BPO companies to expand workforce this year

Most of the business process outsourcing (BPO) companies in the country plan to increase their workforce, but the lack of qualified workers worries them.

The results of an online poll conducted by TeamAsia for the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) and Outsource2Philippines (O2P) show that majority of the BPO firms surveyed would likely expand the number of their workers by up to 50 percent this year.

However, 34 percent of the respondents said the tight labor market here is their primary concern, up from 23 percent of respondents in a survey done in October last year.

About a third of respondents said they would only hire skilled workers, as they noted that the lack of skilled professionals could hamper expansion plans.

“People issues are still a top concern,” Oscar Sañez, BPAP president, said.

Almost half of the respondents said the tight labor market could be dealt with through education and training.

A total of 160 industry executives responded to the survey, which was conducted between February 2 and March 1. –BEN ARNOLD O. DE VERA Reporter, Manila Times