Pacific could be attractive for international call centres

Transcript

A new report suggests the Pacific could start competing with countries like India and the Philippines in attracting international call centre operations.

It seems a high level of English proficiency and improved connectivity in the Pacific could give the region a competitive advantage in the growing demand for global outsourcing.

Bridget Tunnicliffe reports:

Michelle Sanipati started working in a contact centre in Suva in 2009 when international operator Mindpearl started there six years ago. The 29-year-old has worked her way up to call centre manager and says they get calls from customers as far away as the United States and Europe.

MICHELLE SANIPATI: Some customers they're surprised when the call comes down to Fiji so they ask questions about where is Fiji located and what sort of country is it so in a way it sort of helps us market our country.

A World Bank study released last week suggests the Pacific region has the potential to create thousands of jobs in the offshoring, online outsourcing and other IT-related industries. The report found that almost 10,000 jobs could be created across Fiji, Samoa and Tonga, with optimistic scenarios making that number as high as 27,000, representing more than three percent of GDP. A senior ICT policy specialist at the World Bank, Natasha Beschorner, says over the last few years the Pacific has become more connected, with access to the internet improving dramatically in some parts. She says that has brought with it the potential for different types of jobs.

NATASHA BESCHORNER: With this change in technology and telecomms and internet becoming more affordable in the region we felt it was a good time to start looking at and talking to people about different types of economic activity that are  not challenged by distance, or it matters less where you are, what matters more was what kind of talent and skills you can bring to the equation.

She says international experience has seen small island countries like Mauritius benefit from job creation in offshore and online outsourcing. Mindpearl, a global outsource contact centre business, has call centres in Cape Town, Brisbane, Barcelona, and Suva. The commercial director of Asia Pacific, Mark Mahoney, says one of the reasons they opened a centre in Fiji in 2009 was the high level of English proficiency among the local population.

MARK MAHONEY: That and a neutral accent is a really important function as well. Fijians also, because tourism is so important to them they've got a very warm charming service ethic I suppose you'd say which is great when customer experience is really the focus these days, the Fijians are just brilliant at it and that translates really well to a contact centre transaction as well.

Mindpearl now employs about 750 staff in Suva and Mark Mahoney says they are in it for the long-haul and sees plenty of room for expansion. He says under existing office space, they already have the capacity to employ at least 1500 employees working around a 24 hour work cycle. Mr Mahoney says Fiji is also a great cost-effective alternative to more traditional contact centre locations such as India and the Philippines.

MARK MAHONEY: One of the really compelling factors is that there are no night shift premiums or weekend premiums to be added so it enables businesses to be open longer so you can do that without incurring lots of night shift premiums and extra costs that happen in other locations.

The World Bank's Natasha Beschorner says the report focussed initially on Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa, which next year will all be connected to submarine cables, bringing high speed internet. She says while the labour pool is small it's young and motivated. Ms Beschorner says they are starting to see a lot of schools systematically using the internet and universities looking more seriously at ICT related curricula.

NATASHA BESCHORNER: This is also a way to think about creating some jobs in-country because ICT talent is often hard to come by and there has been a brain drain in this area too so it's also a way of trying to take the economies in different directions.

Michelle Sanipati says she's never looked back since starting at the call centre in Suva. She says her employer offers benefits and bonuses on top of regular wages, making it an appealing place to work. Her role also involves screening of candidates and says they attract a lot of highly qualified people.

MICHELLE SANIPATI: A lot of good people with high educational backgrounds, they've worked for laboratories, technicians, banks. They want to change career path because Mindpearl is an international global contact centre and they want to be part of this fast growing company.

The World Bank report recommends a phased approach, starting with industry development pilots in Fiji, which is the only country in the Pacific region with operations currently in place.