Perception change for the BPO segment, measures that can be adopted to source good talent

A comment on the BPO perception report by Abhay Warrier- AM, FirstSource, a part of the comment which said “but what is the way out? Even we are struggling to get good talent for all reasons mentioned!” made me write this post that consists a comprehensive list of points that I think would not only help get good talent but also retain the existing.

1) Awareness: A common BPO regulatory/union body should take up the responsibility of spreading awareness to the general public and not just a target group. Outsourcing as a sub-topic should be introduced in the college curriculums under topic of Indian Economy because if you are discussing the growth of India Economy, you simply cannot ignore Outsourcing's impact on the same. Colleges should be educated on the possibilities of openings and various functions that exist in a BPO/KPO.

2) Bringing down the Attrition rate: Continuous HR related efforts should be made by the company after the training period on a yearly/half yearly basis for its existing employees. Employee motivation should be a priority concern for the HR department.

3) Security: For many parents who do not have a negative perception towards the industry are apprehensive to let their sons and daughters work in a BPO as security is cited as a big concern. Appropriate security measures must be taken and belief should be restored in the existing security systems. BPOs should work in coalition with expert security agencies or government sponsored security agencies to get inputs for their security systems. A small example would be installing a tracking device on the pick and drop vehicles that can monitor the vehicle path.

4) Non Poaching agreement: Unethical/ethical poaching results in higher attrition rates and therefore, a non poaching agreement between the key players of the industry would help bring down the attrition rate of BPOs and set ethical standards of hiring in the industry.

5) End to Rotational shifts: A rotational shift is probably the only reason I would turn down an offer from a BPO/KPO. I would not mind working 1 am to 10 am everyday for years but not fluctuating/rotational shifts. Bringing an end to rotational shifts certainly sounds as an extreme step to be taken but I am sure our BPO companies are capable enough to find a solution to this problem.

All in all- BPO, the phenomenon that was hated/opposed by many in the beginning but the brighter side of the story is that the number has certainly come down.

Indian mindsets have hated many such orbit-shifting breakthroughs in the past only to have accepted them to be an integral part of their lives in the future. For those who are not aware, Railways was described as “Iron Monster” when the British introduced it in India and is now described as the “life line” of many Indian metros.

A shift in perception towards the BPO sector is bound to happen but as we know- EARLIER THE BETTER.