Jobs for disadvantaged Filipinos
Themed “Harnessing Information, Powering Nations, Connecting the World,” the recently concluded 7th International Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) Summit put a spotlight on the impact of the IT-BPM industry as one of the major job providers in the country.
In a panel discussion entitled “A Greater Purpose: Case Studies of the IT-BPM Industry’s Social Impact,” industry experts highlighted the growing practice of impact sourcing — employing people at the base of the pyramid through socially responsible initiatives. These programs mostly focus on educating and providing marginalized sectors of the society with the training and resources they need to be equally competitive in the market.
Antonio Baradi, a polio survivor and now operations manager of Stellar Philippines, Inc., gave an account of how impact sourcing helped him succeed in life. Baradi encouraged industry practitioners and organizations to consider impact sourcing in their respective companies. “Do not be scared to invest in us. Bring in technology to unleash our potentials. We have a pool of untouched human resources that are in the base of the pyramid,” he said.
Tom McCormick, head of operations of Capital One Philippine Support Services Corp. (COPSSC), shared how COPSSC looks at impact sourcing as a higher and more sustainable form of corporate social responsibility (CSR) that has significant business return. McCormick added that such initiatives result in higher employee engagement and lower attrition rate.
“Impact sourcing is a more holistic way of engaging with communities and doing the right thing,” said McCormick highlighting COPSSC’s partnership with "Tuloy" Foundation, an organization that provides care and training for poor, abandoned and homeless children. COPSSC established the Contact Center Readiness Program and Facility in Tuloy to teach students key competencies required for entry-level positions in ITBPM and other service industries.
After undergoing the nine-month training program, students are then given the opportunity to work in COPSSC. To date, COPSSC has hired nine Tuloy graduates and is now in its second year of running the program. COPSSC’s CSR initiatives are geared toward educating and empowering communities but according to McCormick, there are other challenges for the individuals undergoing the program as well.
“We have seen some students that are not necessarily supported by their families when they entered this program. They were expected to earn money doing something else other than making an investment in their future. By giving them the opportunity to be hired, we were able to show that there’s hope and a different future within reach. As a result, the entire family started to believe in the possibilities. We have to change paradigms and remove selfimposed barriers to have long-term sustainable results” he shared.
Zhihan Lee, CEO and co-founder of the social enterprise called Bagosphere, urged companies to bring impact sourcing to a higher level as part of their profit maximization strategy. “How do we turn human potential into talents that your company needs?” Lee asked.
Impact sourcing also introduces another opportunity: reaching more rural areas where the quality of life of Filipinos needs to be improved. Butch Valenzuela, founder of Visaya KPO Corporation which runs the Rural BPO project in partnership with Accenture, encouraged summit attendees to look beyond the Next Wave Cities. “Start a pilot. See if it is a workable project and from there, allow it to grow and replicate it in other parts of the Philippines,” he shared. Valenzuela also added that for this kind of project to be sustainable, it should be run like a business.
For Myrna Padilla, former overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) and now founder and CEO of Mynd Consulting, impact sourcing is one way to bring talents back home. “Communicate that there is hope in the Philippines and that they can go home with jobs waiting for them.”
McCormick also stressed the importance of partnerships where private industries and the government form a synergy to provide opportunities to those who are in the so-called base of the pyramid. Highlighting COPSSC’s focus on empowering amazing Filipino talent, he shared “We have to seek opportunities to build our talent pool and we have a population of people we need to create access for. Make it a part of your strategic agenda to bring in unique talents and to make an impact in the environment that you are privileged to work in.”