BPO companies battling the recent spat of information leaks and security breaches have something to look forward to. Very soon, every single call centre wannabe will be able to appear for a centralised examination that will test individual skills and orientation, and mark him or her as fit or unfit for the industry.At the same time, eight out of every ten frontline managers in BPO units will be re-trained and retro-fitted with softer skills like people management, so that their underlings don’t succumb to ruthless poachers.In a bid to control the high attrition rates, skyrocketing wages and superfast employee churn that are taking a toll on the quality of BPO Inc, industry body Nasscom has mooted a GRE-like centralised testing and certification system.The scheme will classify all applicants on the basis of their psychological and comprehension fitness for the sector, thus providing the industry with a calibrated bank of potential workers. Apart from defining the special skills of each individual appearing for the test, the examination will also widen the net of employees.The scope of the test runs the gamut of needs — from keyboard skills, communication abilities and language skills to professional competency and general comprehension. Since the test will be open to all graduates, it will also open up BPO-employability options for graduates in smaller towns and cities.Right now, BPOs pick up most talent from the four metros, where a bulk of the 1-million strong IT and BPO workers come from. A good score on the new test will mean higher employability potential in the BPO sector, while a lower score will imply a higher risk for the BPO firm—and a lower salary for the applicant, if not outright rejection.But this scoring system, which is meant to guide BPO firms on how a particular candidate will fit into their scheme of things, will not just be a certification. ‘‘People who do well in the test will not just qualify for the right employment, but also build credibility for others who sit for the test. This system has the potential to become part of the informal, and then formal, education system,’’ said Nasscom president Kiran Karnik.
