IT headcount grew by 21 per cent annually, BPO by 14 per cent : report

Sri Lanka's IT industry staff numbers grew by 21 per cent annually over the last three years, while the IT enabled services (ITES), or BPO, sector has increased by 14 per cent, according to a recently issued report by the Sri Lanka Association of Software and Services Companies (SLASSCOM).

Titled the "SLASSCOM Salary and Benefits Survey 2013", this publication is part of a series that has been published annually over three consecutive years, and it has been done so in coordination with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Additionally, this report is available to non-members at US$1,000 (approximately Rs. 127,500) while members can purchase it at Rs. 20,000, according to SLASSCOM Executive Director Imran Furkhan.

Further, a statement released by SLASSCOM quoted its Chairman, Sujiva Dewaraja, as saying; "The Salary and Benefits Survey 2013 is published for the third consecutive year together with PwC in order to provide a reliable source of data for the existing players in the industry as well as for prospective entrants to assist the decision making process. The findings of the survey highlight that the IT/ITES industry offers attractive salary and benefit packages for the young job seekers. Further, Sri Lanka is also identified as one of the most cost effective off shoring destinations offering wide range of services.

In addition to capturing salary scales of the industry, the report also offers several other insights to the HR practices of the industry. For example, the findings of the survey reveals that during the past three year period both IT and ITES sectors have shown significant expansion in terms of headcount numbers with average annualised staff growth rates of 21 per cent and 14 per cent by the IT and ITES sector respectively. This report is another initiative taken by SLASSCOM in reaching the targets of one billion dollars of export revenue by 2016 and creating over 80,000 high paying jobs within the country".