Indian students: BPO jobs prestigious but short-lived
Despite the US$5.2billion growth contributed by the business process outsourcing (BPO) to India’s growth, majority of its students view BPO work simply as a stepping stone to other career options.
Hansa Research has come up with a research that showed 66% of its student respondents saw BPO work as a short term career goal. This was marked in students in Chennai and Mumbai, but not among those in Bangalore. The breakdown of students who saw BPO work as a suitable temporary option stands:
- 61% in Delhi
- 77% in Mumbai
- 70% in Kolkata
- 89% in Mumbai
On the other hand, 65% of Bangalore students saw BPO fitting as a long-term career move. 71% of the total 1,000 student respondents considered it a prestigious choice of jobs with the salary to match. The survey was conducted among students in the Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Coimbatore, and Pune area. A consistent answer was that BPO jobs were a "quick opportunity to make money," and one that allowed for fun and earning at the same time.
NASSCOM vice president Sunil Mehta says the findings are consistent with those they came up with in their own surveys conducted around six months ago. He says, "The main reason for this perception is that the BPO segment is seen as a relatively new industry and hence, people are not sure how it would grow. Also, the high growth witnessed by the industry in the past, may raise fears of a boom-and-bust phase. Moreover, there are people who feel it is impossible to work on night shifts for years at a stretch."
He assures that NASSCOM is working on changing this image and points out, "Captives constitute 60-70 per cent of the industry and people are beginning to realise that these well-known names are here to stay. We are also encouraging BPO players to reduce their exposure to voice-related activities, as it would enable them to offer flexible hours to employees. “
"In addition, companies are implementing a high level of training for their employees to give them knowledge in specific domains," he says.
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