When I was still teaching ESL, my Japanese students, mostly professionals and businesspeople, were surprised to know that Filipinos easily hop from one company to another. They are not used to seeing employees staying in a company for only a couple of months. Indeed, employee retention is a big challenge among business firms in the Philippines, especially in the BPO industry.
What would make you stay in a company? When you ask that to five different employees, you are lucky if you can hear at least two of them with the same response. The nature of the job might also affect the answer that you can get. For instance, a sales representative is different from a customer service representative (CSR) in many ways. The latter can choose to stay in a company as long as the person is receiving a good score from a QA staff, let alone receiving good pay. On the other hand, the former’s retention would depend on the consistency of sales or reaching a monthly quota. Other factors, such as salary increase and promotion, could be of less value for a sales representative than for a CSR.
What Would Make You Stay in a Company?
I have asked two sales representatives at eLink Systems & Concepts Corp. the same question. They are two of the top performers on the sales floor. The fact of the matter is that they were just promoted to Tier 1 Elite a couple of weeks ago. Jessa Amores, one of our featured talents, believes the opportunity to grow will make her stay in the company. She stays with eLink because she has noticed that the management really values and sees her effort and hard work. According to her, “Not every company does that.” She further observed, “It has a chill ambiance, and you really can feel the strong support system of your team and the people around you.”
Meanwhile, Jusiroz Sinangote chooses company culture as something that could keep someone stay. “In eLink,” Jusiroz asserted, “I finally felt the belongingness I have always been looking for in a company. I am very sociable. I talk a lot and that requires people to talk, too. I feel like I can be myself when I am in the office and not feel worried about getting judged.”
What affects the two different answers we get from them would be due to the aspects we’ve further discussed during our written interview.
Experience, Promotion, and Future Dev Coaches
How long you’ve been working in the BPO industry?
Jessa: I’ve been in the industry for almost 3 years already, and this is my first sales account. The first one was a telco account.
Jusiroz: I have been in BPO for nine years now.
What made you choose eLink from all the BPO companies in Cebu?
Jessa: I submitted my CV randomly on Mynimo.com, and it so happened that eLink called me first.
Jusiroz: TBH, it was not really a choice. I had never heard of eLink until my friend referred me here. I didn’t know that it would be the most life-changing moment for me.
How does it feel to get promoted as a Tier 1 Elite?
Jessa: I really don’t expect that, in a short period of time, I will be a Tier 1 Elite. I can still remember the first day we took a call and Bob Marquez closed a sale, and I was so amazed by him. The second day of my call was also the most challenging and memorable experience I have had after receiving a bad review on BBB coming from an author who sued me. I never thought I’ll overcome the struggle. Learning from all the challenges, look what I have become now.
Jusiroz: I feel fulfilled. I am finally here. It took a long time, but as how the saying goes, “Life is not a race; it’s a marathon.” It doesn’t matter how long and slow the journey was, as long as you are heading to that place where you see yourself as successful and wanting more. Moreover, it doesn’t matter as long as you know you are heading towards a place that will make yourself and everyone proud.
In three words, how do you see yourself as a Dev Coach?
Jessa: In three words, I can see myself as a supportive, encouraging, and motivating Dev Coach.
Jusiroz: I see myself as an ambitious and determined Dev Coach with grit.
Pieces of Advice About Seeking Promotion
For many employees, getting promoted means getting higher pay. That’s not the case with sales representatives, though. With sales, getting more sales means getting higher commissions on top of whatever salary you have. This is the reason why I mentioned above that a salary increase and promotion are of lesser value to a sales representative. Nonetheless, getting a higher position is still something to dream of. It’s an achievement to add to your milestone.
“Just do your best and don’t limit yourself,” advised Jessa. “Every day is a learning process,” she continued, “and you should be open about new learning and don’t be scared in offering a bigger package because there’s no harm in trying.”
If you’re seeking a promotion, “do not be in a hurry and force things your way,” said Jusiroz Sinangote. The top-performing Tier 1 Elite also added that if you know you are doing it right, never be contented and always know that you can be better every time. Also, if you don’t know what you are doing wrong, it wouldn’t hurt to ask for help.
If she’s not a sales representative today, Jessa Amores sees herself still working as a Pastry Chef in Bahrain. Jusiroz responded, “I see myself enjoying all my hard work, like living in my own house where I have my own garden of all the vegetables and fruits. That also includes a sightseeing livestock farm with hogs, chickens, cows, and goats. I also want to have tons of Shih Tzu inside my house, which I cuddle with before hitting the sack.”
How Does Your Job Change You?
A salary increase and promotion can’t do anything without any positive changes in your life as an employee. Jessa finds herself no longer asking for money from her dad. Importantly, she can now sustain her needs and provide more for her kids. Indeed, Jessa’s job allows her to bring home the bacon.
With the same question, how does your work as a sales representative change your and your loved ones’ life for the better? Jusiroz answered, “It changed significantly. With the previous companies I had worked with (12 BPOs), I was living from paycheck to paycheck. It was not because I was not paid well (I was paid really well with the other previous ones), but because I didn’t dream big enough for myself.”
Jusiroz continued saying, “I was too distracted with other things going on in my life that I ended up hopping from one company to another. It was messing up my relationship with my family and everything else around me. My mental health was not stable enough and no help was offered to me.”
Discover How eLink Can Help You
“In eLink,” shared Jusiroz in an email, “I found a family. I found friends. I found people who, instead of judging me, gave me words of encouragement. And most importantly, I found myself. This change then put everything back together. I am now able to provide for my family and all their needs. I can go home any weekend I want to be with my family because I don’t have to worry about waiting for the next payday. I am very well compensated for my hard work. I can now live without having to worry about bills and responsibilities. I am more confident now than ever.”
With the captivating stories above, I find it necessary for employers, if not for human resource people, to listen to the stories of employees. This is to help them find the answer to the question, “what would make you stay in a company?” Fortunately for eLink folks, they randomly meet the stakeholders of the company not only during events but also during scheduled meals.
To join our sales department, feel free to send your resume to careers@elink.com.ph. Don’t hesitate to send a message to eLink’s Messenger for more information about our current vacancies. Get in touch with us today!
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