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The
Reliability of Indian BPO Industry
There
is a lot of hue and cry over the reliability of BPO Industry. A
section of media and other organisations have launched a scathing
attack on the call centre employees of India, which may prove detrimental
for the growth of Indian BPO Industry. The recent sting operations
made by the 'Sun' and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
can be seen as one of such campaigns against the Indian BPO sector.
We are talking about corruption and fraud in the call centres. If
we analyse both the past and present scenario, corruption is rampant
everywhere in our country. For more than a decade, we have been
figuring in the top ten list of the most corrupt countries in the
world. Can we blame the BPO for this? Corruption and Frauds are
not alien words for us. On every alternate day, we get the news
of scams and frauds being unearthed. Then why single out the BPO
Industry for the one-off incidents?
All the BPO employees are well educated and they are well aware
of their responsibilities. Life in a BPO is not easy. Here the young
employees used to sweat over their work with an eye on a bright
career. Not only they work for money, but also they work hard to
make the best out of it so that they can see a better tomorrow.
They know that any wrongdoing will shatter their dreams and ruin
their career. The persons, who work with the BPO companies, understand
the importance of security. They never breach the rules defined
for them by their employers. Now the BPO companies are taking strong
security measures to prevent any misuse of the details of the customers
and all the employees adhere to the rules.
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Most BPO companies
have certifications such as BS 7799 and SAS 70 and undergo
third-party audits at regular intervals. BS 7799 (British
Standards 7799) is set by the British Standards Institute,
which is opted by many companies with a large client base
in the UK. BS7799 is the most widely recognised security standard
in the world. SAS 70 is also an internationally recognised
auditing standard developed by the American Institute of Certified
Public Accounts (AICPA). To get the SAS 70 certification,
companies go through in-depth audit of their activities which
crucial from the customers' point of view.
A number of BPO
companies such as EXL Services and ICICI One Source already
have obtained these certifications and many others are on
the queue. For example, Efunds International, a leading BPO
which was preferred as a 'Dream Company' by most number of
employees in the E-SAT Survey by DATAQUEST in 2004 is on the
verge of receiving a BS 7799 certificate as it has already
implemented this internationally recognised security standard
in the organisation. As security is the main concern of the
leading companies abroad, such measures will boost their faith
on the Indian BPO Industry and they won't hesitate to outsource
their business to India.
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Of
course, there are some black sheep who indulge in malicious acts
for their self-gain. Because of these few people, the whole industry
cannot be blamed. India receives most of the outsourcing jobs from
the USA. The US people have acknowledged that India is the best
place for outsourcing. Indian employees have already proved their
mettle by handling the jobs skilfully and received acclaim worldwide.
Unemployment is a pain area, which has affected the growth and development
of our country. The growing BPO industry has resolved this problem
to a large extent. The skill set and reliability of Indian BPO employees
played a major role in wooing the outsourcing firms to the Indian
soil. This industry has generated impressive revenue for the government
and also helped the youth earn good money while shaping their career.
It has been noticed that BPO is the best place for women empowerment.
Women are given ample opportunities to prove themselves in the BPO
sector. This is the only industry, which has witnessed high growth
for women and helped them move to the higher positions in large
numbers. Gender equality, which is a distant dream in our society
till now, is clearly visible in the BPO industry.
Some people say that Call Centre employees are adopting western
culture by sidelining Indian values. Recently, an article in 'The
Times of India' has termed the life in a BPO as a 'culture shock'.
In fact, westernisation started in the Indian society much before
the BPO came into picture. Parties, Socialising, Pubs, Discos and
Hangouts have become integral parts of our society now and nobody
can point fingers on the BPO employees for it. It is not bad to
adopt the western culture as long as people do not compromise on
their moral values and ethics.
The nature of the job requires the Call Centre employees to behave
and think in the way their clients and customers expect from them.
Thus, they try to adopt the western culture in order to identify
themselves with the customers. They should be given credit for their
hard work and efforts, which they put to see the Indian Industry
reach a new high.
Despite all the odds, BPO Industry is booming. People abroad understand
the importance of outsourcing their business to India. They know
that their business is safe and secure in the Indian hands. Indian
BPO employees have displayed their adroitness and efficiency in
handling the works assigned to them. They should be encouraged and
motivated to work more diligently. It will not augur well for the
growth of our Industry, if they are maligned persistently.
Contributing Writer: Sagar Satapathy
sagarsatapathy@yahoo.com
I am passionate
about writing since my adolescent days. It was my basic instinct,
which guided me to become a Professional Writer today. I am associated
with a leading Academic Essay Writing Company of the USA and several
Web Sites. I have specialized skill set in Essay Writing, Feature
Writing, Newspaper Articles and Blogs.
I always believe in the words of Sir Issac Assimov, "I write
for the same reason I breathe. If I didn't, I would die."
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