ITELBPO BUILT ON PEOPLE POWER
YONI EPSTEIN is building an empire in the local business process industry and is quietly confident that, with the team he leads, he can become one of the leading players in the Western Hemisphere.
His timeline to achieve his goal is not measured in years, but targets a 5000-strong workforce through selective recruitment, increasing the client base, particularly in the United States of America, penetrating new frontier like the United Kingdom, and the acquisition of existing businesses, particularly in North America.
Epstein cannot conceal his pride in what his company itelBPO Smart Solutions, has achieved over the five years of its existence, from a daring start-up with seven workers, to a labour pool of more than 1000. But he has not lost sight of how he became the largest local operator in the sector today.
“I know that I cannot do this alone, the lifeline and foundation of the organisation is the people,” he tells BPO Jamaica. “So I had the vision that we could have been the largest locally operated firm in the sector, and in the first four years, we surpassed that – our first goal.”
“Recruiting the right people with the right vibe, the right attitude for the particular client, is crucial, or you are going to have a high attrition rate and kill our confidence in our ability.
“It is always about the people, the individuals that are on the telephone working for our clients drive the business for us. They are the ones who allow us to go out there and boast that we are the best,” Epstein says.
OPPORTUNITY FOR JAMAICA
Epstein entered the industry in 2000 as a front-line worker with Sandals resorts and quickly went up the ranks to become the global director of call centre services. The experience he gained during this time opened his eyes to the possibilities for someone with his determination and the opportunity for Jamaica to become a major factor in the global outsourcing market.
“Watching what other local and international players were doing, I always felt that they only did enough to keep the client happy,” he recalls. “I felt that based on my management
skills and the quality of people that I could attract, I could create a brand that would be a force to be reckoned with.”
Epstein continued: “I wanted to create a brand that would not be satisfied with just meeting the client’s expectation, but surpassing it, so they will want more of your service then build a team that has the expertise and the mindset that we can be better than everybody else. That is how we have developed our organisation from seven to 1000 workers.”
The company started as Island Outsourcers, but with his eyes set on a larger piece of the international market, rebranded to itelBPO. Now boasting four locations in Montego Bay, Kingston and The Bahamas, Epstein says itelBPO has become the pace setter for both local and international operations to follow. “Putting stars in strong managerial positions is the right thing to do for the company, the right team members with the right culture for our organisation,” he says. “This allows me to focus on growing the business by winning new businesses and ensuring that we have the capital to attract new businesses.”
MILLENNIAL WORKFORCE
Epstein’s concept also calls for a physical space that communicates the ambition of the company, both to the staff and the clients.
“We are dealing with millennials today,” he argues, “the average age in our workforce is 24. They think differently, they act differently, they look differently, they work differently, and the way that they judge their employer is different than previous generations.”
One aspect was to create an inviting workspace that gave more space for staff engagement, in their cubicle, a more inviting chill room, and a state-of-the-art gym to promote healthy living.
“To be more than a call centre and more like a tech office in Silicon Valley on the waterfront of Montego Bay, so our team members can be proud of their workspace and want to come on a daily basis,” he says. “The other aspect is when you bring customers to view your site, you need a wow statement, and we certainly have established something that is far better than any other facilities in Jamaica, in the region and can rally some of the international guys globally.”
“I will dare say it is better than any office space in any industry in Jamaica,” boasted Epstein, who has won the high percentage growth in employment creation in the sector for three consecutive years between 2013 and 2016.
The entire planning and building of the new headquarters has been a family affair with his father-in-law, Richard Lake, uncle Michael, and Epstein’s mother, Phillippa, all playing a part in the decision making.
The state-of-the-art compound incorporates a modern yet industrial aesthetic with a functional layout designed to boost productivity and improve employee comfort.
The new facility, dubbed Freeport House, will occupy 92,000 square feet, and features a wide array of amenities, including a nurses’ station, a gym, and a Googleinspired chill room. Furthermore, plans are in place to develop a 6,000 square-foot dining hall, and childcare facilities.
The company also has another 52 square feet to build in Montego Bay, while actively seeking additional space in Kingston.
“Jamaica only has six per cent of the Latin American and Caribbean market and we are way below the one per cent of the Global BPO industry, so my perspective is that we have a tremendous opportunity,” says Epstein, who is
the founding president of the BPIAJ.
“Jamaica has never been sought after as it is right now,” he states. “There are investors looking on Jamaica now that would not years ago and the type of companies we are speaking to outsource to us at itelBPO are some of the largest operations in the world.”
Epstein credits his wife, Lisa Lake, for what he describes as bringing structure to the vision.
”As an entrepreneur, I am not that structured, he said. “We have a great team, and we have done well over the last five years, but to go to the next level, we will have to maintain the structure, and that is where her expertise comes into play.”
“The focus is on growing our business and continuing to be the employer of choice, and having office space with similar layout, look, and feel, we will continue to be the employer of choice,” he said, “We have always paid on the higher end of the scale for our team members, and that makes life easier for us to grow to the level.
“So we will continue looking to North America as a source of business, and we intend to go after business in the United Kingdom because my next goal is to get to 5000 employees and that will come through existing clients growing with us because they are happy,” declared Epstein. “Without the people, this business wouldn’t be what it is today, and their power is what sets us apart from our competition.” Yoni Epstein Founder & CEO