BPO firm to hire more amid increased demand

Business process outsourcer Sitel Philippines said on Friday it is hiring an additional 4,000 people to meet increasing demand from its client base. Sitel said it is hiring for its seven facilities in Mandaluyong City, Pasig City, Quezon City, and Baguio City to provide quality service to its clients, with accounts in sales and information technology. At present, Sitel has more than 12,000 employees. “Despite the economic downturn, Sitel has posted an increase in revenue and clients in 2010 which enabled the company to hire more people. We have new clients who went onboard this year and many of our existing clients have grown their businesses with us," Sitel recruitment director Joan Laquindanum said in a statement. The Business Process Association of the Philippines (BPAP) estimates direct employment in the outsourcing sector to hit 530,000 this year — about 19 percent higher than the 440,000 jobs the industry generated last year. Early this week, the BPAP is projecting investments of $800 million annually from the private sector that can generate more than 200,000 jobs a year until 2016. BPAP said it is “refocusing its talent development program" as the group sees the BPO’s non-voice segment to grow. “Those in the healthcare, finance, and accounting will be important for our growth. They are in a better position to fill in the more than 216,000 jobs a year [in BPO]," BPAP president Oscar Sañez said. The outsourcing industry is targeting $25 billion in revenues by 2016. -- JE/OMG, GMANews.TV