Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Derek Gallimore, Founder at Outsource Accelerator.
It’s a well-known fact that the information technology-business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) continues to be one of the fastest growing industry sectors in the Philippines. The industry has made tremendous progress after the first contact center was established in the country in 1992. Since then, it has generated revenue amounting to US$2.2 billion and 1.2 million jobs, and is expected to raise those numbers to US$ 40 billion and 1.8 million jobs by 2022. In fact, the Philippines has consistently earned its place as a top outsourcing destination.
There are many reasons why investors and international companies, especially those from the Western hemisphere, see the Philippines as a primary choice for their outsourcing needs. The competitive labor cost is one, but the high rates of English fluency and cultural affinity, and the sizeable number of incentives offered to investors have also helped prime the country for business ventures related to the IT-BPO industry.
Despite its position as an undisputed leader in customer service, the country must continue to adapt to the technological advancements that are already changing the landscape of the IT-BPO industry across the globe: big data and analytics, Internet-of-things, automation and artificial intelligence, and cloud computing. To maximize the opportunities presented by these technologies, the Philippines has to prepare for the potential dampening of low skilled work due to automation, as well as the augmented growth of services supported by the IT-BPO industry.
There are many things that need to be done to make the IT-BPO industry truly future-ready. Strengthening the education system’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) program is one, in addition to the many platforms and plans that government bodies and BPO organizations are spearheading. This doesn’t mean, however, that regular citizens can’t contribute to these efforts. One of the ways individuals can make an impact is by creating informative content and media that promote the country to prospective investors.
This is where Outsource Accelerator’s The Source: Article Competition comes in. This free-entry article writing competition aims to promote the Philippines as a premier outsourcing destination with a wide range of available outsourcing services. One of the contest’s main goals is to generate highly informative articles that detail how easy it is to outsource to the country and the benefits of doing so.
The grand winner of the competition can get up to PHP 200,000 in cash, and the more entries there are, the higher the prizes get. Participants can send as many entries as they want. The contest is open to all workers in the BPO sector in the Philippines, independent contractors, and remote workers, but anyone can send entries as long as they get the approval of the BPO company they wish to write about.
The articles written for the competition must (1) promote the Philippines as the world’s premier outsourcing destination; (2) explain how the BPO company provides excellent services; (3) provide valuable insights related to outsourcing that will benefit readers, particularly decision makers of small and medium businesses and enterprises (SMB/SME); and (4) mention Outsource Accelerator and The Source.
To take part in the competition, simply create an account on Outsource Accelerator’s website, write the article, and submit your entries on or before March 24, 2018. Entrants are encouraged to share their submissions with friends and colleagues, as the entries will be judged not only based on their quality but also on the number of likes and shares they get. The winners will be announced on April 4, 2018, via Facebook Live.
To sign up for the competition and to find out more about the contest and its mechanics, click here!