Motivation in the BPO firms

There is no industry which better understands the need for motivating the employees than BPO, which relies on people in order to function. BPO industry is also referred to as being people-centric. BPO employees have to keep up the levels of performance against all odds, and it is up to the HR department to devise innovative strategies to do so.

Loyalty does not exist in the vocabulary of the youth.

__ Penny Bongata, BPO Director of Convergys’s, Inc.

BPO HR departments have arguably the biggest budgets and the biggest teams of any industry and with good reasons. With an attrition rate estimated at 50% and an average employment lifespan of 12-14 months per person, the BPO industry presents one of the challenging terrains for HR professionals. This

exorbitant attrition rate shows that the industry has failed to engage its employees.

Motivating the BPO employees is perhaps, the biggest challenge faced by the human resource department across the industry. The process of motivating the employees is an incessant process which remains alive in the industry throughout its life.

BPO companies are tough places to work because the performance both in terms of quantity and quality can be measured on a daily basis and it is very transparent. The next important question that arises in our minds is what are the important tools that are used by all the companies in order to keep its employees motivated and not enervated to make them do the so-called monotonous job with full sincerity? All the BPO companies use various kinds of motivational tools in order to keep their employees engaged. These motivational tools are basically of two types: the routine or common features deployed by almost all the companies and company specific tools.

ROUTINE MOTIVATIONAL TECHNIQUES AS OBSERVED IN BPO COMPANIES

Some of the factors commonly observed in the BPO industry for employee motivation are listed below. It is only a representative list and not meant to be exhaustive.

Performance- based incentive Subsidized Food and Transportation Recreation,Cafeteria,ATM AND Concierge facilities Cellular Phone/Laptop Regular get together and other cultural programs. Personal health care (Regular medical checkups,

Health insurance, etc.)

Company Specific Policies

This can again be segregated into that of the big companies and the small companies. It has been found that all the big companies with brand image and a large headcount are more specific about maintaining transparency and attracting and retaining employees on the basis of its various policies which appear quite fascinating. These companies were found concentrating on various issues listed below.

Providing educational support to the process associates/employees in the form of tie-ups with the MBA colleges or providing Graduation opportunities to the students while they are still working.

Maintaining transparency in various policies like the role to be performed and the correct salary break-ups in order to prevent future shocks and conflicts.

Availability of tickets for the most sought after discos and the pubs at a discounted rate to ensure a blast at the weekends as the majority of the population is of the age group 20-25.These fun-filled weekends are important to help them take a break from the stressful work atmosphere.

Availability of help desks which take care of all kinds of bill payments to show that the organization cares about even the smaller responsibility of the employees. These companies usually maintain employee profile with details about the employee performance, their personal information, number of jumps in the career, etc. Based on this information the company decides whether special

attention has to be given to the employee to prevent him from quitting. One company was found offering internet facilities in the breaks and the opinion of having meals on the floor.

The smaller companies boast of giving the employees greater responsibilities and exposure as they have lesser headcount. An instance of poaching was cited where the company was able to combat the threat without any specific measure. Since the company was providing greater opportunities to learn, it found most of its employees coming back.

BPO AS A CARRER OPTION

When the employees were asked whether their jobs disrupted their social life, they were unanimous in their answer that they would not stick to the BPO industry after they were married. They also hammered on the fact that since the job does not require great academic background but gives good money so it can be thought of as an option in the short run. However the respondents declined to accept their jobs in this industry as a

serious career option. They also complained about the stress involved in the jobs they do.

Most of the HR managers of these companies acknowledged that the auction problem was more alarming in the lower rung of the ladder whereas in the higher rung it was not an issue.

CONCLUSION:

The article did provide the scope of improving the motivation level of the employees by taking some practical initiatives in the following area:

Training: In the initial stages, emphasizing on the amount of stress level involved and how to handle stress.

Strong mentoring: Team leaders and other seniors employees should,, in particular, act as mentors for the rest of the employees.

Learning: Inculcating the right skills in the employees.

Transparency in the system: Maintain transparency to boost the morale of the employees and avoid conflicts and disappointments.

Building a culture of ownership: The employees are made to feel that they are the real drivers and the owners of the business.

There are certain questions which remain unanswered in the realm of employee motivation in the BPOs. One of the puzzling facts is: whether the motivation tool is sufficient to address the various challenges being faced by the employees? This becomes even more difficult to answer keeping in mind that every individual has different motivational aspirations. Something which might give a kick to one individual might appear completely insignificant to the other one. Keeping all these facts in mind, is it all possible to address the motivational aspirations of the entire individual? Is there a magic wand? The answer is a categorical No. Should the companies invert so much of their resources towards motivating employees and preventing aspiration when the clients demand that maintaining the headcounts can fetch them attractive monetary benefits?

These and many other questions remain unanswered. But that in the real challenge in this

dynamic and vibrant industry. India has attained a preeminent position in global BPO arena. We need constant innovation in our HR practises not only for the BPO industry to survive but also to grow at a steady pace.

REFERENCES:1. www.bpoindia.org.2. http:/ezinearticle.com3. www.thehindu.com