MANILA, Philippines — Business process outsourcing (BPO) firm StarTek is hiring another 400 agents to fill its 1,110-seat facility in the Makati business district with mostly non-voice talents within the year.

StarTek managing director Ed Mallari said this recruitment effort would double the company’s current employee base, which included a mix of agents, supervisors and managers.

Since opening its doors in the Philippines late last year, StarTek human resource director Joyce Penalosa said the BPO firm had been employing “nontraditional HR sourcing methods” in getting employees.

She said StarTek relied mostly on viral marketing tools, or word of mouth, to recruit agents. The company also used street-level display advertising in high foot-traffic locations.

“We ensure that we provide potential recruits with a positive, firsthand experience of StarTek culture by focusing on what’s most important to them, such as a truly enjoyable place to work and long-term career opportunities. Applicants then share this experience with their personal network of friends,” she related.

“During the hiring process, we closely monitor how each applicant found out about StarTek. As a result, we know that word-of-mouth and point-of-interest visuals are our most effective recruitment channels,” she said.

The company likewise entertained walk-ins, which was how it got its first 400 employees, she said.

In an earlier interview, StarTek president and chief executive Larry Jones said the company was also looking at further expanding its presence in the country by opening other sites, most likely in other areas in Metro Manila and in Cebu.

In the near term, however, StarTek will concentrate on ramping up operations at its $10-million Makati facility, its first outside North America, he said.

The company currently has a total of 9,000 seats in over 20 sites in the United States and Canada.

It provides high-value voice and non-voice services to its clients, including customer care, sales support, complex order processing, accounts receivable management, technical support and other industry-specific functions. Abigail L. Ho