Navigating career growth

Foundever, a leader in the customer experience (CX) industry, says career growth now goes beyond climbing the traditional corporate ladder; it also entails having the ability and opportunity to create positive moments not only for oneself but for teammates and customers, as well.

This new thinking in careers is even more pronounced in the highly competitive business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, according to a leadership development executive of Foundever in the Philippines.

“Whether big or small, these moments will define the trajectory of a person’s career in the BPO industry, whether they’re fresh out of university or mid-career professionals,” Foundever senior director for leadership development Francis “Taz” Biagan says. “These moments can help you achieve your goals and even advocate for yourself.”

Horizontal and vertical growth

To live out what they believe, Foundever has made sure its employee value proposition (EVP) creates positive, defining moments for everyone. One of its major themes is growth.

According to Taz, while honing your soft skills like communication, people management, and customer service is necessary to help put you up for success, you must be willing to learn new things so you can grow your career both horizontally and vertically.

“BPO is not just voice support. Companies outsource various business processes like bookkeeping, accounting, digital marketing, and data entry. That’s why you should take advantage of the training programs or skill development workshops your office provides,” he says.

Taz adds that ensuring the vertical or horizontal growth of its associates is part of the employee value proposition of Foundever. This means apart from giving associates opportunities to develop new skills, the company also provides them internal mobility and job security.

Catalyst for growth

Taz points out that having a mentor is a catalyst for an enriching career journey as mentors provide guidance, as well as valuable insights and knowledge.

“Your manager can help you set realistic goals and hold you accountable for achieving them, but mentors can also help you look at things from a fresh perspective when work appears to be stagnating,” he explains.

Foundever believes that a company’s success is built on the experiences its associates are having within the organization. It invests in its people’s growth via internal talent programs and supports growth initiatives via coaching and mentoring.

Compensation monitoring platform Comparably has recognized Foundever on its annual 100 list of Best Companies for Career Growth for 2023. The list is derived from millions of anonymous employees who rated their career development opportunities in their workplace.

A sense of belonging and purpose

While BPO companies offer some of the most competitive packages, they are not all cut equal, according to Taz.

“Anyone looking to have a flourishing BPO career must find a company that has programs and systems in place that are designed to nurture their professional growth,”  he says. “You must join a team that treats everyone fairly, respectfully and equitably.”

Living by the mantra that the employee experience is the customer experience, Foundever launched My Associate Experience or Foundever (MAX), the company’s business-wide mindset and engagement program for transforming the associate experience via social collaborations. One of the features of the program is the annual employee engagement survey, an undertaking designed to get ideas for improvement from the company’s associates.