Convergys sees wider BPO opportunities for RP
By DAVID DIZON/ abs-cbnNEWS.com | 04/01/2009 8:53 PM
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Despite the global economic slowdown, leading outsourcing firm Convergys Corp. said it sees bigger growth potential for the business process outsourcing industry in the Philippines because of the availability of high quality talent in the country.
In an interview, Convergys Senior VP for Human Resources Clark Handy said the company has seen strong demand from its clients to have their customer management services housed in the Philippines.
"Employees who are well-educated, English proficient and have a strong understanding of US culture are the key to Convergys' success in the Philippines," Handy said during Wednesday's opening of the company's seventh integrated contact center facility in Metro Manila.
He said Convergys is working with the local government to ensure the availability of top talent for their business. He said the company even offers a two-day Oral Communications in English program, which aims to increase the size of the future workforce by teaching English skills to teachers.
"We believe this initiative will directly impact the future success of the BPO industry and ensure an English proficient talent pool for our future growth and for the country's global competitiveness," he said.
Asked why they chose the UP-Ayala TechnoHub as a location for its seventh contact center, Handy said the company considered several factors in making the decision: client requirements, availability of trained labor, infrastructure, competition in the area and operating costs.
He said the company also considered the proximity of the site to where the agents live, which makes the site safer for employees.
Convergys Corp. earlier eliminated 275 jobs at its call center in Winnipeg, Manitoba, while opening three new call centers in the Philippines. The new call centers are in Quezon City, the Cebu i3 facility in Cebu City and the Nuvali TechnoHub facility in Santa Rosa , Laguna.
The new centers would provide 2,900 new jobs and bring Convergys’ total headcount to 16,000.
