Different Types of BPO / Call Center Referral Program

In this modern age, the call center industry has boomed tremendously - cropping up in Metro Manila to Cebu, Baguio and all over the country. This, in turn, creates more jobs, generates more revenue to the surrounding business (food, transportation, goods, clothing stores, bars, shops, etc.) and provided more tax revenue to the government that fueled most of the funding for public entities’ program in constructing roads, schools and hospitals.

And because of the booming BPO/RPO/KPO industry - call centers are mushrooming and created a shortage of CSRs and TSRs or shall we say they're having a hard time looking for fit candidates with good communication skills equipped with the basic knowledge of English Language – pronunciation, enunciation, diction and tone. This made them formulate recruitment ties, employee referral programs and other incentives when you get someone interested to apply to a company. This benefits not only the company, but also other people like the employee who referred the individual, the applicant, dicers and also the head hunters.

So let me give you a short overview of the three types of application and let us see if what will be most beneficial for you.

Direct Application – This is when you apply directly to a certain company. Let us say you are walking along Ayala and you saw this big company poster along Glorietta 5 that they are hiring for customer service supports. You test your luck and applied. Luckily, you passed all the assessments and the interviews. The HR department directly provides you the job order. So in easy terms, this is when you proceed immediately to the company.

PROS

You get to choose the company you want.

CONS

If you failed, then you need to search again for another company. Like my favorite liquor "Johnnie Walker Black Label Keep Walking”.

Employee Referral Program – This is a reward scheme for employees getting their relatives, friends or anyone to apply to their company. Usually the setup is like this; one will post a job advertisement on Facebook and will then collate interested person’s name and phone numbers. He will then submit this to the HR personnel. The Recruiter will call you after a day or two and will conduct a phone assessment. If you passed, they will invite you to proceed to the site needing manpower. If you get hired, the person who referred you gets the money. Some companies also give a percentage to the applicant.

PROS

Your friend or the person who referred you, will be benefited.

You get the chance to be phone interviewed, so you will know upfront if you pass or failed their qualifications – no money and time wasted going there.

You are profiled by the phone interviewer to a site that needs people

You get to start immediately (most likely) for some.

CONS

Usually a start of a “friendship over scenario” (lol). Usually happens when the person that referred you promised a 50-50 share then you’ll never hear from him after you get hired (Ninja Moves).

Head Hunters / Recruitment Firms – So you applied on Job Street for a company confidential job opportunity after submitting someone called you. He then says that he got your information via Job Street and explained that they are a company paid by this call center to fill in their manpower needs. When you get hired this company as well get a sum of money same or more than the employee referral bonus.

PROS

You get to know the company you are applying for upfront; research not needed– they will say that over the phone

CONS

They will still call or text you for job openings, even if they have already placed you which is quite tempting! Lol! Never be a call center hopper – a red flag!

Recruitment Ties – This is when a certain BPO company taps a certain call center group or a non-profit or a government agency to help them with their recruitment needs. For example, our FB Group Call Center Philippines – BPO is tapped by a certain call center or this call center taps DOLE for a town job caravan. In return the BPO Company will reward the group’s help by a plaque of appreciation, a great partnership and even honorariums.

 PROS

It is like the direct hire, but the company will usually deploy Company Recruiters in the area or a certain POC from the group will gather the resumes or the contact details of the applicants and the company will be the one to contact them. Sometimes the company trusts the group so much that they will let the group direct the applicants to the site.

CONS

They have a lot of job openings for you, giving you a hard time choosing. They are not the company so don’t ever ask them for a company benefit. They will not usually answer that and tell you to forward your resume or number so they can let the company recruiters call you. They usually want to avoid misleading applicants so to safeguard both parties with that they let the Recruiter of that company discuss those.

So these are the groups that in one way have crossed you during the days of your application and come the time you will want to have a career shift, still it is inevitable not to bump with these BIG GUYS. Don’t ever believe that being endorsed by a certain group or a company will affect your hiring process big time. It will somewhat affect your application, but not totally. Again, everything will be decided according to the company’s qualifications, your competencies and your skills. It is how you sell yourself to the interviewer. It is how you utter those words convincingly and with confidence.

And If you want to apply, please sign up on the form below and I will submit that to our partnered BPO Companies for them to call you. Again, this is a Recruitment Tie and those companies promised an easier process for you.

Sign up here: http://goo.gl/kVYX9x

Also review the articles in this blog since we have collated common call center questions and answers, videos to help you pass the versant assessment and a short background about Berlitz.

Enjoy searching that best company!

You don’t know their recruitment process so you will just be merely testing your luck.

You need to have a lot of confidence and you should be conversational in order for you to pass since you don’t really know the questions that will be asked or you haven’t had the chance to be phone interviewed and have your brain cells warm up.

If you are lucky, you get a sooner start date, but sometimes they are pooling since not all call centers are ramping up with their accounts.

This is good for people who have call center work experiences.

They will provide a phone assessment and coach you if needed.

They will send an email to you which is usually an endorsement form and a reviewer that will help you pass the interviews.

They will set your expectations regarding the process.

If you failed to a certain company, they will not usually stop there. They will contact you and help you until you land a job.

Since they sometimes get more monies for referring you to a company, usually the company’s recruiters will prioritize those walk-ins, recruiting ties or employee referrals.

Since the company doesn’t pay or pays less to the group as compared to the cost of a Recruitment Firm or an Employee Referral Program, they provide an easy process for these applicants. As long as you have Basic English Communication knowledge and they can see that you are trainable, the company will employ you. Most ties have that promise from the partnered BPO Company.

You are sure that the company needs that manpower so you assured that you have a post to fill and you can start immediately.

You get the chance to bring your friends, even if they are not a part of that certain group, and pretend to be a part of that group and get that easy application process because most likely the company will not check that. These groups have a lot of ties that if you fail one they will go ahead and endorse you to another up until you get hired.