1. Brand equity: People still consider BPO to be "low brow," thus making it difficult to attract the best talent.
2. Standard pre-job training: Due to the wide variety of jobs and lack of general clarity on skill sets, there is no standard curriculum that could be designed and followed.
3. Benchmarks: There are hardly any benchmarks for compensation and benefits, performance, or HR policies. Everyone is charting their own course.
4. Customer-companies tend to demand better results from outsourcing partners than what they could actually expect from their own departments. "When the job is being done 10,000 miles away, demands on parameters such as quality, turnaround timeliness, information security, business continuity, and disaster recovery are far higher than at home. So, how to be more efficient than the original?"
5. Lack of focused training and certifications
Given this background, the recruiting and compensation challenges of HR departments are only understandable.
Key to Success
The key to success in ramping up talent in a BPO environment is a rapid training module. The training component has to be seen as an important sub-process, requiring constant re-engineering.
HR Practices Being Practiced by Some of the Leading BPOs
WNS
In a bid to retain its experienced professionals amidst the growing demand for trained manpower, business process outsourcing (BPO) firm WNS Global Services (P) Ltd has opted for a competency-based framework for the selection and promotion of its key personnel. The idea is to fill up a majority of the leadership positions from within WNS instead of importing talent from outside. It is also an attempt to keep out bias in the system and increase transparency. The program is performance-driven and puts in place a scientific process that matches employees' knowledge, skills, and attributes with the role requirements. WNS is among the first companies in the BPO space to opt for a competency-based framework and integrate it with HR practices. Apart from compensation, developing managerial talent from within the organization is considered an important retention tool. Skills of the middle management level would be critical as operations are ramped up. Identifying talent and building capabilities to enable them to handle larger teams and develop new skill sets that drive business dealing capability is needed.
HSS (Skills and Behavioral Training)
HSS's work culture and value system are the key foundation and enablers in creating a unique workplace. There is a strong emphasis on Skill and Behavioral Training, Leadership Development, and e-Learning. Its practices are benchmarked by the entire industry. HSS is a winner of several industry awards for its HR practices.
EXL Services (the wholly owned subsidiary of Exlservice Inc., a Delaware Corporation)
In the words of Mr. Deepak Dhawan (VP-HR):
1) An offer of housing to all employees. (As housing will be offered alongside, our employees will no longer have to go through the trouble of searching for paying guest or rented accommodation)
2) Increased outstation recruitment
3) At EXL, people make it to middle management level with their compensation going up by five times in three years.
4) At the induction level and later, we make it a point to provide profiles of people who have grown with the company through its merit-based structure.
2. Standard pre-job training: Due to the wide variety of jobs and lack of general clarity on skill sets, there is no standard curriculum that could be designed and followed.
3. Benchmarks: There are hardly any benchmarks for compensation and benefits, performance, or HR policies. Everyone is charting their own course.
4. Customer-companies tend to demand better results from outsourcing partners than what they could actually expect from their own departments. "When the job is being done 10,000 miles away, demands on parameters such as quality, turnaround timeliness, information security, business continuity, and disaster recovery are far higher than at home. So, how to be more efficient than the original?"
5. Lack of focused training and certifications
Given this background, the recruiting and compensation challenges of HR departments are only understandable.
Key to Success
The key to success in ramping up talent in a BPO environment is a rapid training module. The training component has to be seen as an important sub-process, requiring constant re-engineering.
HR Practices Being Practiced by Some of the Leading BPOs
WNS
In a bid to retain its experienced professionals amidst the growing demand for trained manpower, business process outsourcing (BPO) firm WNS Global Services (P) Ltd has opted for a competency-based framework for the selection and promotion of its key personnel. The idea is to fill up a majority of the leadership positions from within WNS instead of importing talent from outside. It is also an attempt to keep out bias in the system and increase transparency. The program is performance-driven and puts in place a scientific process that matches employees' knowledge, skills, and attributes with the role requirements. WNS is among the first companies in the BPO space to opt for a competency-based framework and integrate it with HR practices. Apart from compensation, developing managerial talent from within the organization is considered an important retention tool. Skills of the middle management level would be critical as operations are ramped up. Identifying talent and building capabilities to enable them to handle larger teams and develop new skill sets that drive business dealing capability is needed.
HSS (Skills and Behavioral Training)
HSS's work culture and value system are the key foundation and enablers in creating a unique workplace. There is a strong emphasis on Skill and Behavioral Training, Leadership Development, and e-Learning. Its practices are benchmarked by the entire industry. HSS is a winner of several industry awards for its HR practices.
EXL Services (the wholly owned subsidiary of Exlservice Inc., a Delaware Corporation)
In the words of Mr. Deepak Dhawan (VP-HR):
1) An offer of housing to all employees. (As housing will be offered alongside, our employees will no longer have to go through the trouble of searching for paying guest or rented accommodation)
2) Increased outstation recruitment
3) At EXL, people make it to middle management level with their compensation going up by five times in three years.
4) At the induction level and later, we make it a point to provide profiles of people who have grown with the company through its merit-based structure.