Executive Interviews: Interview with Sreeram Iyer on Business Process Outsourcing
January 2006 - By Dr. Nagendra V Chowdary

Sreeram Iyer
CEO, Scope International

• Studies have shown that the employees working in the BPO are suffering from disorders (behavioral and physical).According to you, has this been a verifiable fact, a misnomer, or just a glorified disenchanter?
  As far as Scope is concerned, we work normal day hours for the large part.As a group, Standard Chartered believes in work-life balance; I have not seen any major problems.

• BPOas an industry is growing very fast but it has failed to attract the best talent into the industry. People generally perceive BPO jobs as low-end jobs. Why do you think that BSchool Graduates and other skilled professionals are not attracted to join this industry?
  There is a general perception that BPO jobs are only low-end. But the reality is that jobs are fast moving up the value chain and more and more companies are now involved in Research, Analytics, etc., which employ highly educated staff. There is plenty of room for professionals in the top end of the value chain where the work is very challenging. Our company for example employs professionals like CAs and MBAs engaged in financial analysis, cross-border trade, foreign exchange business, etc.

• There has been a lot of attrition in the industry and companies are having trouble in recruiting the best talent. Could tell us how you recruit the best talent for your company and your strategy to retain them?
  Attrition is higher in voice-based services. Scope is basically a transaction processing company and offers a wide array of services to the Standard Chartered Group. Therefore, our attrition figures are very much in control and do not pose a big threat to our operations.

  We have several distinct advantages for attracting talent - firstly, our Brand.We are an institution that is more than 150 yeas old; we are an International Bank and operate in more than 50 countries.We employ close to 40,000 people worldwide; our management is very diverse and spans 80 nationalities. We offer brilliant learning infrastructure and a robust personal Learning and Development plan to each of our staff; we give them multiple opportunities for growth and chances to move to new jobs within the Standard Chartered Group. We benchmark twice a year with our industry peers and offer competitive compensation to them.

  Retention is a composite of various factors that we lay emphasis on – Leadership, Performance and Rewards system,Work/Life policy, Brand and Communications Opportunities and Talent Pipeline.

• Who are the business leaders you admire most and wish to emulate? What is your leadership style?
  I admire Herb Kelleher, CEO of Southwest Airlines. This is an exceptional companywhere profits grew by 10-15% each year for 31 years. He ran the company by building trust in his top team and field staff. He listened to employees; he cared and treated all with respect. He led from the heart.My style is to focus on execution and diligence. I attempt to drive consensus but amconscious that it is not a sustainable style!

• Which is the latest book you have read?
  The Southwest Airlines Way by Jody Gittell is a fascinating account of that great company. It did not disconnect traditional organizational practices from the non-work family/personal aspects like personal pain, tragedy, spirituality etc., while at work! It bridged gaps between work and family divides. Employees did not have to shed their personality when they came to work.