Hiring in BPO
Hiring Cycle

Hiring in BPO is an ongoing activity. This doesn’t stop, goes on based on the requirement.

 With many BPO options available people go job hunting finding the most suitable BPO with higher salary and perks.

  • Many change BPO Companies for better opportunities in terms of money, growth and career.

  • BPOs also fire staff from time to time based on their performance and expected volume.

  • Ramp-down of the process.

There are times when Attrition happens within BPO resulting in a decrease of manpower. Also due to the process Ramp-up extra manpower is required.

All these trigger the need to hire new resources with the best talent.

Hiring Steps in BPO

The very first step in Hiring is the identification of the Hiring need followed by the recruitment plan build-up.

The Hiring Cycle can be divided into two parts.

  • Pre Recruit Steps

  • Post Recruit Steps

Pre Recruit Steps

Steps that are followed before the recruitment or hiring of the candidate is done.


Identifying the hiring need

This is the first step, which is triggered by a need to fill the vacant position, and better manage the workload.

Recruitment Plan

Forming a recruitment plan is important which aims for the recruitment drive internal, external or both. This depends mainly on the position.

Also according to the company policy if they decide to pick the position from within the organization (Internal) or hire talented resources from outside the organization (External)

A job description

 It is being generated to notify the skills, qualifications and experience required for the job role.

It also includes Salary and perks benefits.

Advertise

Notifying the internal employees through email circulation, or posting on Job portals for external hiring outside the organisation.

Review Applications

Applications received via emails or through job portals are reviewed to identify the suitable candidate for the desired position role.

Interview process

This starts with initial screening through a phone call by the HR team. Followed by an Interview by the Hiring committee.

This is mainly the operations round being taken by the Assistant Manager and then by the Manager.

Post-Recruit Steps

Includes the steps once the Interviews are over for the Candidate. Now is the time to finalise and pick suitable candidates.

Applicant Assessment

Once the interview rounds are over. Comparison is done among the candidates to decide on the best one fitting the job profile.

Background Check 

This includes various check like 

  • Criminal record check

  • Address check

  • Previous employment check

  • Credit Score Check

  • Social media accounts check

  • Education check

Reference Check

This check is made based on the information shared by the candidate. This checks the previous employment, job performance, workplace conduct, and responsibilities.

Job Offer

Once all the checks are performed and cleared Job offer is handed over post negotiations in terms of salary, Bonsuus and location, and Joining date

Hired

Post negotiations, if the candidate accepts the offer letter he is considered as hired.\

Onboarding

Once hired the new employee has to undergo An onboarding process which is often called Induction.

The new employee is taken through the policies and the leadership team hierarchy. Also through the history of the company.

It clears the doubts and clarifies the expectations from day one of the job.

The post-hiring confirmation in BPO includes the following steps which are discussed below

Recruitment post steps

Recruit

  • Interview – Clearing the Interview round with the HR and Management Team

  • Offer Letter– After Selection Offer letter is handed over with the Joining date and Salary being offered with the Salary Break

  • Documentation– Submission of Photocopies of the below documents includes showing Original documents for verification

  • Education Documents

  • Experience Documents

  • Address & ID Proof

  • PAN Card details

  • Declaration Signing for Authentication of details shared

  • Induction– Session conducted by HR includes information about Company policies, expectations, Do’s & Don’ts

  • Account Opening– The account is opened and updated in the HR database for Salary transfer

Training Handover – Meeting with Trainer and handover for continuation of Process & Communication Training.

Training

Once the recruitment is done, the next step is training the associates both in process and product knowledge. This helps them to effectively resolve queries of the customer and provide better assistance.

OJT

On-Job Training After the training this is a learning phase where the mentors are aligned and teach them how to handle the work based on scenarios including navigation and providing resolution to Customer’s Queries/Requests/Complaints. Associates are taught and assistance is given to make them perfect in handling customer’s queries requests/complaints thus making them ready for the next step.

Certify

Certification is important to get clearance from the Training/Quality team. This is done to check understanding, Knowledge and how efficiently they can work and handle the situation while maintaining the expected Quality of service as per the parameters laid done for final selection.

Appointed

After being certified, associates are kept under observation which we also call as Probation period which is for 3 months. Post 3 months if their performance rating and Quality are found satisfactory are handed an Appointment Letter and enrolled as permanent employees.

Hierarchy in BPO

It refers to the level of authority. With each level comes specific roles and responsibilities. The higher the level, the greater the responsibilities and more decision-making power within the organisation.


The escalations of the customer or the employee follow a bottom-to-top approach.


Every organisation has a level of Hierarchy that is displayed on the floor and mentioned in the company’s policy documents.


The hierarchy level has been defined for all functions in the company. Be it Operations, HR, Quality, or Finance.


Let’s go through the Operations Hierarchy level.

Hierarchy Organisation

Customer Support Associate/Executive

Associate hired to provide support and assist the customer. They help by resolving his query and taking his request and complaint, finally resolving it after follow-up with the customer.

Mentor

Tenured and Experienced associate/advisor that helps the new joiner/trainee. Provide guidance, support and assistance so they become familiar with the system, and scenario and are certified at the end.

SME 

Subject Matter Expert is groomed for the next level. They are experts in the domain they are working in and being groomed for the next level i.e. Team Leader/Assistant Team Leader, Quality Analyst or Trainer

Team Leader 

One who looks after the team assigned provides both motivational and emotional support. Share feedback and ensure the targets are being met as described. The first point of contact for the associates working under,

The Assistant Manager

handles the associate as well as the Team Leader assigned under him. Ensures staffing as per requirement and maintains shift statistics. Also responsible for acting in the absence of a manager and making important decisions. Look after the training needs of the associates and see that Salary and incentives are given out on time. They interact with the Client and help in the Hiring process as well.

Manager 

One who manages and is in charge of the floor. Guide the people under him. Takes important decisions which directly affect the people working under him. Sets goals and objectives and sees that these are being accomplished and targets fulfilled and met.

SUPPORT MEDIUM

Customer

One who has purchased goods, products or services? Also known as consumer ie Buyer or End User

Seller

One who sells products, goods or services to another person. Also Known as Service Provider.

Customer Service

Services provided to the customer with regards to the product, and goods purchased by him. This service includes resolving his query, complaint, installation, Demo etc.

It could be through any of the below mediums:-

  • Voice: – Customer calls the toll-free or paid number provided by the brand to get in touch with the customer support team for further assistance.

  • Email Support: – Customer raises their query over email and in return gets assistance through email within TAT which depends from one Organisation to another.

  • Chat Support: – Customers can also use the Chat option to get assistance on real real-time basis by getting in touch with the customer support team available over the chat option.

  • Appointment Schedule :- here Customer physically visits the point of contact to meet the representative once their appointment is fixed over the call as per the convenience of the customer.

Support Functions

Quality Analyst

Responsible for maintaining the quality of work performed by associates as per the agreed standard. Take steps to improve quality. Audit calls and share feedback with the associates. They check if basic hygiene is maintained on calls and the tasks allotted to the associates. Dip check from time to time to check process, product knowledge and awareness about the latest updates.


WFM

Are set of team responsible for ensuring calls are routed as per the skills of the associates. They work closely with the Operations team (Team Leader/Manager) to ensure that proper manpower is available to answer the calls and meet the target Service Level (SL).


Trainer

Training the new joiners. Provide both product and process training. Impart updates and provide refresher training as well.

Conclusion

Hiring in BPO is one of the most important functions which helps to recruit talented resources. It fills the vacant position created.

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BPO Services and Customer Service

BPO services are not limited to one sector. BPO Services has grown tremendously and occupied more sectors. Different services are being provided and not just restricted to customer support.


Some BPOs Operate 24/7 providing constant and real-time support. Some have fixed timings of operations which vary from industry to industry.

Telecom and the IT industry have round-the-clock BPO support services.

Whereas the Banking industry has fixed timings of support services.

Types of BPO Services


There are different types of BPO Services provided to the customer.

  • Outbound BPO Services

  • Inbound BPO Services

  • Web BPO Services

Outbound Services

  • Customer Survey

  • Telemarketing

  • Third-party verification

  • Information verification


Inbound services

  • Customer support

  • Complaint forwarding 

  • Technical help desk

  • Inquiry handling


Web Services

  • Order taking 

  • Email support

  • Chat support

  • Billing queries

  • Product promotion


Key BPO Services

Different BPO Services

  • E-commerce Support

  • Software development

  • Finance and Accounting

  • Data Entry and Data management

  • Digital Marketing

  • Health and Insurance

  • Sales and Customer Operations

  • HR and Talent

What is BPO Customer Service

The main responsibility of the BPO Services is to provide good Customer Experience. Good Customer Experience is achieved from Good Customer Service.

This is possible only with high-class service and resolution provided to the customers.

Customer Service

The BPO industry focuses and increases the Customer Satisfaction level to promote the company’s products and services.

The BPOs constantly try to deliver world-class customer service by incorporating different customer-friendly techniques. Thus delivering a good Customer Experience.

Customer Service in BPO is all about providing good support and handling customer queries.

These queries may come via 

  • Email 

  • Phone call 

  • Chat 

  • Social Media Platforms

Handling customer queries in real-time using the tools available is the core job of the Customer Care Executive.

Good Customer Service enhances good customer experience which in turn leads to an increase in revenue for the Companies.

This Good Customer Service is created by 

  • Positive Interactions

  • Timely Resolution

  • Alternate Options

  • Correct Information

  • Complete Information

  • Extra mile initiative

Importance of Customer Service

Customer Retention

Based on the positive interactions, customers remain connected with the company. This helps in the growth of the company leading to increased sales of products and services.

Gain more customers

If customers are happy with the good customer service in BPO, they tend to pull in other customers as well.

Positive impact on customer service leads to customer Retention. At the same time, it draws more and more customers. This gives an edge over the competitor company.

Real-time resolution

All customers expect resolution instantly. They need resolution within a single contact without having to contact repeatedly.

This is the First Contact Resolution (FCR).

Gain Customer Loyalty.

Customers remain connected with the company and keep coming back again and again. This is critical for a business to grow and succeed. Thus increasing Sales and revenue.


Positive Word of Mouth

Loyal customers help to get a larger customer base by spreading good word of mouth to their relatives and friends.


Steps to improve Customer Service

  • First Call Resolution

  • Proper Training

  • Reduce Wait Time

  • Customer Survey

  • New Hire Orientation

Improve Customer Service

First Call Resolution (FCR)

Every BPO focuses on the most important metric – FCR. FCR stands for First Call Resolution. Issue of the customer to be resolved on their first connect.

Without the customer to follow up repeatedly to get the resolution.

Proper Training

Customer Care Executives who are also known as specialists or representatives should be well-trained.

Trained both in product and process, along with soft skills training.

This increases good communication skills and strong product knowledge which would result in FCR and a good customer experience

Reduce waiting time.

During high call flow, the call is likely to be in the queue before it gets connected with the representatives.

Customers hate to be in a queue.

Proper tools should be provided along with precise monitoring to ensure less waiting time. decreases.

Customer Survey

After, the end of each interaction, the survey is sent out to the customer. These surveys are nothing but feedback and opinions which would further enhance customer service.

New Hire Orientation

Training should be planned in such a way that it includes training by trainers and experienced representatives. This gives a clear and exact picture of the call scenario and how to handle those scenarios.

Live call barging, along with buddy-up sessions should be arranged for New hires.

KPO 

KPO stands for Knowledge Process Outsourcing

Knowledge Processing refers to creating and distributing the information gathered.

KPO refers to the outsourcing of information-related activities. These include identification and collection of data information. Post which they are mined and researched to gather insights which are actioned.

It focuses on the organisation’s knowledge-based services like education, health and insurance. 

It requires advanced analysis and technical skills along with high degree of expertise.

Knowledge Process Outsourcing

Functions of KPO

The functions of KPO help to improve the way, the business runs.

  • Meet customer demands

  • Provide operations efficiency

  • create customized solutions

TOP KPOs

  • TCS

  • WNS

  • Concentrix

  • Wipro

  • Genpact

  • Deloitte

Advantages of KPO

KPO services include experts who offer their experiences for both the growth of business and their customers.

It is Cost effective

 No separate infrastructure is required. The organisation does not have to bear the operations costs 

Focus on core Functions

Allow organizations to focus on their core functions by outsourcing these non-primary functions

Resource utilization

Organisations do not have the burden of resources and training as they are done by the third-party vendor 

Sourcing Talent

Organizations have the option to outsource to the best KPO company that hires new talent. Thus these organisations collaborate with more skilled and knowledgeable professionals around the world.

BPO Vs KPO

BPO

Business Process Outsourcing


Provide services like customer care, technical support, telemarketing, sales etc.

Good communication skills along with knowledge of computers

Provides low-end services

Not-so-qualified employees


Process Expertise

Volume Driven

KPO

Knowledge Process Outsourcing

In-depth knowledge, expertise and analysis, Legal service and Market Research 

Specialized Knowledge



Provides high-end services

Highly qualified, expertise in knowledge

Knowledge Expertise

Insights Driven

Conclusion

BPO services is important to achieve good customer service. Good Customer Service leads to Good Customer Experience. It also creates good customer satisfaction.

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Business Process Outsourcing- BPO
What is a BPO?

We all know that the BPO sector is one of the booming industries. BPO is growing day-on-day and catering to the services of almost the entire Nation. 

Customer Service is one important characteristic, which is mostly required in the Public and Private Sectors.

Mostly, Call Center and BPO are thought to be the same. But this is not correct. A Call Center can be a BPO, but BPO cannot be called a Call Center. This is due to the wide range of services provided by the BPO. 

  • What is BPO? 

  • What is the work done in the BPO? 

  • What are the types of BPO?

Are few of the questions which one is curious to know? All these will be covered.

BPO Stands for

BPO stands for Business Process Outsourcing. It refers to the contracting of business/task of one Company or Organisation to another third-party service provider.

What is BPO

Work/Task is outsourced to a third party called BPO. It is to reduce costs for the company including saving time and space.

The Brand Company can now focus its time and energy on improving the quality of its products. At the same time on services to maintain its position in the market.

Why is BPO important?

The importance of BPO has led to its growth from a small venture to one of the Leading organisations. It contributes to the Country’s economy in growth, revenue and employment opportunities.

  • It boosts the company’s services – sales, support or service. 

  • It enables companies to focus more on the quality and performance of their products. 

  • It allows the company to focus more on the core and essential services. 

  • At the same time outsourcing, the non-essential services. 

These non-essential services include

  • Email

  • Support

  • Record keeping

  • Accounting

The objective of the company in outsourcing services is mainly to 

  • Save Money

  • Save Time

  • Save Energy

  • Grow Business

  • Speed up the process

The BPO industry is to grow more in the coming 10 years. It has a bright future ahead.

History of BPO

BPO outsourcing made its first impact in the late 1980s. Eastman Kodak started with outsourcing of IT systems services which was the first move for the Industry.

It was the success of Kodak’s which resulted in other organisations making a similar move and leveraging the BPO service providers.

BPO History

BPO in India 

BPO in India started growing in the late 1980s and since then it has been growing. It is expected to grow rapidly in the coming 10 years.

Raman Roy has been credited as the founder of BPO in India. he is referred to as the Father of the Indian BPO Industry.

India has become one of the best-sought options for offshore ITES and BPO industry.

This is possible due to the availability of:-

  • The extremely talented pool of workforce.

  • Low costs for the service.

  • Quality service delivery.

These three reasons have led to accelerated growth of the BPO Industry in India.

It has led to an increase in employment opportunities in India. It has employed nearly 4 million people in India, the number continues to grow. It will continue to grow in the coming years ahead.

Top BPO In India

  • Genpact

  • TCS

  • Accenture

  • Infosys IBM

  • Wipro

  • WNS

  • Concentrix

  • EXL services

  • TCS

  • Teleperformance

BPO TYPES

It is of two major types which many of us are aware of:-

Domestic  

It refers to catering services to local markets within a state or Country

International

It refers to catering services to the international market, in other countries

Besides this, there are further classifications based on the Location and Function.

Types – Based on Location

  • Offshore – Task contracted outside the company’s own country.

  • Nearshore – Task contracted to the company’s neighbouring country.

  • Onshore – Task contracted within the company’s own country.

Types – Based on Service

Back Office

There is no direct interaction with the customer. Although they work to provide customer support. often known as the Backend Team. It is mainly for internal business.


Back Office Service

The below functions form a part of the Back Office Job.

Data Entry – The process of information input or updating records in the computer. It is useful to save and maintain the database.

Data Management – The process of collecting data, organising it and accessing it later to support productivity, data analysis and decision-making.

Surveys – It is the method of collecting information in the form of questions. It helps to get customer thoughts on particular products, their services and the scope of improvement.

Payment Processing – It refers to all the steps required for proper payment transfer using the payment gateway. The setting of automatic payment clearing.

Account support – It aims at managing customer accounts. It could be either an account in banks or an account in companies or organisations.


Front Office

There is direct interaction with the customer. They resolve queries on call while taking requests and complaints and forwarding them to the Back Office team for complete resolution.

Front Office Service

The below functions form part of the Front Office job.

Appointment scheduling – It helps to schedule appointments, meetings and bookies for the companies.

Inbound – It refers to attending customer calls. The call is made by the customer either on the toll-free or chargeable number.

Outbound – It refers to a call made to the customer. It can be either follow-up calls on issue resolution. Even service-related reminder calls

Email – It refers to attending to customer queries and complaints using the email channel

Chat – It is the direct real-time discussion with the customer to resolve their concerns and queries.

Why is there a need for Outsourcing? 

There are different Companies in the market selling their products, goods and services to the customer. Their main focus is to maintain the quality of the products, goods and services and increase their customer database. 

To do this they outsource i.e. seek the help of different companies who are experts with all available infrastructure. We call them BPO and assist them in non-essential services.

Outsourcing Types

BPO has all the facilities for providing services to the customers:-

  • Receiving calls from these customers. 

  • Making calls to contact customers.

  • Maintain a database like call recordings, customer details, and feedback. 

BPO helps to identify the concern areas highlighted by the customer. Mainly during interaction in the form of feedback i.e. Query/Complaints/Request. 

These are filtered so that the Brand company can work on these feedback and Loopholes to increase their product/ Service quality and hold on to customers without losing them. 


The Brand Company does not directly engage with the customer initially but does engage according to the severity of the complaints and feedback.

Request/Query/ and small complaints are resolved by the associates in BPO.

This saves the Brand from these hassles and thus they focus and maintain the Quality of Products and in the end Customer Satisfaction.

Outsourcing Options

  • Offshore Outsourcing 

  • Nearshore Outsourcing

  • Onshore Outsourcing 

Conclusion

BPO has a lot of scope for growth. It is already growing at a fast pace. It will generate more employemnt in the IT field.

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