Call Center Salary Survey Update

 The call center salary survey I've conducted just last month got enough response that I've decided to deduct conclusion this early. Forty-five percent (26 out of 58) of the respondents have indicated that a starting salary of greater than 18,000 pesos a month is the most desirable. Thirty-four percent of call center employees who answered the simple survey said a call center starting salary with the range of 15,000 to 18,000 is attractive. Only 8% of these call center survey participants said 13,500 to 17,000 is OK. While 12,000 to 15, 000 pesos call center salary only got the nod of 4 call center employee respondents.

What does this informal salary survey tell us? First and foremost, it is evident that salary expectations have dramatically changed over the years. In 2003, when call centers were only a handful and they were barely standing on solid ground, a 12,000 peso salary for customer service reps and 14,500 for tech support reps were the norms. Fast forward to 2009 where call center companies are a dime a dozen and work demands have become heavier in pursuit of better performance, the the 2003 salary norms now seem distasteful.

Can we blame the reps for expecting too much? No. It is only human nature to maximize earning potentials as employees get more experienced. In an industry where salaries are as deregulated as the prices of oil in this country, where would you expect employees to troop to? They go to companies where they get a lot more for the relatively same amount of work just like the motoring public would prefer to gas up where they can get the most amount of fuel for the same amount of money.

The bigger implication of this informal survey is how this call center agent perception about their salaries play out in the much larger issue of call center agent attrition. Without salary standardization in our outsourcing industry, employees will continually shift around companies where they can get paid better. There are other things to consider ofcourse: work environment and tasks load, benefits and career advancement opportunities and even sign-up bonuses. However, the most basic consideration always come first: who is going to pay me the most money for my talent?

In my opinion, there is no other party to be blamed but call center companies. They are feeding this problem that may one day cause them to bottom out. Salary benchmarking is useless if call center companies are constantly outdoing each other in terms of salary offers. CCAP President Benedict Hernandez has already warned this issue is leading the industry towards unsustainability. If we want to identify one single threat to the call center industry here in the Philippines, burgeoning call center employee salaries may well be number 1.

This Call Center Agent Salary Survey is now closed effective December 2, 2009. Thank you to all who participated! :)

Posted in: Job Hunt Tips