Collaboration: Key to settle BPO issues

BANGALORE: "Collaboration within the industry on issues related to HR can go a long way in addressing the problems that we face today," proclaimed Aadesh Goyal, Executive VP and General Manager, Hughes BPO Services during the HR workshop conducted during the second day of the Nasscom ITeS BPO Strategy Summit.

"The areas that the industry can work on together are extensive and includes everything from hiring and retaining to supplier support and transportation," he added.

Speaking on the initial processes of obtaining a labor force, he said, "New companies are set up in this sphere everyday and they end up hiring people from other companies. This, on a large scale, creates an inflationary effect. Companies can consider implementing processes by which they refuse to hire people who are leaving their previous organizations within six months of joining. Also they can think of compensating the organization which is losing a person to them."

Integrating forces in the training gamut, initiating diploma and MBA programs for BPO operations could help in increasing the skill levels of the workforce, he added.

"Transport is another sphere where organizations can join hands. Though its not exactly an HR issue, setting up common BPO hubs from which shuttle services are operated to the various facilities will certainly help in cutting costs and increasing efficiency in the operations," said Goyal.

He also requested Nasscom to take up these issues and implement task forces to handle the same such that one year from now when BPO companies group again they will talk of solutions that had worked rather than the issues again.

Agreeing with Goyal on the implementation of standardized training programs to increase the ratio of skilled available labour, Martin Conboy, Director, Callcentres.net said, "Steps should also be taken to build it as a career option. Abroad call centers offer 32 different positions for workers to choose from or grow to.






In India, the conservative estimate, there are 3 defined ones. This cuts down drastically on growth opportunities. Moreover, it is important to instill identification with the profession rather than with the company among the workers. This is what we are working on in Australia at the moment."

Speaking on the various elements that go into training of call center workers, he said, "Stress management in the workplace figures at only 4% of the total training measures in a call center operation. This does not make me happy because its not good news. We have to remember that these are really young people we are employing and give them the kind of training and guidance required to handle customers who can get highly irrational at times."

Other speakers included Prakash Gurbaxani, CEO of Transworkz Information and Suren Shah Rasaily, Senior VP, NIIT Planetworkz.