Monday...
Nothing much happened!I had been to the office to collect my offer letter and for that i had to carry my last three salary slips.SO thats exactly what i did..Got print outs of my salary slips and went to fetch my Offer letter.I had to meet the HR manager ...SO another round of intro and stuff..den she briefed me abt the process and asked my view on the process.Den came the most important part - Negotiation of salary..I had expected for an higher amount as take home..she was pitchin in with da lower package..a lil bit showing off my talents took place ..certificates n all..and we settled for a take home salary which was closer to my expectation and best part is the INCENTIVES!!..with an above average performance i can take home as much as my basic salary.So that was a perfect Win-Win and Home run situation for me.
Tuesday...
Was a real hectic day.Had to fill in the Joining report Booklet which contained almost 23 forms to be filled..was a tiresome activity.After lunch we had the Induction session and then in the evening we had to click out our pics in the Admin office for ID card purposes and what was supposed to be ard 30 mins activity turned out to be a tiresome 2 hrs courtesy our HR team!!We couldn't click our snaps cos we didnt have our employee ID!!So had to wait for the Employee ID's to be issued..reached home damn late..but luckily nxt day i had an evening shift..So had plenty of time to relax.
Wednesday...
We were merged into an old batch.Did pretty much nothing.Juz mingled and gossiped around doing lukhagiri and stuff.Luckily , the same day a new XBox 360 was installed in the Cafeteria..SO had fun playing Soccer and Car race
Thursday...
Started our Voice and Accent training..aka V&A training.As most of us were tenured executives..we didnt really do it in depth using PPT's n all..Juz discussed it amongst ourself.
Friday
Was the last working day of the week and we all were exhausted cos of the various activitis we were busy doing..so we were in no mood to download any more stuffs..so juz ran thru some topics quickly..Played games like..Dumbcharades , Pictionary , waz urs like , Coffee Pot and Hot seat!!And juz when the trainer tried to get us back to training we came up with the idea that the freshers wont be able to understand a hardcore American customer and to help de we sld probably listen to calls(knowing that the software which recorded calls was facing an outage)[:P]
As we were not able to listen to calls..we suggested that we cld probably make the freshers watch some English movies and thats when one of the bugger in r class suggested some horror flicks like Exorcist n all..and that kindda spoiled the entire set-up that we had put up to trap the trainer and watch some new flick..She put her foot down and said..NO MOVIEZ WHATSOEVER!!That's when i decided to intervene and handle the situation as i was in no mood to learn consonant sounds and vowel sounds.So i switched on my moble ohone and gave her a call and did not speak clearly..She on her part thought there was some network problem ..So she stepped out to get better signal and trust me the moment she left all da trainees got off their seat to bash up the bugger(Of course..in a friendly manner)I disconnected the callafter keeping her busy for ard 5 mins.Once she stepped in..we didnt give her even a moment to think and all said in unision..'So what do you think ..We should watch FRIENDS or FRASIER?'She was still wondering who had called her and suddenly she was confronted by this question..All dat she cld utter was..'U guys decide'.Saying this she again stepped out to give a callback..but i had switched off my mobile phone.S job well done ..but only for now..Cos on Monday i would have to do GEO-CODING with her..in layman's terms updating my personal information on the company's website!I juz keep praying..May she forget this number over the weekend!!In the meantime we watched FRIENDS SEASON 5 (6 episodes) and left for home.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Friday, May 11, 2007
Interview
So I finally decided to a get a Job in the BPO
Got a call frm one of ma frienz that therez vacancy for the Post of a L2 agent in BPO ---
I said fine ..I wld like to apply..SO i was asked to walk in on the nxt morn at ard 11.00 am
And i was there sharp at 11.25 AM IST ..Speaking abt IST(Indian Standard Time)!!
Met with dis amazing receptionist(Was an illusion)
Had to fill in a couple of forms and attach ma resume and submitted to her.
Told me to wait...and she'll call..I gave a ear to ear smile and said 'Thanx'
Speaking abt the illusion , I waited there for ard 50 mins..and she never called and in front ma eyes she was chattin on her Mobile phone and letting in even those ppl who came after me!!Woman O woman..waz up wid u?I was angry and i was all prepared to shower her with my anger but as soon as she asked me YES..all that i cld do is say meekly..'Cld u pls let me in??i gotta pee??..Man O Man ..waz up with u???
And as luck wld be..it was lunch time and i was sitting in the cafeteria..oogling ard trying to spot some viewable creatures and there quite a few for a change.There was dis female who had walked in for the interview with her brother(Although , i was under the impression that he was her BF ..till the time we interacted) , there quite a few amazing females in the HR department(That was ma sole motivation to get the job now so that i cld be surrounded by them).There was this cute girl more in the mould of a woman dressed up casually in a red tee and blue jeans..basically she was damn chilled out like my female frienz frm College....the second notable item was this female in the mould of a real Corporate woman,wearing a nice black business suit,she looked tough on the outside but later i found out shez damn chiled out and got a real nice sense of humour...The third one was more kindda an attention-seeker but was damn hot..yes hot not chilled..wearing a black business pant and a black shirt with nice stripes and and and the shirt was kindda real short and whenever she walked to and fro all the ppl in the cafeteria were able to view her awesome belly and guess what..there are very few times this happens..But i was at the right place at the right time..meaning i was sitting juz besides the alley through which she used to pass and i had the opportunity to have the most microscopic view.
Now after u have some idea about the props..lets talk abt the interview ..Shall we??
Round 1...
To my disappointment , it was taken by a dude.Was ok..Had to tell him abt myself , read out some words , read out a passage and make sentences.asked abt My View on the BPO industry and If i were the HR executive..what wld i tell the HR manager ..why is HR dept important??Was damn easy!!...Passed it!..Hooray
Round 2...
Double Disappointment , again was taken by a dude.Was a bit tough..cos after the initial introduction and stuff..i was hit by technical questions..and i had no idea abt tech stuff n all..newayz im never the one to take a step back..so gave him my own versions for the questions like..what is the difference between a laptop and desktop??..What is a virus??..what is a Firewall??..i went Blah!!Blah!!..luckily , he like my confidence ..So instead of puttin me in tech stuff..said wld put me in Non-tech customer service..i said Fine!..Passed it!
Round 3...
Therez a saying ..Third time Lucky but it wasn't supposed to be so this time ard in my case.Again it was Dude..but this time was an Operations interview ..SO i had to be serious abt it.Normal introduction n stuff and the grind followed..why did u leave ur previous job??why wld u like to Join my company??what are ur future plans??Are u ready to sign a bond???Sell me a Pen .I had most appropriate answers to all that questions..was a cakewalk..I thought so..but then had really vague questions..If our company sponsored a trip??where wld u like to go??Hawaii or New ZeaLand??and i said without blinking my Eye..New Zealand..den came the lethal question..WHY??..i was dumbfounded..Somehow i gave some crap..abt bungee jumpin and kayaking..paragliding..n stuffs.Den he asked me compare maself to any non-Living object..i said computer and gave some Churan why i think so..and last question ..who was ma best friend?..why??..What is the one word that he wld use to describe me??Phew..it was the most exhausting session..i was really drained off!!
So i came out and all that i cld think abt is grabbing something to eat and drink and thats precisely what i did and sat in alone in corner seeing the blue sky and not in front of the 72 inch plasma TV and trust me that was a masterstroke as the casual looking HR joined in with me and i thought this was the reward for me from God for that gruelling OP'S session..and juz chatted with her what are the rounds conducted out here ...a lil tidbits abt all the diff process , and thats when i learned that it was actually her table in the sense she always used o eat on this very table looking outside.I juz gave a wide grin!
Round 4...
For a change it was taken by a female..but there was no interaction with her as it was a test and she reminded me of ma school days..wherein the teacher used to say..Sshhhhhhhh
Was an Online test abt grammar , Communiation Skills , and abt the GK of the product!!
This was da most easiest of the lot..finished it in 10 mins..time alloted was 45 mins and came out and started doin stuff which im best at..Bird watching!!
Round 5...
Was Taken by the Corporate lady...this is when i came to knw shez not all dat serious..itz juz the way she looks!!It was a fun session..a basic round of intro and she tellin me abt the company and i telling her abt my future plans and was i open to negotiate on my salary expectations??i said ..Yes I guess!!
Again i was seated in Cafeteria..waiting fr the results!
And believe it or not..I was informed that i had been selected by the hot HR and when she uttered her first couple of words ..it made me realise how incorrect i was!!Shez no attention-seeker..thats da way she is..and shez a really nice pretty lady..she told me i gotta be there at 11.00 with some documents..and she shook ma hands and said..Welcome to --- and i said..Ya yi!!
SO i gotta join in a couple of days den!!
Adios!!
Got a call frm one of ma frienz that therez vacancy for the Post of a L2 agent in BPO ---
I said fine ..I wld like to apply..SO i was asked to walk in on the nxt morn at ard 11.00 am
And i was there sharp at 11.25 AM IST ..Speaking abt IST(Indian Standard Time)!!
Met with dis amazing receptionist(Was an illusion)
Had to fill in a couple of forms and attach ma resume and submitted to her.
Told me to wait...and she'll call..I gave a ear to ear smile and said 'Thanx'
Speaking abt the illusion , I waited there for ard 50 mins..and she never called and in front ma eyes she was chattin on her Mobile phone and letting in even those ppl who came after me!!Woman O woman..waz up wid u?I was angry and i was all prepared to shower her with my anger but as soon as she asked me YES..all that i cld do is say meekly..'Cld u pls let me in??i gotta pee??..Man O Man ..waz up with u???
And as luck wld be..it was lunch time and i was sitting in the cafeteria..oogling ard trying to spot some viewable creatures and there quite a few for a change.There was dis female who had walked in for the interview with her brother(Although , i was under the impression that he was her BF ..till the time we interacted) , there quite a few amazing females in the HR department(That was ma sole motivation to get the job now so that i cld be surrounded by them).There was this cute girl more in the mould of a woman dressed up casually in a red tee and blue jeans..basically she was damn chilled out like my female frienz frm College....the second notable item was this female in the mould of a real Corporate woman,wearing a nice black business suit,she looked tough on the outside but later i found out shez damn chiled out and got a real nice sense of humour...The third one was more kindda an attention-seeker but was damn hot..yes hot not chilled..wearing a black business pant and a black shirt with nice stripes and and and the shirt was kindda real short and whenever she walked to and fro all the ppl in the cafeteria were able to view her awesome belly and guess what..there are very few times this happens..But i was at the right place at the right time..meaning i was sitting juz besides the alley through which she used to pass and i had the opportunity to have the most microscopic view.
Now after u have some idea about the props..lets talk abt the interview ..Shall we??
Round 1...
To my disappointment , it was taken by a dude.Was ok..Had to tell him abt myself , read out some words , read out a passage and make sentences.asked abt My View on the BPO industry and If i were the HR executive..what wld i tell the HR manager ..why is HR dept important??Was damn easy!!...Passed it!..Hooray
Round 2...
Double Disappointment , again was taken by a dude.Was a bit tough..cos after the initial introduction and stuff..i was hit by technical questions..and i had no idea abt tech stuff n all..newayz im never the one to take a step back..so gave him my own versions for the questions like..what is the difference between a laptop and desktop??..What is a virus??..what is a Firewall??..i went Blah!!Blah!!..luckily , he like my confidence ..So instead of puttin me in tech stuff..said wld put me in Non-tech customer service..i said Fine!..Passed it!
Round 3...
Therez a saying ..Third time Lucky but it wasn't supposed to be so this time ard in my case.Again it was Dude..but this time was an Operations interview ..SO i had to be serious abt it.Normal introduction n stuff and the grind followed..why did u leave ur previous job??why wld u like to Join my company??what are ur future plans??Are u ready to sign a bond???Sell me a Pen .I had most appropriate answers to all that questions..was a cakewalk..I thought so..but then had really vague questions..If our company sponsored a trip??where wld u like to go??Hawaii or New ZeaLand??and i said without blinking my Eye..New Zealand..den came the lethal question..WHY??..i was dumbfounded..Somehow i gave some crap..abt bungee jumpin and kayaking..paragliding..n stuffs.Den he asked me compare maself to any non-Living object..i said computer and gave some Churan why i think so..and last question ..who was ma best friend?..why??..What is the one word that he wld use to describe me??Phew..it was the most exhausting session..i was really drained off!!
So i came out and all that i cld think abt is grabbing something to eat and drink and thats precisely what i did and sat in alone in corner seeing the blue sky and not in front of the 72 inch plasma TV and trust me that was a masterstroke as the casual looking HR joined in with me and i thought this was the reward for me from God for that gruelling OP'S session..and juz chatted with her what are the rounds conducted out here ...a lil tidbits abt all the diff process , and thats when i learned that it was actually her table in the sense she always used o eat on this very table looking outside.I juz gave a wide grin!
Round 4...
For a change it was taken by a female..but there was no interaction with her as it was a test and she reminded me of ma school days..wherein the teacher used to say..Sshhhhhhhh
Was an Online test abt grammar , Communiation Skills , and abt the GK of the product!!
This was da most easiest of the lot..finished it in 10 mins..time alloted was 45 mins and came out and started doin stuff which im best at..Bird watching!!
Round 5...
Was Taken by the Corporate lady...this is when i came to knw shez not all dat serious..itz juz the way she looks!!It was a fun session..a basic round of intro and she tellin me abt the company and i telling her abt my future plans and was i open to negotiate on my salary expectations??i said ..Yes I guess!!
Again i was seated in Cafeteria..waiting fr the results!
And believe it or not..I was informed that i had been selected by the hot HR and when she uttered her first couple of words ..it made me realise how incorrect i was!!Shez no attention-seeker..thats da way she is..and shez a really nice pretty lady..she told me i gotta be there at 11.00 with some documents..and she shook ma hands and said..Welcome to --- and i said..Ya yi!!
SO i gotta join in a couple of days den!!
Adios!!
Thursday, May 10, 2007
BPO Industry!!
So here i am ..The BPO guy
And im gonna share ma life with all u ppl
Lemme first brief u abt the BPO industry
BPO means Business process outsourcing!!
Business Process Outsourcing has been the latest mantra in India today. As the current sources of revenue face slower growth, software companies are trying new ways to increase their revenues. BPO is top on their list today. IT services companies are making a quick entry into the BPO space on the strength of their existing set of clients.
The philosophy behind BPO is specific, do what you do best and leave everything else to business process outsourcers. Companies are moving their non-core business processes to outsource providers. BPO saves precious management time and resources and allows focus while building upon core competencies. The list of functions being outsourced is getting longer by the day. Call centres apart, functions outsourced span purchasing and disbursement, order entry, billing and collection, human resources administration, cash and investment management, tax compliance, internal audit, pay roll...the list gets longer everyday. In view of the accounting scandals in 2002 [Enron, WorldCom, Xerox etc], more and more companies are keen on keeping their investors happy. Hence, it is important for them to increase their profits. BPO is one way of increasing their profits.
Typically, a customer calls the call center [usually a toll-free number]. After pressing numerous numbers [1 for English, 2 for Spanish, 3 for bank balance!] the operator will answer your query by accesing the database. Call centres address sales support, airline/hotel reservations, technical queries, bank accounts, client services, receivables, tele marketing, market research.
If a bank shifts work of a 1000 people from US to India it can save about $18 million a year due to lower costs in India. According to Mckinsey, giant US pharma firms can reduce the cost of developing a new drug, currently estimated at between $600 million and $900 million by as much as $200 million if development work is outsourced to India.
Benefits derived from BPO can be summarized as follows:
Productivity Improvements
Access to expertise
Operational cost control
Cost savings
Improved accountability
Improved HR
Opportunity to focus on core business
Outsourcing is not new - it has been a popular management tool for decade. One can safely say outsourcing has evolved :-
1960's - time-sharing
1970's - parts of IT operations
1980's - entire IT operations
1990's - alliances/tie-ups
2000's - IT-enabled services
India has one of the largest pool of low-cost English speaking scientific and technical talent. This makes India one of the obvious choice to outsource to. Dell, Sun Microsystems, LG, Ford, GE, Oracle all have announced plans to scale up their operations in India. Others like American Express, IBM and British Airways are leveraging the cost advantage India has to offer while setting up call centres. Several foreign airline and banks have too set up business process operations in India.
Many European and US companies have realized that they should focus on their main business and outsource their Human Resource Department, accounting department etc. Bingo! it is here exactly India fits in! Today US corporations have embraced BPO wholeheartedly.
And im gonna share ma life with all u ppl
Lemme first brief u abt the BPO industry
BPO means Business process outsourcing!!
Business Process Outsourcing has been the latest mantra in India today. As the current sources of revenue face slower growth, software companies are trying new ways to increase their revenues. BPO is top on their list today. IT services companies are making a quick entry into the BPO space on the strength of their existing set of clients.
The philosophy behind BPO is specific, do what you do best and leave everything else to business process outsourcers. Companies are moving their non-core business processes to outsource providers. BPO saves precious management time and resources and allows focus while building upon core competencies. The list of functions being outsourced is getting longer by the day. Call centres apart, functions outsourced span purchasing and disbursement, order entry, billing and collection, human resources administration, cash and investment management, tax compliance, internal audit, pay roll...the list gets longer everyday. In view of the accounting scandals in 2002 [Enron, WorldCom, Xerox etc], more and more companies are keen on keeping their investors happy. Hence, it is important for them to increase their profits. BPO is one way of increasing their profits.
Typically, a customer calls the call center [usually a toll-free number]. After pressing numerous numbers [1 for English, 2 for Spanish, 3 for bank balance!] the operator will answer your query by accesing the database. Call centres address sales support, airline/hotel reservations, technical queries, bank accounts, client services, receivables, tele marketing, market research.
If a bank shifts work of a 1000 people from US to India it can save about $18 million a year due to lower costs in India. According to Mckinsey, giant US pharma firms can reduce the cost of developing a new drug, currently estimated at between $600 million and $900 million by as much as $200 million if development work is outsourced to India.
Benefits derived from BPO can be summarized as follows:
Productivity Improvements
Access to expertise
Operational cost control
Cost savings
Improved accountability
Improved HR
Opportunity to focus on core business
Outsourcing is not new - it has been a popular management tool for decade. One can safely say outsourcing has evolved :-
1960's - time-sharing
1970's - parts of IT operations
1980's - entire IT operations
1990's - alliances/tie-ups
2000's - IT-enabled services
India has one of the largest pool of low-cost English speaking scientific and technical talent. This makes India one of the obvious choice to outsource to. Dell, Sun Microsystems, LG, Ford, GE, Oracle all have announced plans to scale up their operations in India. Others like American Express, IBM and British Airways are leveraging the cost advantage India has to offer while setting up call centres. Several foreign airline and banks have too set up business process operations in India.
Many European and US companies have realized that they should focus on their main business and outsource their Human Resource Department, accounting department etc. Bingo! it is here exactly India fits in! Today US corporations have embraced BPO wholeheartedly.
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