Joining a BPO was a career choice; growth in a new industry is faster Mukund Govindarajan/ Assistant VP (OP.)/EXL Service

Just a year ago, a youngster speaking of a career in business process outsourcing (BPO) would be met with polite sighs, gentle shakes of the head and perhaps some avuncular advice to "still keep options open". A BPO job was meant to be a stopgap-a quick buck while working out what to do with one's real life.

It still is, to a lot of youngsters with big dreams. But to a growing bunch of youngsters with equally big dreams, the terms "BPO" and "career" are to be mentioned in the same breath. They're not suffering a bad bout of delusions either. So what's going on?

Dreams Rebooted

Ask Mukund Govindrajan, 29, a hotel management graduate who quit the Taj Group (honest, it's true) to join a call centre in 1997. It was a career choice. He figured it would take 20 years to become the general manager of a hotel property with the Taj, while growth in a new industry would be faster. He joined GECIS. Currently Assistant Vice-President, Operations, at exlservice, Govindrajan is proud of his choice. What's more, he is not your idea of a starry-eyed kid looking for easy money to splurge on lifestyle accessories.

In fact, BPO businesses are full of people who do the things other executives do, whether it is directing operations and working out strategic plans at work, or buying real estate and investing in equities at home. Vikas Kapoor and Rashim Chowdhary, also of the same designation at EXL, also have close to 200 direct reports each. If caught reading anything on the sly, it's likely to be a McKinsey report on the BPO industry.

"The perception of this industry has changed dramatically," asserts Joe Petrone, Sr. VP (HR), GECIS, "People now know the significant career opportunity that it has to offer." Agrees Aniruddha Limaye, Senior VP (Strategic HR), Daksh: "The fact that the industry has been here for long, and has grown in number and complexity, has also conveyed the serious business we do." Boasts Deepak Dhawan, Vice President (HR), EXL Service: "It is one of the most organised, process- and logistics-driven industries of the world." The days that BPO jobs were known only for fake names and put-on accents are all but over, they chorus.

According to Aashu Calapa, Vice President (HR), ICICI OneSource, a BPO job is not to be taken lightly. "The job requires tremendous orientation to results and constant focus," he says, adding that "the fact that one's performance is being continuously measured makes it all the more difficult."

The new sobriety shows in the attitudes of those being recruited nowadays. "The new guys are far more aware and know this is a good career move," observes Kapil Magan, Director (HR), vCustomer. People are investing serious effort in their BPO careers, and the industry does not want them disappointed with their prospects. And it's a quarter of a million people they're talking about, an increasing number expecting to be around for many years, perhaps even decades. Navin Joshua, 25, for example, knew six months into his vCustomer job that he would stick around. "I was here to get some work experience," confesses the St. Stephens' College graduate, "but soon got hooked to the dynamics of this industry and decided to stay on."

Learning Curve

The big question, at the end, is this: Can a call agent make it to the firm's very top some day?

The industry's answer is 'why not?'. And this is because people at the forefront of customer relationships are just what a business needs. "Understanding, empathy, patience and focus are the keys to success in this metrics-driven industry," says Limaye. Ascending the corporate hierarchy, after that, is largely about exposing one's self to the strategic thrust of operations, gaining a steadily wider and wider perspective of how money is to be made, and eventually proving capable of higher-order responsibilities. And learning possibilities abound in such streams as Process or Product expertise, Quality Control, Business Development, hr, Transition, and Training. "The freedom to learn and innovate at any level is something I wouldn't have had anywhere else," claims Govindrajan, quite clear that the BPO industry needs a middle management as strong as in any other corporate environment.

New guys know that joining a BPO is a good career move Kapil Magan/ Director (HR)/vCustomer	What matters most is the industry's pace of expansion Denny Thomas/ Sr. Manager (OP.)Daksh

What matters, according to Denny Thomas, Senior Manager (Operation), Daksh Mumbai, is the industry's pace of expansion. It would've taken another four years to buy the house he recently did, he reckons, without his BPO job. Agrees Vijay Alphonse, Assistant Vice President (Client Services), ICICI OneSource: "I would be living in a smaller house, riding a motorcycle instead of the Fiat Palio, and earning 25 per cent of what I do."

Making the CEO's slot while still relatively young is not out of the question either. "With the right balance between the individual's and the organisation's capability," says Dhawan, "an associate can definitely rise to become the CEO." How to get people to broaden their perspective? "Companies need to put people in different roles, entrust them with bigger responsibilities and treat them with dignity," says Petrone.

But don't BPO careerists worry about turning into creatures of the night; don't they miss daylight? "Maybe," replies Vikas Kapoor of EXL, "but then I look at my house and the car, and love my job all the more."

Diva's Ritu Dalmia: It's all about the art of cooking

SPOTLIGHT
Gourmet Chefs

Food was the primeval struggle millennia ago. To some, it remains the most evolved of art forms. Think you could contribute in a big way to the sum total of sensual experiences in the world? Try becoming a gourmet chef. "A catering degree always helps, but nothing can replace a hands-on experience," says Ritu Dalmia, restaurateur and food connoisseur, who herself relied mostly on her own five senses to gain expertise. "Cooking is an art-you don't always go by the book, but rely on your instincts." It helps, of course, if you are exquisitely sensitive to the faintest of flickers caused on the tongue. It takes plenty of experimenting too. Once you learn to bewitch the world's most demanding taste buds, though, you could earn up to a lakh rupees every month (or more if you venture overseas). You start low, of course, even at fancy restaurants. But this is a career all about potential.

-Payal Sethi

COUNSELLING
Help, Tarun!

I am a 28-year-old MBA (Finance) from a tier-one B-school working as a finance manager for the past four years. Though I have a good track record and have contributed significantly towards increasing my company's profits, I have not been promoted even once. A couple of my MBA batchmates who work in the marketing department, however, have been promoted twice. Now I have started feeling inferior to them. I am contemplating quitting this job, but if I do so, I'll have to begin from scratch, reducing my chances of a quick promotion still further. What should I do?

Promotions are not just a reward for your performance but also a reflection of your organisation's assessment of your capabilities. You may have performed well so far, but your bosses may feel you are not yet ready for the next level. Further, your current job may entail the same responsibilities as those that your batchmates enjoy even after two promotions. Do not compare yourself with your batchmates as worklevels, hr policies, organisations, and in your case even functions, can be hugely different. Speak with your superiors before taking any decision.

I am a 48-year-old engineer working with a multinational that manufactures cars. Although the market for passenger cars is growing well, nothing has happened in my life so far to indicate the same. My company has been planning to expand, but the proposal has been kept on hold. There is also a freeze on recruitment, and I am yet to see any evidence of growth in terms of salary, perks, promotions and so on. I have been in the industry for 16 years, and I feel my career has stagnated. What do I do?

Sometimes a trend in the industry has no impact on one's career. You need to analyse why you are stagnating. There could be several reasons for this-environment related or individual specific. If the reason is your environment, you could look for another job. However, if the reason are personal factors like your current capability, consider gaining additional skills. Since you have passed a certain age, choose your path carefully. Meanwhile, wait and see if the industry trend percolates to you in the near future.

I have been working in the client-servicing department of an advertising agency for the past eight months. I like the agency and the work culture there but find it really difficult adapting to my boss' style of functioning, particularly his short temper, patronising attitude and unnecessary sarcasm. This has led to a large communication gap between the two of us, which I am unable to bridge. I am in a dilemma. Should I quit or take it up with my boss? Please advise.

You haven't mentioned if this is your first job. Even if it is not, eight months is too short a time to make a judgement call on sustaining this job. You need to find a way out, as personality clashes are a part of every work environment, be it with superiors, peers or subordinates. Try to adopt an understanding attitude. Remember, finally it is your boss you are dealing with and a larger part of the compromise may have to be made by you. Try and speak with your boss and come to some amicable solution. Give it time and the situation may improve. If it persists and degenerates to being unbearable, you should move on.

I am a 22-year-old journalism graduate who has joined a newspaper as a trainee. It has been eight months since I have started working here (my training period was suppose to last six months) but I don't seem to be getting any significant work to do. All day I photocopy, staple or file papers. I am left out of all meetings and my ideas are prejudged to be inane or immature (though someone else rehashes the same idea and it is approved). I feel frustrated and inconsequential. Should I start looking for another job?

Here's something to cheer you up: all successful careers start at the bottom with basic responsibilities. The key is to be patient, work hard and show enthusiasm. Do not be impulsive. You may have great ideas but they may be raw and need to be polished before they can be implemented. It is important that you learn from others and pick up nuances instead of feeling persecuted. You have enough time on your side to achieve, succeed and be recognised. And finally, when you start doing more meaningful work, you will be grateful that you had learnt the ropes.

Answers to your career concerns are contributed by Tarun Sheth (Senior Consultant) and Shilpa Sheth (Managing Partner, US practice) of HR firm, Shilputsi Consultants. Write to Help,Tarun! c/o Business Today, Videocon Tower, Fifth Floor, E-1, Jhandewalan Extn., New Delhi-110055.

Not Just Philanthropy
Corporates that go beyond tokenism to the handicapped have much to gain.

Lasersoft's R. Selva Kumar: Handicap? What handicap?

Corporates don't know it yet. What they see as a token of corporate responsibility-or even as a measure to look good in public-could be a genuine value addition. This is because 'handicapped' people tend to be seen as 'handicapped' more than anything else, while they often make terrific employees for reasons of pure ability.

"I find that the deaf and mute have exceptionally good grasp-more than normal people-and are very good at programming," observes B. Suresh Kamath, Chairman and Managing Director, Lasersoft, a financial software services company, "Besides, they are more productive, not being distracted easily. People suffering from cerebral palsy are good at front-end screen designs and web designs for applications." The orthopaedically handicapped, as he has found, tend to have more patience. At Lasersoft, one such employee, S.M. Parthasarathy, has risen to become vice president, drawing a salary of Rs 52,000 per month.

"We have been employing handicapped people for the last 14 years," adds Kamath, "because we find that their performance is terrific, and their loyalty so great that we don't worry about attrition." Of the 450 people at his firm, some 50 are handicapped. But there is no differential treatment. The salaries are the same for all-merit and performance alone count. So used are people to one another that the handicapped feel a distinct awkwardness on being reminded of their handicap.

Perhaps other firms would want to hire such professionals too, if only they knew where to find them. Thankfully, organisations such as the Lions Club, Chennai-based NGO Ability Foundation and even Lason India (a BPO), are trying to ensure that companies have access to as many handicapped job seekers as possible. They train such people to be of specific corporate job value. Placing the visually impaired, sighs S. Krishnaswamy, Senior Consultant, Ability Foundation, is never easy. "They have such phenomenal memories, and they could be well-placed in tele-marketing, music recording or teaching kind of opportunities-and can make notes in Braille if needed," he says.

So while even an accountancy firm is impressed with the meticulous accounting work done by a paraplegic commerce graduate, the visually-impaired suffer neglect. This, despite the fact that they work the hardest to sharpen their other senses to compensate for their disability. They often recognise people just by the sound of their shoes. That's not all. Some of them have startlingly vivid imaginations too.

-Nitya Varadarajan