News

Standardized Tests for BPO / Call Center Hiring in India: NASSCOM's Initiative being Adopted on a Pilot Basis

(October 18, 2005 - NASSCOM) - A sea change has been triggered in the recruitment process of BPOs, thanks to NASSCOM's initiative to conduct a single national level exam for entry-level jobs at BPO's. Come next year, call centre aspirants will not be required to write separate entrance tests at every BPO that they apply to. NASSCOM has initiated .....the NAC or NASSCOM Assessment of Competence. The on-line exam conducted to test the aptitude of candidates on different skill sets replace the series of entrance tests carried out by companies while hiring.
The NAC program aims to build a base of ITeS-BPO manpower which will be certified, in tune with the needs of the industry and ensure a steady supply of quality ITeS-BPO professionals to meet the present and future requirements of the industry. "With NAC, we are looking to creating an industry standard that will ensure the transformation of a 'trainable' workforce into an 'employable' workforce," says Sunil Mehta, vice-president, NASSCOM. "India's biggest competitive advantage today is its educated English speaking talent pool, however the need of the hour is to catalyze the expansion of this manpower pool and to ensure that the country's ITeS-BPO talent resources are equipped with industry relevant skill-sets."

(Comment from O2P: This is a wonderful idea, and one that has advantages for all parties involved. It levels the playing field for companies, gives a benchmark for training institutions, and provides a focus for the young people seeking to enter the industry. What if BPA/P here in the Philippines were to contact NASSCOM, and learn more about what they are doing? Perhaps we can adopt a similar standard, customized of course for the Philippine setting. I would think that if handled properly, this could be a great way for the two countries to collaborate rather than to compete.)