New test allows BPOs to recruit workers faster

Private and public stakeholders of the Philippine business process outsourcing (BPO) industry recently launched a national standardized test for applicants, allowing firms to recruit faster and jobseekers easy access to open positions. The test — called the BPAP [Business Processing Association of the Philippines] National Competency Test (BNCT) — remains voluntary, at least for now, said the BPAP, the private sector-led umbrella organization of BPO and IT-enabled services companies in the country. However, if all BPO companies will require applicants to take the test in the future, then it will effectively become mandatory, a BPAP official said. The test is also seen as a move to establish national exams similar to GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) or NCEE (National College Entrance Examination) for BPOs. The government’s main ICT body, the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), provided the seed fund amounting to P62 million. A testing firm, Assessment Analytics Inc., developed the system for the exam. The test “will allow us to make a bigger pond because currently, we’re fishing in open water and it’s getting more difficult to make a catch," BPAP chief executive officer Oscar Sañez said. He added that outsourcing giant India has done the same thing. With the BNCT, proponents said the need for first-level testing will be eliminated. The cost of recruitment will be cut down because the selection will be targeted to those who possess the specific ratings they require. A BPAP executive said the proposed testing fee for the BNCT is P500, which is cheaper than the usual test — which costs anywhere from P800 to P1,000 — that BPO companies administer by themselves. The test will measure a student’s basic skills, such as English proficiency, computer literacy, perceptual speed, and accuracy, and learning ability, the BPAP said. They will be given a grade for each competency. Another objective that the exam seeks to achieve is to help schools develop and design a curriculum, particularly on “campus-based bridging programs," that is on a par with industry standards. In a related press event, an executive of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines said the local outsourcing industry needs a high benchmark for quality in order to sustain its reputation as a major BPO hub. “India has far more BPO workers than the Philippines, but on a per capita basis, Filipino workers earn three times as much as their Indian counterparts," said Richard Mills, chairman of the Canadian business group. The Canadian chamber partnered with BPAP to stage the fourth edition of International ICT Awards-Philippines meant to honor outstanding BPO companies in the country. The awarding ceremonies will be held on March 25, 2010 at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV