ILOILO CITY, PH – At a virtual media roundtable today, iQor celebrated its continued growth within the Iloilo community. A leader in the Philippine business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, iQor is an international BPO that provides outsourced customer contact solutions to global customers. iQor’s digital technology innovations and supportive work environments empower employees to deliver meaningful customer experiences. iQor adapted early in the COVID-19 pandemic, scaling secure solutions to support work-from-home opportunities for employees while maintaining superior customer service for clients.
iQor’s culture of talented, performance-driven people and flexible, cloud-based technology helped deliver world-class customer support from the onset of COVID-19 and beyond. At the beginning of the pandemic, iQor launched 18,000 work-at-home customer support experts in just 19 days. It continues to adapt and grow to meet changing needs and environments. According to a recent statement by Benedict Hernandez of the IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), the IT-BPO sector has the potential to grow its revenue to $29 billion and add around 160,000 more jobs this year.
“When the pandemic struck, we were challenged with the continuity of work and processes. iQor’s infrastructure is designed to allow work-in-office and work-from-home at the same time,” shared Rod Hoddinott, senior vice president and general manager for digital and emerging technology at iQor. “Thus, transitioning to work-from-home became fast and easy because the iQor solution is highly secure and allows rapid deployment; it is scalable with little to no device constraints.”
iQor won the Judges Choice Award from NICE at their Interactions Live event in 2021. The award highlights all-around excellence in customer experience (CX), digital fluency, engaging staff, and utilizing artificial intelligence (AI). Excellence is more than just a buzzword at iQor; it’s an assurance that is demonstrated in how its Philippine operations continue to meet global standards when it comes to technology, best practices, and talent development
in the Now Normal.
iQor continues to provide more work opportunities in the places that it operates. In 2021 alone, iQor initiated thousands of new positions in the communities in which it operates. The company’s growing presence in Iloilo has helped thousands of Ilonggos thrive throughout the pandemic and has brought smiles to the local community.
During the media roundtable event, Tony Rizkallah, senior director of operations at iQor, explained why Iloilo is a strategic location for the company. “iQor is committed to sharing expertise in technology and customer service with the Philippine market. Our Ilonggo workforce truly delivers outstanding service and results to our clients. With Iloilo’s strong transportation and communications infrastructure network, iQor is always connected with the rest of the world.”
“But the heart of iQor goes beyond aspiring for economic growth,” Rizkallah added. “We are committed to building [up] people by changing their lives and giving them better opportunities. We also build the communities they belong to. Prior to the pandemic, we conducted outreach activities, like giving out grocery bags and school supplies to barangays that need them the most. This is one of the core values of being an iQorian — we believe in the need to give back.”
Roselle Lao, iQor director of recruiting for Visayas and Mindanao, said, “Building a strong workforce is not easy, but thanks to Iloilo’s thriving and job-conducive environment, we were able to get as much talent as we can, even during the most crucial times. In the midst of the pandemic, iQor’s jobs grew by 20 percent in 2021 and iQor Iloilo by more than 37 percent.“
“For 2022, we are ramping up our hiring efforts. For our telco account alone, we will grow by 20 percent.”
As iQor is a company committed to honing the skills and talents of its employees, new hires can look forward to various trainings and opportunities for growth. During the media roundtable event, Lao shared the story of one employee—Marcelino Nievera.
According to Lao, “Marcelino’s story is but one of the many iQorian stories we have. He tells us his inspiring tale of how, from being a security guard, iQor motivated him to better his communication skills and aspire to be a call center agent. Here is Marcelino today — from manong guard to customer service representative for one of our top telco clients for four years.”
Fleurette Navarro, head of global recruiting and senior vice president for human resources in the Philippines, said, “iQor offers a stable and secure career path for Filipinos amidst pandemic-related challenges. As an employer, we prioritize our employees by offering above-industry-rate salaries, bonuses and unique benefits. We also practice the strict implementation of safety protocols for onsite work, and have made different work set-ups available to employees to maximize both efficiency and safety for everyone.”
In addition, the company offers a COVID-19 assistance program and other health benefits to ensure that employees and their loved ones remain protected.
As we forge ahead in these uncertain times, it is important to not only maintain safety protocols and ensure our health but to provide for our families and contribute to our country’s economic growth. Thus, iQor continues to keep the safety of its employees paramount while doing its best to contribute positively to the local communities where it operates.
NEWS & PRESS