| | “Good morning, this is Madelene. May I help you?” says a female voice with an American twang. Madelene is responding to an American customer’s call. She patiently listens to the customer and provides required information. Madelene also exchanges pleasantries with the customer and talks about how it is snowing in the morning. The customer is happy with the interaction and soon hangs up. Little do they know that Madelene is Anitha Nambiar, working in a Business process outsourcing (BPO) unit in Bangalore. ‘Madelene’ has never travelled outside south India and has never seen snow. However, she excels in her role as Madelene.
Anitha found the night shifts, which are sometimes mentioned derogatorily as the ‘graveyard’ shifts and a matter of concern. She said that life was more artificial as the employees had different names and pretended to be somebody else. Anitha explained her decision to change her career. Soon after her degree in English language and literature, she landed a job with the BPO. However, at 26 years, she wished to switch to a career in writing, which she felt she would enjoy. She also faced pressure from her conservative family to get married. She joined a magazine as an editor for a much lower salary. After nearly a year, she went back to the BPO sector as she found it difficult to manage with the lower income. Anitha is not a lone example.
Undoubtedly, BPOs are a preferred choice of many under graduates and graduates who wish to earn well immediately after their studies. This is otherwise not possible in country like India as other industries are rather tough on new comers and do not pay as much. The work does not require special skills, which make it easier for the new comers. Although not all BPOs require night shifts, many of the BPO employees who take the night shifts are seen to adjust very well. The fact that majority of them are young makes it easier for them to adapt well. Many other professions such as medical profession also require night shifts, they argue. There is no such media hype surrounding any other profession as in the case of BPOs.
The media hype about the BPO culture may have to an extent created a negative image about the BPOs. However, its employees feel that such incidents depend on individuals. Many colourful reports about the working atmosphere and the so called ‘night life’ have distracted the press. The church has not taken kindly to the BPO industry, reports Sify.com. The Archbishop of Bangalore felt that call centre workers may be engaging in ‘unsaintly’ activities. Conservatives worry that young BPO employees may fall prey to Western values.
Kevin, who works with a leading BPO is a typical fresh graduate. He is currently pursuing his MBA. He enjoys the working atmosphere and has many friends working there. His office offers pick up and drop facilities and many other benefits. After work, he would go back home, watch TV for a while and go to sleep. He has no other responsibilities at home. He is also happy with his pay package. He was able to buy a computer for himself with his money. It would help him with his MBA. He does not feel the need to socialise. He says that the industry provides the highest salary a fresh graduate can ever expect. However, this only a stop gap arrangement for him. He is sure that his MBA would fetch him good jobs.
Experts warn that ageing would begin very early for youngsters working continuously on night shifts. The Hindu quoted Dr Lim Li Ling, Deputy Director, sleep disorders unit, Singapore General Hospital as saying that heavy food during night, skipping breakfast, eating lunch in the evening and all such irregular habits affect the health of BPO employees. It can also have a negative effect on their overall performance.
Kevin said that his elder brother who worked with a BPO suffered from health problems and could not eat well and fell sick very often. However, he continued for one more year to clear his debts from the credit card as purchase of branded clothes and other things cut deep into his pockets. He bought a new Santro car, which would have been unimaginable if he had not worked in a BPO. The job helped him maintain his lifestyle.
Kevin would recommend the BPO jobs for his friends. However, he thinks that spending more years in this sector would not help him gain entry into other sectors. So he does not consider this a long term option. He said that his company does not require employees to speak accented English. They stress on communicating in good English with a neutral accent. He added that it was not important to have any expertise in any field.
There is an increasing concern about the long term prospects of the BPO industry. According to many, outsourcing business might not be with India for long. Gautam, who works with a BPO in Bangalore, is skeptical about the future of BPOs. According to him, outbound calls may diminish in a couple of years. He said that inbound calls may still continue. He is into marketing and says that he would prefer face to face marketing. However, he agrees that BPOs provide great opportunities without the requirement for high educational qualifications. He does not have any problems with the night shifts. He says that the industry offers attractive perks and other facilities. He says that he would not mind working for more years if the work was less hectic and more rewarding. He plans to pursue higher studies.
The Blackbook 2008 State of the Industry Report warns about reverse outsourcing. Leading outsourcing companies in India are opening offices in the US. Even though the trend is in its initial stages, it will soon be evident with more and more clients opting for localised client service. Indian companies prefer to move to the US as nearly half the income of many of the outsourcing firms is from North America. The dollar value falling against the rupee has made operations solely based in India expensive. This has forced the companies to opt for a combination of both onshore and off-shore operations.
A change in global scenario has also led to this change. Earlier, clients mainly focused on their operation costs without considering any other outcomes for their business. However, the availability of advanced reporting tools and customer portals has enabled clients to monitor the performance of outsourcing companies in real time. The Western Europe generally prefers regional service providers, while the US prefers those in the west. These providers may substitute Chinese and Indian providers next year, signifying the inclination towards “nearshoring”.
Instead of focusing on the negative aspects regarding the BPOs and the lifestyle of its employees, it is important to understand the significant contribution of this industry to the Indian society and economy and to its individual employees. The IT-BPO sector has helped highlight India on the world map. Revenue from the Indian IT and BPO sectors is predicted to grow by 33% in the fiscal year 2008, reported Sify.com. Revenue from exports in the IT-BPO sector is predicted to grow more than $40 billion for the two sectors while revenue from the the domestic market will grow more than $23 billion. The BPO sector is predicted to reach $12.5 billion in 2008 and has the potential to grow five times by 2012. Nearly two million people are directly working in the BPO sector and seven to eight million people are indirectly working for this sector.
A BPO employee who has four years' experience said that the BPO industry is a very structured and lucrative industry, which provides great growth prospects. According to him, the industry helps build a strong base. He is happy with the working atmosphere and feels that the healthy competition helps the employees to grow together. The industry is also a leader in terms of providing employee benefits.
Experts think that the BPO sector needs to utilise the prospects in rural areas, promote reverse migration and focus on environment-friendly IT practices, cultivate creativity and encourage women to become leaders.Many BPOs have moved to rural areas. A higher number of women are found to be working in rural BPOs compared with men. It could be attributed to the possibility of men moving to the cities for better job opportunities. For women who have limited opportunities in their villages due to traditional roles played by the women and other prejudices, the self esteem and social status offered by the BPO industry is admirable. This was achieved by a conscious effort by NGOs and other organizations to empower rural women. Some of these BPOs provide flexible working hours to accommodate women.
In almost every corner of Bangalore, BPO vehicles ferry employees even at odd hours. When others are on their way to work, many of the BPO employees are seen heading back home, tired, often dozing in their seats. In the evening when the rest of Bangalore is returning after a hectic day, they are back on the road, ready for a new ‘day’. X
Check out:
The Blackbook 2008 State of the Industry Report: here
IT Examiner:
Rural BPOs prefer women
IT and BPO sectors to grow by 33%
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