Growing shortage of BPO workers for hire in Jamaica
/ Our Today
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The Jamaican business process outsourcing (BPO) industry is suddenly seeing a shortage in talent, even as more foreign companies take root locally.
The news comes at a time the industry is expanding significantly on the island. Earlier in 2021, the BPO association projected the opening of at least 10 call centres between July 2021 and March 2022.
BPO sources say the situation could get worse if nothing is done immediately to get fresh recruits. Gloria Henry, president of the Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ), warns that the crisis will only worsen in the near future.
BPOs in Jamaica often hire high school graduates in the hope of training them in the job later. Henry pointed to the disruption suffered by the country’s educational sector following the outbreak of the pandemic nearly two years ago.
Some analysts blame shortage of BPO workers on the shrinking pool of fresh high school graduates and the growing popularity of work-from-home arrangements. Many senior BPO employees are landing jobs with overseas companies and a few of them are even launching their own business ventures.
In commenting on the situation, David Wan, president of the Jamaica Employers’ Federation, contends that the BPO industry is in a dilemma.
According to him, “they (BPOs) cannot offer exorbitant salaries to new employees, because such a move could force the senior staff to seek a pay rise, he said, adding that the industry cannot even attract skilled workers from overseas”.
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