[IP] Young Britons flock east to answer India's call-centre crisis
Begin forwarded message:
From: Brian Randell <Brian.Randell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: November 14, 2005 6:15:00 AM EST
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Young Britons flock east to answer India's call-centre crisis
Hi Dave:
Here's a surprising new twist on the out-sourcing issue, an issue
which was featuring a lot in IP a little while ago.
cheers
Brian
====
From the Independent - a national UK paper - yesterday:
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article326822.ece
Young Britons flock east to answer India's call-centre crisis
In a remarkable reversal, the subcontinent's telesales firms are
eagerly recruiting British labour to fill a skills shortage
By Stephen Khan
Published: 13 November 2005
An army of British workers is being recruited to staff India's vast
network of call centres because of a shortage of suitable candidates
on the subcontinent.
In a remarkable reversal of the outsourcing that has seen thousands
of jobs lost in the UK, telesales operations are looking to fill a
skills gap in the east with young Britons willing to work on Indian
wages.
And they are eagerly taking up the challenge. Both recent graduates
and those with experience of working in British call centres are
flocking to sign up for jobs in Bombay, Delhi and Bangalore that pay
just £350 a month.
It might not sound like much, but many are finding that they can earn
enough to live on for six months or a year before heading off
travelling. Indeed, a stint in the call centres followed by a period
mellowing out on Goa's beaches or touring the palaces of Rajasthan is
becoming the fashionable way for single young Britons to spend a gap
year.
However, with surveys suggesting that India's telesales industry will
be short of more than 120,000 employees over the next two years, many
of the newcomers are expected to stay on.
The problem has arisen because while millions of Indians aspire to
work in the call centres, managements are becoming more particular
about whom they hire. This follows complaints from callers in the UK
about staff being unable to understand them.
There has also been a high attrition rate in many of the centres, as
Indians became fed up with punishing hours and abuse from callers.
That has not put off young Britons, though. The clamour for jobs in
India has reached such a level that agencies have been set up to
place them with Indian firms.
One is Launch Offshore, founded by Tim Bond. "People are desperate to
sample a slice of another way of life," Mr Bond said. His firm has
close to 100 workers in India and expects to place more than 200 next
year. Those who sign up are given flights out and accommodation as
well as Indian wages.
Among the first to land in the subcontinent was Kenny Rooney, a 28-
year-old from Livingston in Scotland. He had worked in a call centre
at home, but after nine months in India says he does not want to
return. "This is an incredible country," he said, speaking from
Bombay. "I have had a brilliant time and met people from all over the
world."
Further down the west coast is Pune, a hub of the call-centre
industry. Ian Hussey, a 20-year-old business studies student at
Sheffield Hallam University, recently began working there. "Doing the
work from the bottom up, you learn about the people and the company.
It's great."
Young Britons of Indian origin are also finding the jobs offer them a
chance to rediscover their roots. Among them is Hasmita Patel, who is
also working in Pune. "This has been the best thing I've ever done,"
said Ms Patel, from Leicester. "It has really allowed me to see the
country and get to know people. I've learned so much about myself."
Those operating the centres are delighted by the newcomers. "The
cultural fit of the British works wonders. They are very
enterprising. They tell me about how we can enhance what we are doing
here, what we can share," said Sukaya Katoch, head of training at
Pune call centre GTL.
An army of British workers is being recruited to staff India's vast
network of call centres because of a shortage of suitable candidates
on the subcontinent.
In a remarkable reversal of the outsourcing that has seen thousands
of jobs lost in the UK, telesales operations are looking to fill a
skills gap in the east with young Britons willing to work on Indian
wages.
And they are eagerly taking up the challenge. Both recent graduates
and those with experience of working in British call centres are
flocking to sign up for jobs in Bombay, Delhi and Bangalore that pay
just £350 a month.
It might not sound like much, but many are finding that they can earn
enough to live on for six months or a year before heading off
travelling. Indeed, a stint in the call centres followed by a period
mellowing out on Goa's beaches or touring the palaces of Rajasthan is
becoming the fashionable way for single young Britons to spend a gap
year.
However, with surveys suggesting that India's telesales industry will
be short of more than 120,000 employees over the next two years, many
of the newcomers are expected to stay on.
The problem has arisen because while millions of Indians aspire to
work in the call centres, managements are becoming more particular
about whom they hire. This follows complaints from callers in the UK
about staff being unable to understand them.
There has also been a high attrition rate in many of the centres, as
Indians became fed up with punishing hours and abuse from callers.
That has not put off young Britons, though. The clamour for jobs in
India has reached such a level that agencies have been set up to
place them with Indian firms.
One is Launch Offshore, founded by Tim Bond. "People are desperate to
sample a slice of another way of life," Mr Bond said. His firm has
close to 100 workers in India and expects to place more than 200 next
year. Those who sign up are given flights out and accommodation as
well as Indian wages.
Among the first to land in the subcontinent was Kenny Rooney, a 28-
year-old from Livingston in Scotland. He had worked in a call centre
at home, but after nine months in India says he does not want to
return. "This is an incredible country," he said, speaking from
Bombay. "I have had a brilliant time and met people from all over the
world."
Further down the west coast is Pune, a hub of the call-centre
industry. Ian Hussey, a 20-year-old business studies student at
Sheffield Hallam University, recently began working there. "Doing the
work from the bottom up, you learn about the people and the company.
It's great."
Young Britons of Indian origin are also finding the jobs offer them a
chance to rediscover their roots. Among them is Hasmita Patel, who is
also working in Pune. "This has been the best thing I've ever done,"
said Ms Patel, from Leicester. "It has really allowed me to see the
country and get to know people. I've learned so much about myself."
Those operating the centres are delighted by the newcomers. "The
cultural fit of the British works wonders. They are very
enterprising. They tell me about how we can enhance what we are doing
here, what we can share," said Sukaya Katoch, head of training at
Pune call centre GTL.
--
School of Computing Science, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon
Tyne,
NE1 7RU, UK
EMAIL = Brian.Randell@xxxxxxxxx PHONE = +44 191 222 7923
FAX = +44 191 222 8232 URL = http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/~brian.randell/
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