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Only 3 of every 100 graduates pass Call Center jobs

Someone sent me a link to this old article from Manila Standard Today about me recent article on call center jobs in the Philippines.

The article mentioned that only around 3 out of 100 fresh graduates in the country are hired by call centers. The survey must have been done in 2005, where only 11,526 applicants or 2.89 percent of the total 400,000 new graduates are accepted in BPO companies and call centers.

However, the 3% mentioned here seemed misleading since there’s no way all those 400,000 college graduates applied in a call center. That means the passing rate is not actually 3% which I think is really very low. Nevertheless, it supports my previous assumption that new graduates aren’t qualified enough to make it thru the rigorous hiring process of these call center.

Is the claimed 94% literacy rate of the Philippines over-estimated? Is the world’s 3rd largest English speaking country not providing enough qualified workforce for the BPO and call center industry? I guess so.

The number one reason? Less than half (could be even way less than that) of these applicants can speak straight conversational English. It’s not just literacy we’re talking here, it’s proficiency.

I really think these call centers should lower their passing requirements and use those tons and tons of money they saved from outsourcing and invest on training new (and semi-qualified) hirees.

[tags]call center philippines, business process outsourcing[/tags]

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Avatar for Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

25 Responses

  1. Avatar for Blanch Feaster Blanch Feaster says:

    Can I simply say what a reduction to search out somebody who actually knows what theyre speaking about on the internet. You undoubtedly know how you can bring a difficulty to gentle and make it important. Extra folks must read this and understand this facet of the story. I cant imagine youre not more common since you undoubtedly have the gift.

  2. Avatar for GP GP says:

    @mac hontiveros – the english language is seldom used? a or b segment of society? It’s that kind of thinking that makes it “difficult”.

    The unemployment rate has always been high! There are simply not enough jobs in the Philippines to support the number of graduates. This has been a fact for the last twenty years!

    I’m not here to defend the call centers, but if they are a source of livelihood, I wouldn’t be complaining too much. At least they provide jobs.

    Someone was saying that, “they should lower their pass rate” – it’s their rigorous training process that weeds out the under-qualified. That’s the reason why the call centers get contracts to provide service. It’s the quality of their people. What needs to happen, is a review of the quality of education from the diploma mills. If they are churning out half-baked graduates, then that is a problem.

  3. Avatar for mac hontiveros mac hontiveros says:

    well,call centers are practically the last resort these days.with high unemployment rate per number of graduates,its very alarming.ive been working for a call center based in ortigas for almost 3 years now,and yet im underpaid when it comes to the number of calls per hour.its a very stressful job.you need to be single to survive in this kind of job,coz basically,you will lose youre family.its very hard to pass an exam considering that the english language is seldom used,not unless you belong to the a or b segment of the society.

  4. Avatar for Jun Lubrica Jun Lubrica says:

    Hi!I’m an ex OFW retiree an and in my sixty’s already.I’ve worked in Saudi Aabia for more than 20 yrs.I’m a BSME graduate.I’m still active and in state of good health, thanks to our LORD ALMIGHTY.I still feel the great urge to continue working despite my age.And I would like to apply as a CALL CENTER agent if given the opportunity.Actually,I already enrolled as Trainee in one of the training centers for Call Center agents in Quezon City.Do I still have a chance to land and qualify for a job in a Call Center business? Thanks if somebody will comment on this.

  5. Avatar for jen jen says:

    Why it has to be call centers? The pay in other industries are so low. I do not wish to be in a call center either. It doesn’t fit my personality. But it feels that I have to, because the pay in other industries are pathetic.

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