How to find work in Jamaica at Call Centers - 5000 CSA's for Hinduja in 2018 paid JA$64000 monthly

“Jamaica was a great nearshore choice because of its language and cultural affinity to the United States. In the next three to five years, we expect to grow to 5,000. However, that will depend on two factors - business demand and supply”

Hinduja Global Solutions country head for Jamaica and vice-president for business development for the Latin America and the Caribbean, Anand Biradar, commenting on their expansion plans for 2018

Jamaica's is slowly becoming a Call Center Mecca!! Call Center peeps at Advantage Communications, Hinduja, Alorica, Xerox, Elephant and Startek, I've got news more interesting than this picture of Yendi Phillipps wearing ONLY bodypaint

Hinduja Global Solutions is going for 5000 call center agent, double their current capacity as reported in the article “Hinduja To Double BPO Operations”, published Sunday October 8, 2017 by Avia Collinder, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Hinduja Global Solutions currently has 2,000 at three centers and has already invested US$10 million in its operations to date. Globally, the Hinduja Group employs 45,000 persons and serves clientele in:

1.      Banking

2.      Consumer electronics and technology

3.      Consumer packaged-goods industries

4.      Health care

5.      Insurance

6.      Retail

7.      Telecommunications and media

Its regional operations are mostly centered around Colombia but they got their start in 2013 with only 50 employees. Their latest push will see them investing some US$2 million in the new centre with the possibility to expand outside the capital, Kingston, where their operations are currently concentrated, being considered.

Hinduja Global Solutions currently has three (3) locations at the following places:

1.      Constant Spring Road in Kingston

2.      Worthington Terrace

3.      Saxthorpe Avenue

So any expansion may possibly include Portmore or Montego Bay to quote Hinduja Global Solutions country head for Jamaica and vice-president for business development for the Latin America and the Caribbean, Anand Biradar, quote: “In 2018 we might be looking at another facility, likely in Kingston. We might also look at Portmore or Montego Bay. To date, we have stayed in Kingston because it is closer to the airport and hotels, closer for our clients. We have also surveyed our workers and they want to come to the city and work”.

So what are the hurdles facing companies in the Call Center world?

Hinduja Global Solutions 5000 CSA's by 2018 - Challenges abound but the rewards are enticing

Jamaica less than 1% of a slice of the US$70 billion global BPO (business process outsourcing) business, but we have the advantage in terms of:

1.      Positioned in the Caribbean

2.      English speaking population

3.      Easily trainable workforce

But, there are challenges and issues that need to be addressed such as:

1.      Limited infrastructure

2.      Worker transport

3.      Worker attitudes

4.      Management shortages

Limited infrastructure is a problem, as very few facilities exist in Jamaica that is ready to just enter and set up business. Most BPO's have to spend money to renovate an unused building or office space in order to begin their services, quote: “There are not a whole lot of places with 'plug and play' facilities. It's just not there. This location was once a warehouse which we spent a lot of capital to upgrade”.

That last issue is very important as, FLOW, which is owned by Liberty Global, is the only Carrier grade telecom Provider in Jamaica and the Caribbean. BPO's rely heavily on the service of FLOW, which is notoriously fickle and prone to outages as hinted by Anand Biradar, quote: “First is telecommunications infrastructure. We only have one company - Cable & Wireless. There is no major issue as yet, but it could become a problem”.

The skills pool in Jamaica is also low, a many of the workers are High School graduates and not college educated as noted by Anand Biradar, quote: “For those on the telephone, a lot have not finished college. They are capable when trained, but the lack of education shows in their maturity and their ability. It is a lot of heavy lifting to groom them”.

This is logical; Jamaicans going to college are unwilling to tolerate being verbally abused on the phone after having invested that much money to get their degrees. As such, the attrition rate of 40% per annum of Hinduja Global Solutions is typical of the industry in Jamaica.

This is even with salaries that are fairly high: US$200 to US$300 per hour fortnightly. CSA's get added incentives for achieving KPI (Key Performance Indices) such as Schedule Adherence, Quality and Handle time along with others. This translates to $32,000 per fortnight, or $63,000 per month or $845,000 annually, which is not bad for an unskilled worker living with their parents.

The trick is to save as much as possible and use the money to plan your escape. So with Hinduja Global Solutions aiming for 5000 by 2018, getting a job in a Call center may be the stepping stone you need to further your education and get a more ideal job elsewhere.