Social media trend to increase jobs in outsourcing sector

MANILA, Philippines - Social media “has the potential to engage communities and drive business growth,” reports Gartner, a leading IT research and advisory firm. It has truly become part of everyday life that in the Philippines alone, smartphone penetration was already at 39 percent, based on a 2013 survey by Google and Ipsos MediaCT.

In recent years, social media has revolutionized the way companies do business, develop brands, and communicate with their customers. Various industries—including the IT and business process management (BPM) sector—have realized the benefits social marketing can bring to their business not only in sales and profit but more importantly in innovation, consumer engagement, and brand loyalty.

“(The social media) trend is transforming customer care to a more complex service. It is at the peak of its popularity in this increasingly technologically-driven world,” says Jomari Mercado, president and CEO of the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP).

“As the variety of channels diversify, we see more and more businesses integrating social media into their communication strategies, particularly in marketing and customer care services,” Mercado says. “We see many opportunities arising from this, including more job openings in the IT-BPM sphere.” 

Last year, the sector provided employment for 900,000 Filipinos. In its industry road map, the Philippine outsourcing industry’s workforce is projected to be at 1.3 million (direct) and 3.2 million (indirect) by 2016.

According to Mercado, the future is a vast landscape of opportunities for the IT-BPM industry as it takes on a new shape in this technological revolution.

He explains that with new advancements transforming sourcing models, management solutions, and tools, the time has come for leaders and stakeholders to jump into the driver’s seat and take control of the ride.

The powerful phenomenon of social media will be one of the topics to be highlighted in the upcoming International IT-BPM Summit (IIS) in Makati Shangri-La Manila. Themed “Drive Change. Shape The Future,” the summit will be held on Oct. 13-14 and will gather industry leaders, analysts, high-level executives, key stakeholders, government officials, and domain experts to discuss issues and trends in the global outsourcing industry. The Philippines is hosting the summit for the sixth time.

Providing useful insights on how to maximize the potential of social media in IT-BPM business models in the session “Social Media: Now More Than Ever” are Havas Media Ortega CEO Jos Ortega, International Institute of Digital Marketing director Hans Eric Chua, Firstsource Solutions Ltd EVP and head for ACM Stephanie Wilson, and TeamAsia president Monette Iturralde-Hamlin.

“Building a brand on social media platforms has a great impact on listening to customers and getting the voice of your company heard,” says Hamlin. “Globally, companies are beginning to understand that the voice of the customer is magnified by social media, making it crucial for them to be able to respond effectively.”

To further steer this already robust industry to achieve optimum growth, the summit will serve as the venue for industry leaders to discuss the three T’s that affect the outsourcing sector: technology, talent, and tomorrow.

“IIS will allow the different stakeholders of this industry to come together and share experiences and best practices, learn from global industry experts, and meet with government officials to set common goals for the nation,” Mercado says.