The outsourcing industry of the country has brought in revenue and employment for 2011, with 638,000 direct employments and $11 billion in revenue.
For now, the statistics gives off a positive vibe among industry players in the country and to the government as well. This is a good response from an industry that has been perceptible in the country for ten years.
A certain issue, however, is probably going to be a problem looming on the industry.
To promote the consistency of the development of the BPO Industry, the country’s workforce needs to step up its game and extend its development focus to the non-voice services sector of the outsourcing industry. The country has been successful in developing its foundation in voice services, it even made it to the number one spot on the globe.
But the country still lies second best in the non-voice services sector, next to India.
The voice services sector usually consists of low-end job functions, which can be handled by someone who has a good command of the English language, good customer and technical support skills, and impressive analytical skills. The non-voice services sector, on the other hand, consists of high-end job functions that are more complex or intricate, which in turn needs people who have a higher degree of proficiency.
The Philippine workforce of the BPO industry has their frame of mind set to a certain facet when talking about the Call Center industry. They have inculcated into their minds that when it comes to the BPO industry, knowledge and profound skills in English and a college diploma are all that's needed. Before, this idea would qualify for the BPO companies, but nowadays, such notion is dying fast.
More and more applicants are not qualified enough for the non-voice positions, while the demand for these services goes higher. Many Filipinos apply for work in IT-BPO companies, with hiring rates that are only five to ten percent presently. Most applicants don’t get hired because they lack the necessary qualifications, skills, and professional expertise.
A study commissioned by the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP), the IT-BPO Road Map 2011 – 2016, suggests that the BPO industry has demonstrated potential to grow from being an $11-billion industry in 2011 to a $25-billion industry by 2016, providing well-paying jobs to 1.3 million Filipinos as well as indirect jobs to millions more. To achieve that target, the industry must address the looming shortfall of hundreds of thousands of people between now and 2016.
BPAP supports government-funded near-hire remedial training as well as certification programs for potential applicants, volunteer teaching, and train-the-trainer orientation and certification to enhance employability.
Also, BPAP has found out that in many cases, the people are unaware of the opportunities waiting for them in the outsourcing industry. To answer this issue, the organization recently launched a series of educational and informative initiatives to encourage Filipinos to work.
The non-voice, complex services generated 30 percent of the industry revenues. It is continually expanding, with a broad range of functional areas and industries.
BPAP also emphasizes the idea that working for the BPO industry would allow the people to “work abroad” but “still live in the Philippines.”New graduates as well as established professionals need not venture to other countries to have a job that compensates financially well. Opportunities offered in the Philippine BPO industry also have satisfactory compensations that can compete with the salary rates of OFWs (overseas Filipino workers). BPAP also eyes on increasing the visibility of the industry, as well as its opportunities, so that more and more Filipinos will know about and know how to find these great jobs.
BPO companies also concede on the critical need to retain people in the industry. The talents in the industry are the most important resource, and thus retaining them is a must.
BPAP has been working with the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) under the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to develop an integrated approach to providing responsive working conditions and promoting healthy lifestyles among employees. It is important to understand that IT-BPO companies have as large a stake in the health and wellness of their employees as any industry has.
It’s obvious that the BPO industry players and the government aim to maintain and keep up with the Philippine BPO industry. These actions will yield favorable results towards the industry, the country, and the people.
If those efforts fall short, the IT-BPO industry may find itself in the unsettling circumstance of having more jobs than it can fill. That would be tragic for the economy, the industry, and the Filipino people.
About the Author
Publish on 07/17/2012
is a self-employed blogger and copywriter from the Philippines who loves writing and is always happy to share her passion for blogging.
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