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WORKCULTURE:
iBackOffice
With
India emerging as the call centre capital of the CRM world, many
MNCs and start-ups are setting up operations here. The country has
become an obvious choice of the industry as it provides a large
pool of English-speaking professionals who are also very passionate
about making a career in the field of IT enabled services. Bangalore-based
iBackoffice is one of the recent entrants into the call centre business
and has a workforce of 200 professionals.
Many
think that working in a call centre is a monotonous job and there
is a school of thought which believes that the growth options are
very limited in this field. But Archana Singh, senior manager-human
resources, iBackoffice, prefers to define all these opinions as
‘myths’. “It is not correct to say that the call
centre jobs are monotonous, in fact they are as challenging and
exciting as any other career option. At iBackoffice we provide the
freedom to change functional roles as per an individual’s interests,”
she says. She also cites an example of a receptionist who went on
to become a customer care executive in the organisation. “Being
a married woman with a kid, the company has been very co-operative
in understanding my needs. I get to leave early, or as per the requirement
and there has never been any problem,” says Padma S, senior
project leader, quality. The company mainly banks on internal referrals
for recruitment. “Not only does this save effort, but it also
ensures that the organisational values are understood by new recruits,”
Singh says. iBackoffice also inducts freshers from various colleges
in the city like Mount Carmel and Jyoti Nivaas. Interestingly, the
company doesn’t believe in recruiting professionals from other
call centres in the country to avoid poaching. “The call centre
industry in India is still in its nascent stages and therefore we
don’t encourage people coming from other call centres in the
country,” admits Singh.
Flexibility,
assertiveness, communication skills and extra-curricular activities
are some of the qualities that she looks for while recruiting someone.
Unlike the US, where most of the call centre professionals are either
college dropouts, or just out of college, the Indian call centres
insist on academic qualification. Even iBackoffice believes in recruiting
either graduates or post graduates.
“Around
60 percent of our employees are graduates with some computer skills,
while the remaining 40 percent are post graduates with experience.
The best thing about working in this company is that everyone is
at different levels of the learning curve. The organisation gives
you enough room to learn from your mistakes,” says Rajalakshmi
Iyer, senior manager, knowledge engineering. As for the alleged
monotony involved in the job, iBackoffice believes in the philosophy
of providing diverse opportunities to its employees. Thanks to a
diverse range of projects across verticals like telecom and manufacturing
that the company is handling, the call centre executives get to
try their hand at various types of jobs.
There
are some who believe that the call centre jobs are too stressful,
as they require working in shifts, mostly at nights. iBackoffice
has propounded its own way to deal with these demands. “We
understand that working late nights can be a problem, especially
for the women employees. Therefore, we not only provide transport
facilities, but also take care of snacks and other energy revitalisers
like fruit juices,” says Singh. The company has five working
days in a week, but if someone works during weekends, a suitable
compensation is granted. To add more ‘spice’ during night
shifts, the company provides an array of activities which include
aerobic sessions, dart boards and minibasketball. “We are also
planning to build a relaxation room, wherein an expert can rejuvenate
the employees by giving massages,” says Singh.
iBackoffice
has got an internal training division, which takes care of all the
training needs, and there is no involvement of an external agency.
“Our training department consists of around 10 professionals
who provide training in various skills like technical, soft skills
and customer care. It also includes a one-day induction program,
wherein a candidate is introduced to the company,” adds Singh.
Training period usually lasts for around three months, after which
the candidates have to appear for a mandatory test. Only after passing
the test, is a candidate taken in. “However, if the trainee
is unable to pass the test, we give him/her a certificate stating
that he/she has undergone training at our office, “ says Singh.
She further states that the company is also working towards achieving
COPC certification and is in the process of identifying 29 possible
areas. The employees also undergo training in ‘Americanism’,
which involves understanding the American culture and other regional
issues.
At
iBackoffice fun is part of the work-culture. According to Singh,
there are four fun clubs in the company who undertake activities
like adventure sports. They are responsible for holding an activity
every month. The company recently celebrated ‘iBackoffice Day’
at the Green Valley Resort near Bangalore. Once every quarter, the
company gives a certificate of appreciation to the employee who
has performed exceptionally well during the period. “We have
a number of awards and the prizes vary from a dinner for two to
‘team lunch’,” says Singh. According to her, the
company has tied up with several restaurants in the city. Most of
the employees at iBackoffice are in their twenties, therefore one
of the crucial functions of HR is to maintain a conducive atmosphere
for interactions. “I am always open to people walking into
my cabin and talking to me. All of them can even interact directly
with the CEO if they wish so, “ says Singh.
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