Virtual Call Center

Even in a shaky economy, the contact center industry is proving growth in many areas, particularly job opportunities. Recent market intelligence dictates that job opportunities will double over the coming years, particularly in the Philippines. According to Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP), the biggest problems that the call center industry will see overall include employee retention and slim pickings when it comes to employee selection.

Despite that, the Philippine economy has the contact center industry to thank for being a top provider in voice services. While the aptitude is there, experts still say that preparation is key; future employees still need the proper training, education and skill set development.

It’s because of this that the Philippine government is donating P1-billion by investing in education and talent development, according to the Manila Bulletin.

“Contact center agents account for the single biggest source of business competitiveness and success for call centers and similar BPOs,” put in CCAP executive director Jojo Uligan.

While the future is bright in the Philippines, U.S. is showing promise, as jobs are coming back by way of a sort of reversed outsourcing phenomenon. According to Bloomberg, General Motors (News - Alert) and General Electric are among the top companies that are reversing a 20-year outsourcing run and bringing call center jobs back home. So for us U.S. citizens, this could mean a boost of occupational offerings, which could hopefully make a dent in today’s grim job market.

“It used to be just about getting the job done at the lowest cost,” said Madhusudan Menon of Infosys’s (News - Alert) Atlanta center. “Now companies are saying some jobs are best done closer to where they are, not cheap as possible somewhere else. They’re rebalancing their onshore and offshore outsourcing.”

Earlier this year, an Indian company sought U.S. shores for their call center needs and opened a facility in South Carolina. WNS Global Services (News - Alert) invested $4.25 million in the new office and plans include to hire a workforce of 750 within a two year time frame.

Overall, the call center and contact center market, even with its many variables, shows a very promising future (and even one which you can be a part of!)