BPO firms remain aggressive in recruiting new personnel

Despite the lingering global economic crisis, major Philippine business process outsourcing (BPO) providers, mostly contact center operators, are still aggressively recruiting new staff.

According to a survey by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), at least 23 BPO providers are still hiring new personnel, mainly contact center agents as well information technology and administrative support staff.

“A number of BPO providers are drafting additional staff on account of expansion, while others are requiring fill-in personnel due to attrition, or the loss of employees,” TUCP secretary-general and former senator Ernesto Herrera said.

Among the firms enlisting new staff are Aegis PeopleSupport Inc., Affiliated Computer Services Inc., APAC Customer Services Inc., Convergys Philippines Services Corp., Dell International Services Philippines Inc., Deutsche Knowledge Services Pte. Ltd., eTelecare Global Solutions Inc., Hinduja TMT Ltd., HSBC Electronic Data Processing Philippines Inc. and ICT Marketing Services Inc.

JP Morgan Chase Bank N.A. Philippine Customer Care Center, NCO Group Inc., NuComm International Inc., PeopleTalk Contact Solutions Inc., Stellar Global Solutions Inc., Synnex-Concentrix Corp., Telephilippines Inc., TeleTech Holidngs Inc., Telus International Philippines Inc., VXI Global Solutions Inc., West Contact Services Inc. and WinSource Solutions Inc. are all likewise still looking for new staff.

Herrera cited the case of APAC, which is recruiting 1,000 agents and support staff, including those meant for deployment to a new contact center in Tacloban City.

He also cited Deutsche Knowledge Services, which is recruiting 900 financial, business and accounting associates to provide back office support to its global financial operations, as well as ICT Marketing Services, which is hiring 400 agents, including those meant for deployment to a new contact center in Cabanatuan City.

Most of the firms require only two years of college education or “some college” for prospective agents. He said even high school graduates with exceptional English or foreign language skills could readily qualify for employment, according to Herrera.

The TUCP survey also showed that a number of BPO providers have a “desperate need” for contact center agents or back office staff with bilingual or multilingual skills.

Among these firms enlisting bilingual or multilingual staff are PeopleSupport, Convergys, Synnex and Telephilippines. They are scouting for full-time or part-time staff that can speak Spanish, Cantonese, French or Japanese.

WinSource is also looking for electronic mail support agents who can write in Spanish, Korean or Japanese, as well as outbound contact center agents who can speak Mandarin, Spanish, Korean or Japanese.

Meanwhile, the global manufacturing and technology giant Emerson Electric Co. is also looking for in-house contact center staff that can speak French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, German, Finnish and/or Russian.–Mary Ann Ll. Reyes, Philippine Star