Make sure your employees stay happy
FOR most companies engaged in business process outsourcing (BPO), ending a year with a grand party is a must. BPO firms are known to spend a substantial amount for year-end parties, making sure their employees are given the treat they deserve following a year of stress and hard work.
Infosys, a multinational firm listed in Nasdaq and has operations in the Philippines, is one example. For the BPO firm, giving employees a great party to end a year is one way of developing a culture of smiling.
“In Infosys, we like to emphasize that smiling is not an effort,” says Lyn Espinosa, human resource department head of Infosys Philippines.
“Having this party is one way for Infosys to say thank you to its employees. This is one way for them to have fun and to be relieved of stress,” she tells SundayBiz at the sidelines of the company’s year-end party held at the Rockwell Tent in Makati City last Dec. 18.
It is a common notion that BPO employees are usually more stressed out than any average employee given the nature of their jobs, which require them to be at work in the evenings to early morning. Their late night work is due to the fact that many clients of BPOs are based in Western countries.
Espinosa says that given the nature of work done by BPO employees, it is but fitting for Infosys to spend on programs that will relieve them of stress. She says the year-end party is one of said programs.
One of the highlights of the 2011 year-end party of Infosys was the mini concert by multi-awarded Filipino pop rock band “Imago,” whose performance jump-started an all-night party that ended with DJ performances of club music that enticed employees, both agents and bosses, to the dance floor.
Infosys also invited GMA-7 celebrities like Diana Menezes and Fabio Ide to perform and entertain the employees.
Moreover, a showcase of the talents of employees in the performing arts was also done through an interdepartmental competition.
“In Infosys, we want to make sure that employees are happy. When we say happy, we mean not only financially but also in terms of opportunities for career growth as well as culture,” Espinosa says.
The company official says Infosys makes it a point to allocate a significant amount of budget for year-end parties, adding
that making employees happy is one of the requirements to having a successful business operation.
“This party is something we looked forward to. Everyone is just happy to be here,” says Geoffrey, one of the employees.
Infosys Philippines, offices of which are in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City, has little over 1,000 employees serving clients and customers of their clients all over the world.
Espinosa says the company’s Philippine operations is currently the second biggest following that in Bangalore India, where the headquarters if located. But she says operations in the Philippines is expected to eventually be bigger than that in India, as almost all of the company’s expansion plans are to take place within the Philippines.
Espinosa says that Infosys is putting up another site in Alabang, and it is expected to be operational within the first quarter of 2012.
“All eyes [for expansion] are now in the Philippines,” Espinosa says.
She explains that this is because of the satisfactory performance of the Philippine office that has significantly contributed to the growth of the multinational company.
The Philippine operations of Infosys provides various BPO services to clients, which are also multinational. These services include customer service, financial management, and collections, among others.
As of the end-September of this year, Infosys had about 140,000 employees. Its revenues as of the second quarter amounted $6.6 billion. The company expects itself to grow further next year, both in terms of number of employees and revenues.
Espinosa says the favorable outlook of the company is partly hinged on the satisfactory performance of the employees from the Philippines.
“That is why, in return, we want our employees to stay happy,” Espinosa says, who went back to partying with the rest of the employees after her interview with SundayBiz.
