The Hindu Business Line : Want to check attrition, try the Hughes way

While some BPOs prescribed changing of employee profile as a solution and hence have increased the age-group of workers, opened out jobs to handicapped persons, tapped the VRS population and hired retired personnel, Hughes BPO Services, a division of Hughes Software Systems (HSS), has taken a leaf out of its parent's book.

In a practice similar to that of HSS, it has started an Internal Job Posting Program (IJPP) to address the attrition problem.

Fine-tuned to suit the call centre industry, IJPP allows employees to look for job changes within Hughes itself, instead of outside, thus eliminating the boredom and a need for change.

Though an internal musical chair happens in other organisations as well, the IJPP programme is different — here all new positions are posted on the company's intranet, Jadoo, and employees are free to apply on-line in total confidentiality, in the same way as external candidates would.

"They are not required to intimate their managers when they apply. Immediate bosses are informed only after the selection process is over and if the candidate is chosen, " says Mr Aadesh Goyal, Executive Vice- President and General Manager.

This has helped Hughes BPO to reduce the attrition level of all programmes to a mere five per cent while the industry average is 35 - 40 per cent.

Explaining the main reasons for a high rate of attrition in the IT-enabled industry, he said: "There are invariably three reasons for attrition: the first kind is when an employee leaves within three to six months of joining the industry. In this case the employee, after undergoing training, finds the job too demanding and cannot cope with late night work.

"The second reason is when employees, who are basically below 25, leave to study further or pursue an alternative career of their choice. Both these categories of employees make for one-third of the attrition.

"The other 65 to 70 per cent leave for alternative jobs in the industry as the ITES business is growing and there are lots of opportunities. We are addressing this third section of employees with the IJPP scheme,'' explains Mr Goyal.

He compares the situation in the BPO sector to how it was in the software industry during its boom period. " Only here the movement of employees is even faster.

Hence, applying best practices is a must.''

Mr Indrajit Sen, Director, Human Resources, explains the `Star' concept of HR that the company follows where there is a five-pronged approach including providing employees with the right culture and environment, the opportunity for learning, the freedom to pursue career planning and so on.

"We recognise that working back-office is a very stressful job and we try our best to give our `magicians' (everybody on the shopfloor is called a magician as they are supposed to be involved in creating magic) instant recognition, fun at the workplace and other avenues of growth.'' — The Hughes formula to minimise attrition.

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