The call center industry in the Philippines is reported to have the highest manpower turnover in the world. At 60 to 80 percent turnover rate, the country’s young billion-dollar industry is reeling from severe human resource losses and has known to employ aggressive campaigns to fill up its ranks with fresh and motivated talents.
BPO companies have been employing all sorts of tactical means to attract applicants in the same manner malls promote their 3-day sale events. Newspaper classifieds are filled with full-page ads by various call centers. Their billboards decorated major highways. Applicant referral bonuses. Headhunting in overcrowded MRT stations. Free english training to attract novices. Everyday, call center offices are filled with aspiring jobseekers from all walks of life, served with free-flowing coffee and sandwiches while hundreds of red-eyed, stressed out and disillusioned agents are being fired or leave these companies gladly.
Retaining employees has been a difficult task of most BPO talent management groups. According to Pinoypress.net, resigning call center agents blame “bad training design, oppressive trainors, too much stress, too much pressure, ‘prison-like’ condition, pay not worth the effort, etc.” Call center agents receive a monthly salary of P11,500 to P13,000. Mandatory benefits such as SSS, Philhealth and Pag-Ibig are being deducted from this meager income. It’s way below the $2,500 pay their US counterparts are enjoying.
US companies find the Philippines an ideal site to start BPOs due to low-cost labor and highly-skilled English-speaking natives.
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