Hiring the Right People (Part I)

Soft skills by themselves are of no use unless the candidate possesses an outgoing personality. Today I’d like to discuss some of the qualities which are desirable in all marketing professionals, especially those who are in the BPO, KPO sectors.

Part I

We have to keep some realities in mind. Call centre jobs are like all other jobs insofar as they provide a degree of financial security and a sense of belonging to a larger group. The innate desire of young people is to see themselves as part of something larger. This is partly satisfied through their induction into call-centre teams. But this is about where the similarities with other jobs and BPO jobs end.

The first thing that strikes innumerable kids who have quit the BPO industry is the monotony of the job. They had never figured that these dream-jobs were oral clericalism! They had never figured that they would have to sell the company’s products no matter what. They never figured that they had to be affable throughout their shifts. These kids feel betrayed and swear never to work for any BPO ever again. The BPO industry needs to wake up and do a check: why are bright kids leaving us?  We pay good money; we are giving them moral support through our counselors, darn! we are providing the kids with MBAs! What are they complaining about? The shifts are taxing, but then so many are adapting! I’d say that the answer to your attrition problem does not lie in getting the gals with the right soft skill. The answer lies in getting the right type of people in the BPOs. To use psychology: you need extraverted people with soft skills. And even if the latter do not have adequate soft skills, they’ll adapt and fight their own inhibitions. A person might be brilliant with their English but is mentally unsuitable for balancing deadlines, monthly targets and at the same time accommodating personal dreams. There should be psychological screening, & not merely HR screening, before one is allowed/offered a job at a BPO. This is in the interest of both the hiring company and the employee. The company insulates itself from attrition and target-related issues while the employee is saved much pain which invariably follows a wrong career choice. In fact, the psychological profile may even help the possible employee find the right career. A happy employee saves money for any company.

Key areas which need to be kept in mind while hiring people are:

• Does the candidate have the ability to take rebuffs in a team-situation?
• Does the person show easy signs of irritation?
• What does she/he expect from the job?
• Is the candidate impulsive? Etc…

To be continued tomorrow.