When will the BPO myths die?The BPO industry is a parking lot. I will work there for 6 months till I get a better job.
I am not sure that this is the right job for me because I may not grow. The list of such myths is endless. And the attempts by the industry to demystify the myths have also been numerous. But the questions remain. From parents to freshers to students a lot of people are still searching for answers. Here is another attempt to put this to rest.
First- the BPO industry in India is a high growth industry and will continue to grow. With a track record of 35% growth on a base of $7 B (28,000 crores) this is definitely a happening place. How many industries in India have grown from zero to this size in just 8 years time? Almost none. It should also be noted that the industry is part of a larger chain of processes of very large companies in countries such as US,UK, Canada, Europe etc. And the global BPO industry is mature and is more than 20 years old.
What does this mean to aspirants and BPO workers? When one looks at the career dimension it is only in the last 1 or 2 years that they would have seen examples of some one who joins at an entry level growing to a senior management level. However it should be noted that there are numerous examples of employees going from an agent level to a senior management level in the BPO industry in countries such as US/ UK. For example I am aware of a person who has gone from a call center agent level to a Vice President level in 15 years in a leading US based financial services company. However like any industry it takes time for this growth to happen. Now in its eighth year, the BPO industry in India is throwing up many growth stories. And there are numerous examples of entry level agent becoming a Business Unit Head within five or six years. It is only a matter of time when this becomes well accepted by employees, aspirants and parents that there indeed is a lot of growth that the industry offers. Patience pays. Only faster, in the case of BPO.
The second aspect is in terms of learning. The BPO industry offers a wide range of learning options. Right from learning a process to understanding global work cultures to learning an industry vertical to people management to quality practices to performance management to Profit and Loss management the opportunities are vast and interesting. Aspirants and employees in the industry must seek this learning for them to become well rounded professionals within the industry. And like any industry gaining expertise in the BPO industry is possible only by continuously learning,practising and doing the work. And then there is this myPth. The jobs are too monotonous. An expert becomes one by learning every time he does the same work, putting in extra efforts to master it and also becoming more innovative. Professionals who understand this grow. Those who do not end up giving excuses for the shift.
And then there is the issue of frequent job hopping. By changing jobs frequently for a few hundred or thousand rupees per month the person will not lack the right expertise which will become very evident when tough business situations arise. And tough business situations including day to day challenges do arise as they do in any other industry. Going through the grind and allowing oneself to understand the larger picture of how one can mature in the industry is very critical for career stability and growth. Unfortunately BPO jobs are not seen by a majority of candidates in this light. This is the era of "Instant Gratification" and a job is seen as a "disposable job" and not a career! Compare this with the situation 10-15 years back when jobs were not that easily available. Employees placed a lot of importance in joining and sticking to a company and becoming a part of the company. Consequently a lot of people in different industries learnt and became solid managers in their industries.
Today the thinking is very different. If Company A does not meet expectations within the first week of joining, employees are willing to shift loyalties immediately. Many resumes read "4 job changes in 1.5 years"! The result is mediocrity. What the job hoppers do not realise is that they will have to ultimately stop their hopping to create stability and credibility for themselves. And that they need to look at their careers from a holistic perspective instead of instant gratification. Many employees who leave companies in the early stages realise this quite late and by that time they have done a great deal of injustice to themselves as well as the companies that selected them.
Till such a time there will be continuing attrition, leading to wasted investments in recruitment and training leading to impact on image of the industry. This leads back to the very questions that we started with. The onus of making this shift in perception lies with all of us- companies, applicants, BPO employees. If each of us start taking responsibility to address this in our own way then the net impact will be hugely positive. It may sound utopian but we need to make a start. Jointly. |
