With COVID-19 causing disruptions to businesses, employers face many challenges, among which are keeping the business’s head above water and the employee morale high. At a time when the concept of “being happier” may sound counterintuitive to some, how does premium BPO company TDCX succeed at doing both?
Unique for its modern, premium workspaces and known for its fun, warm, and fresh culture best encapsulated in its long-running campaign #BeHappier, TDCX has always worked and excelled at keeping its employees happy and satisfied. Just like any other company, TDCX had to deal with the challenges thrown at them by the pandemic. The organization’s commitment not only as a BPO provider but also as an employer was irrefutably put to the test by COVID-19.
Putting People First
When news about the virus has reached the country broke out, TDCX quickly urged its employees to wear face masks and observe proper handwashing etiquette in the office. “Before the lockdown, the company started to provide surgical masks, vitamins, alcohol, fruits, and other health-related items to help us safeguard ourselves from contracting the virus,” Workspace Specialist Meg Transmonte shared. “I also appreciate the company’s effort in keeping its employees updated through consistent advisory emails, which was a huge help for employees in the graveyard shift.”
In an interview with People Director Vanessa Maningas, she recounted how their teams beat the odds within a short time frame. “When the government placed Metro Manila under lockdown, we literally had only three days to plan and to execute that plan. We resorted to the most viable solutions we could think of, and that includes offering hotel accommodation, paid special leaves, and granting quarantine allowance to all our employees.”
It was a time-constrained process amid a chaotic situation—configuring thousands of computers, purchasing packaging materials, and packaging the devices, up to delivering each computer door-to-door. “After three long days, we made it!” Vanessa exclaimed. “More than 70% of our employees were immediately deployed to work from the safety of their homes.”
Indeed, the company’s collaboration, teamwork, and agility were tested when they had to facilitate work from home arrangements for their employees. But TDCX knew the challenge didn’t end there. As an employer, the company took it upon itself to ensure its people’s general well-being during a tough time when people either worry about losing jobs or losing lives.
“We hold virtual sessions to inform the employees of what the company has put in place or plans to do to show how TDCX is prioritizing everyone’s safety,” Vanessa said. “Our Employee Engagement Team consistently holds activities online to inject fun at work such as incentivized games, raffles, and contests.”
Apart from adding entertainment as an indispensable ingredient to keep the #BeHappier vibe at work, TDCX also implemented well-being activities in the virtual space. Acknowledging that the pandemic has put everyone on edge, TDCX rolled out fitness and e-Learning class, and stress-management seminars, to name a few.
“It is brilliant that the company provides many online activities to make this pandemic situation less sad,” Meg approved. “TDCX was able to maintain that homey vibe no matter how stressful the situation became.”
Today, seven months into quarantine, 93% of TDCX employees are working in the comfort of their homes, while the rest continues to safely and responsibly perform from the office. The company continues its steadfast support by allowing its eligible employees to work from home for the rest of the year.
Sustaining Growth & Performance
The past months had been tough, with businesses closing or halting operations and workers getting laid off from their jobs. With the bleak situation that everyone had no choice but to navigate through, TDCX weathered it all and even emerged victorious. The company wasn’t just able to save jobs but also to create jobs for more Filipinos, which was no mean feat.
“We were able to grow despite the pandemic. We have already breached 4,000 headcounts in the Philippines this month,” beamed Operations Director Eloisa Mae Bautista-Francisco. “Since the onset of the pandemic, we have welcomed over 700 new hires for one of our biggest accounts. We are very fortunate to have been trusted by our clients to deliver additional headcount and continue to support their business.”
When asked about their team’s secret to achieving such a desirable result, Eloisa said that they managed to do it in three ways: always communicating with people, closely monitoring performance, and ensuring every member is engaged. “Due to all the uncertainties, our people need our leadership ability now more than ever. It is very imperative to ensure that every member is performing according to standards and expectations and getting rewarded for their hard work. As their leaders, we are their hope and inspiration during these troubling times.”
To further keep her team members happy and motivated at work, Eloisa affirmed that adding some fun to their daily interactions through theme days, coffee chats, and virtual games are necessary. This way, Eloisa believes that new hires also get an early sense of belongingness and keeps the team happier.
As a company with people at the heart of its operations, TDCX’s reflex response was to take care of its employees before anything else. After all, BPOs are heavily reliant on people, and TDCX have long since known that keeping happy, engaged employees are the key to provide transformative digital customer experience. Through their durable continuity plan, backed by their teams’ proactive and people-oriented thinking, TDCX was several steps ahead, and thus, nailed the challenge of keeping things in order despite the chaos brought by COVID-19.
To learn more about TDCX and their open positions, go to tdcx.com/careers or check out their social media accounts @tdcx.philippines.