According to Gaurav Gupta, country head for India of the US-based Everest Group, the industry has registered a compounded annual growth rate of 30 percent since 2006, with an estimated $9 billion in revenue this year. “The Philippines has clearly established itself as number 2 next to India,” says Gupta.
(Photo by Chary Chu)At 2nd International Outsourcing Summit, held last 26 – 27 Oct. 2010, industry leaders discussed a range of issues facing the BPO sector. One issue was on talent.
Cristina Coronel, president of the Philippine Software Industry Association says that the “war of talent” continues to be a critical issue facing the industry. “The industry has been facing attrition for the longest time.” She saw both an “outflow and inflow strategy” to address the problem. A “gentleman’s agreement” can be forged between companies to control the outflow (piracy of talents). She also saw the need to improve programs and partnerships. “Partnerships with the academe can result to better, smarter talents,” adds Ms. Coronel.
Maulik Parekh, President and CEO of SPi Global say, “Attrition is very company specific.” He mentions that a company should have a culture that is respectful and with a sense of malasakit.” He adds that there are other sources of talents outside Metro Manila. “These talents from key provinces can go head to head with talents from Manila and Cebu.”
Outside Metro Manila and Metro Cebu, these talents can be found in 10 key provincial cities, which have made strong contributions to the economy. These ten cities are called the Next Wave Cities™ These cities are Davao, Sta. Rosa, Bacolod City, Iloilo City, Metro Cavite, Lipa City, Cagayan de Oro City, Malolos City, Baguio City, and Dumaguete City. They have been ranked in a scorecard developed by BPA/P and CICT. Metro Manila and Metro Cebu are considered “centers of excellence” and not part of this list.
Investments in talents are essential to sustain its brand as "the sunshine industry," said Oscar Sanez, president and CEO, BPA/P. He adds that talent development needs to “taken to a higher level from certification to training.
Last March, BPA/P launched BNCT (BPA/P National Competency Test). This is an assessment tool that would help generate industry-level talents. This test is given to graduates who would like to pursue a career in the BPO industry. “To date, we have been able to get some funding from government to allow us to distribute the test to 10,000 students nationwide,” says Jamea Garcia, BPA/P Executive Director for Talent Development.
“People either move up or move across. Agents moving from one company to another is part of a free market economy,” says Agarup Sengupta, Managing Director and Global CEO, Aegis Limited. “It also provides a breeding ground for new talent to come in.”
Moulic adds that the country needs a strategy to keep the Philippines competitive as other countries from Africa and South American are beginning to push their own BPO sectors. “We need to go deeper into the educational system.” He sees the need for a stronger “rigor of instruction for English.”
“The challenge we face now is how we can replicate our success. It is exciting to trade ideas with our counterparts from around the world and to share insights into the direction outsourcing will take in its next decade,” says Oscar Sanez, president and CEO, BPA/P.
Gupta adds, “Pushing hard what we are doing today require partnership and collaboration with government.”
The 2nd annual International Outsourcing Summit is a good push and step towards greater collaboration between key industry players. It organized by the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPA/P), in cooperation with the Board of Investment and the Department of Trade and Industry, supported by the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), together with the Board of Investments and the Department of Trade and Industry.
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