Davao IT group warns BPO workers abandoning jobs

by Maya M. Padillo, Businessworld, Feb 10, 2017

DAVAO CITY — The head of ICT Davao, Inc., the umbrella organization of information and communication technology firms in the Davao Region, called on business process outsourcing (BPO) workers to observe proper resignation procedures amid increased staff poaching in the industry.

“Sometimes they think that they can get away with it by just ignoring the rules, by just disappearing. That is not good because you cannot hide it from your biodata, we are electronic today and it’s very easy to check if you jump from one company to another,” lawyer Samuel R. Matunog, ICT Davao president, said in an interview.

Mr. Matunog said small and medium-scale BPOs suffer the most from what has recently become rampant staff “poaching” as it affects a company’s ability to meet contract deadlines and requirements.

As for the “poachers,” Mr. Matunog said: “It cannot be that you offer them so much and then entice them to leave their companies immediately. We always require giving the present employer 30 days to either match the rate or to look for substitute talent. I hope that those who are enticing talents from other companies do not encourage such behavior.”

He also pointed out that poaching amounts to unfair competition. “For instance, there’s always competition, but sometimes what they (poachers) do is recruit people right in their workplace.”

“We have a Code of Ethics,” he stressed.

Recently, Ellen Jane F. Garcia, Concentrix Services Corp. site director, told the media that the BPO Association of Davao, Inc. (BPOADI), an ICT Davao member, has appealed to the city government to help the industry address widespread employee “poaching” by making membership to the local industry organization a requirement to obtaining a business permit.

Ms. Garcia said membership to the BPOADI provides protection to industry players through access to a list of employees blacklisted for alleged fraud or other offenses.

Mr. Matunog also reminded BPO workers that they could be shortchanging themselves by “disappearing” from their current work and jumping to a higher-paying job without considering other employment benefits and their long-term career.

He said: “It’s always a negative when people look at your resume and they see that you only last one year or two years in your previous company. If you’re interested in your long-term prospects, make sure that you select the best company today and stay with it because over time that is the surest way to get what you want. But if you jump frequently, it’s a negative on your part.” —