Biggest IT-BPO employer invests more on re-skilling

CEBU, Philippines — With eight sites in Cebu employing 13 thousand people, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firm Concentrix is poised to invest more on re-skilling to retain people and expand headcounts as Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology poses threats on jobs previously handled by humans.

Concentrix Philippines senior vice president  and country leader Amit Jagga said the company is continuously expanding and will grow the current 120,000 Concentrix employees in the Philippines despite the entry of AI, saying while some jobs have been replaced by technology, there are also a lot of opportunities, especially in the Customer Experience (CX) services that need “human touch.”

In a Concentrix facility visit located in the Montage building on Archbishop Reyes Avenue Cebu, arranged by the US Embassy in Manila, Jagga said there are rising opportunities in the CX outsourcing sphere that would need more human interaction, and that re-skilling is important for the existing employees, and future hiring of more people may incorporate new job demands on a higher scale.

Concentrix, the largest BPO employer in the Philippines now employs a total of 120,000 people, 13,000 of whom are employed in its eight BPO facilities spread in different locations in Cebu.

Jagga was also in Cebu to join the company’s “Family Day” event, which is considered one of the most important events of the company.

Concentrix Cebu Family Day, attended by over 30,000 people comprised of staff and their respective families, was held in SM Seaside Complex.

Themed FUNATIX:  Concentrix #OneFAMtasticDay is part of Concentrix’s series of well-designed engagement events to promote closer relationships and camaraderie.

“As a company that designs, builds, and runs the future of CX and is fanatical about our staff, FUNATIX is a culmination of Concentrix Cebu’s month-long activities which included a Sportfest and various other engagements that rewarded our staff with approximately P700,000 in prizes. Closing with #OneFAMtasticDay where staff brought their loved ones is a perfect way to cap it, as Family Day is a Concentrix annual tradition in all our 50 sites in the Philippines. It’s ‘fam-tastic’ indeed to have a 30,000-strong participation here in Cebu. I feel honored to witness a spectacular celebration of togetherness and appreciation for the people we care for the most: our staff and their loved ones,” said Jagga.

Concentrix Philippines, the country’s largest private employer, is a recipient of the Asia CEO Award in 2022 as Wellness Company of the Year. It gained “Highly Commended” recognition for Excellence in Employee Experience in the global Gartner Communication Awards 2022 and is among the Philippines’ and Asia’s Best Employer Brands, and PEZA Hall of Fame as Outstanding Employer.

According to Jagga, the Philippines, Cebu in particular remains to be a strategic location for outsourcing operations, and the company may add more sites in the province in the near future.

He said AI technology would only become a threat to people, including those working in the BPO industry if people will not re-skill.

“We continue to invest in the re-skilling and upskilling of our staff to make them future-ready,” he said. — (FREEMAN)