January 31, 2023
Call centers are not new to the Caribbean; several nations already have a number of centers of international businesses up and successfully running. In particular, Jamaica has been home to many successful call centers for years. But while it is often dismissed as a source of meager income and entry-level jobs, the industry it belongs to, business process outsourcing (BPO), is a multi-million-dollar one that could bring more wealth to the Caribbean region, if developed properly.
This is according to Joseph Boll, CEO of Caribbean Employment Services Inc., a market-leading digital talent acquisition service that aims to connect the top talent from the Caribbean with hiring managers, HR professionals and decision-makers in companies both within the Caribbean as well as abroad. Further, it aims to provide the region’s jobseekers and those who are already employed with news and resources related to Caribbean labour.
Boll noted that the call center sector has been on somewhat of an uptick in the Caribbean in recent times, with new centers being opened in countries such as Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and more. Further, he reiterated his belief that the services sector — which includes industries like BPO and others that exchange services rather than goods — holds the key to future sustainable development and economic diversification for the region. Should countries maintain the capacity and necessary infrastructure for wider-scale outsourcing operations, it could be a gamechanger for local employment and GDP.
“If businesses could reliably outsource not just call centers but IT, management and other aspects of operations to offices in the Caribbean, that could open up a world of opportunity,” the CEO added. “It could help with diversification efforts, transferable skills training and legitimate employment even while parent companies abroad are able to cut on some costs ahead of or during a recession. But the key will be how willing regional countries are to ensure the necessary development is in place for that to happen.”
Caribbean Employment Services Inc. is hopeful that there will be further development in this regard, and remains ready to assist BPO organizations or others that may be ready to seek out the best talent in the region.