was taken from www.inq7.net
|
LIV, 28, an electronics and communications graduate, was early for her 8 a.m. job interview at Sitel Liv wants to leave her present job at another call center, where she has been working for two years now, grossing P30,000 a month. In a brief talk, she told NEWSBREAK she was bored with her work and felt she was no longer growing professionally, and would like to try another call center. Her attitude is typical among those employed in call centers, regarded as a “sunshine industry” for its vibrancy and fast growth in the past several years. In a sense, her restiveness mirrors the dynamism of the industry. Considered to be still in its infancy, the sector is fluid, attracting fresh college graduates from diverse courses mainly for the high start-up salary it offers compared to other white-collar jobs. Not surprisingly, it has expanded by leaps and bounds. Total investments have reached about US$800 million. Sure, there are still more farmers and employees in the manufacturing sector compared to the around 40,000 agents at the call centers today, but what makes the industry exciting is its robust growth. From its early days in the late nineties, when there were just a few hundreds of young employees trekking to their offices during unholy hours, total workforce has since been expanding at a whopping average of 130 percent each year—a growth rate unprecedented in the Philippines, and steeper compared to India, Ireland, and other countries vying for a slice of this soon-to-be $100 billion global business. In 2001, for example, there were only 1,500 call center agents, a far cry from the approximately 40,000 agents now. The top call centers worldwide have set up shop here such as Convergys, Sykes, Teletech, West, and Sitel. Although A little over five years old, the industry holds promise of continuous growth. More than 60 call centers now operate in the country, and more companies are expected to come in. The prospects seem rosy. Industry estimates point to a total of 250,000 call center agents in five years, generating total revenues of up to $4 billion. The trend right now is to expand in the provinces. Four call centers are currently operating in Cebu; two each at the Clark Economic Zone and in Dumaguete; and one each in Laguna and Threats and Concerns Out of 100 job applicants, a typical call center will hire only two to five qualified ones. Because of the sector’s exceptional growth in the past, it hired an average of 3,000 agents every month. Going by the low absorption rate of five percent, this means companies were processing up to 60,000 applicants every month. It’s a tough job for human resources practitioners, like Carol Dominguez, president of John Clements Consultants Inc., a recruitment and training company. She said that for the past six months, her firm scoured the entire country, interviewed 5,000 applicants, and in the end, hired only 200. (Because of the workload involved in hiring, human resources practitioners in the call center sector are paid more than their counterparts in other industries, said Another problem is that while Filipinos have been touted as generally English proficient, this skill has deteriorated through the years. Common weaknesses include grammatical errors; and interchanging their “P’s” and “F’s” or “B’s” and “V’s”; and incorrect pronunciation of words. Stopgap measures had to be taken. Call center companies have tied up with some universities like the University of the East, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, and Most companies cannot wait. Some accept “near hires” or those whom the company managers picked to train for a few weeks. If their English improves, then they are formally hired. “We turn down a big chunk of applicants because they can’t speak straight English. But if we give them a chance, train them, and they improve, then they are in,” Dominguez said. She observes that Manila-based applicants tend to have difficulty because they speak “Taglish.” Those from the provinces have purer English because they don’t generally mix their dialect with English. The challenges don’t end there. The company’s investment of P30,000 to P40,000 for the product and speech training of every new hire is wasted when, within the year, about 40 to 60 percent leave. This means the company is forever hiring and training to maximize its capacity. But the common irritant among industry players is the practice of poaching. Companies offer high compensation packages to poach agents. Aside from the additional costs in training, this causes an artificial inflation of salary rates. There is currently a gentleman’s agreement signed by an informal group of 30 human resources practitioners, that includes rules against “lobbying,” or the recruiters’ practice of hanging around and offering experienced agents higher salaries while at the lobby of a building where there are call center offices. Also in the offing is a system that helps companies keep track of “professional trainees,” or those who jump from one call center to the next before their training program ends. These jumpers earn while they are on training but are not yet assigned quotas or accountabilities. It’s a tough job, nonetheless. Pam Wu of eTelecare said common causes of employee resignation include stress and poor schedules. Thus, agents have to have the energy to work at night, are not sickly, are willing to make adjustments in their lifestyle, and are tough enough not to take the calls personally. Most agents handle inbound calls, or customer-related ones. Almost everything is scripted. Industry players say Filipinos excel in inbound calls because they are generally helpful. Indians, who are more aggressive, are said to be better in outbound calls, where they get to sell anything from insurance to print cartridges. To ensure the agents practice what they learn in training, managers randomly listen in while an agent is engaged in a call. Their performance is rated based on different metrics, including the length of time they spend with one caller. External threats also abound. By industry projections, global competition for the call center market will heat up as Meantime, adjustments in the labor rules are being made to fit the needs of the industry. Nick Bonn, chief of the wage and hour standards division of the labor department, says that many call center companies have sought exemptions from the night-work prohibition of women. Article 130 of the Labor Code bans employers from requiring women workers to report for work between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Exemptions are granted provided employers observe certain labor standards such as the provision of sleeping quarters, transportation facilities, regular medical checkups, and other fringe benefits. But some companies go beyond the basics, considering it’s a young workforce where the average age does not go beyond 25. Perks include drink-all-you-can coffee, juice, and tea. There are also trendy lounges where the agents converge after work or during breaks. Sometimes a band is invited to entertain them. Out-of-town trips are common. All these are efforts to make the young, restless professionals stay put and keep the money rolling. Send feedback to letters@newsbreak.com.ph |
©2005 www.inq7.net all rights reserved
No comments:
Post a Comment