Now, get ready to work from home

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: The idea of working from home used to send HR managers of BPO industry into frenzy as they tried harder to keep a close watch on their respective workforce.

Of late, however, winds of change are blowing across the IT industry. Faced with an increasing challenge of talent crunch, rising infrastructure costs and people management issues, the IT industry has given a thumbs-up to the recent changes in work from home policy by the department of telecom (DoT). Going by early indications, the concept sure is set to change a few rules in the IT and BPO space.

“About 30% of the country’s workforce would be working from home in the next two years,” says SV Ramana, CTO, Genpact. That would be close to three lakh people. Even more upbeat is Raman Roy, chairman, Quatrro. He expects 50% of the country’s BPO workforce to be working from home in the future. “It is going to be a game changer for the IT industry, especially in the small towns,” he says.

In some countries like the UK, the work-from-home model is highly popular with some companies completely working through home agents without having a brick and mortar presence.

“The concept will dramatically expand the talent pool available as housewives, physically handicapped people, along with part-timers would be able to work at their own convenience. Secondly, it will drastically cut the infrastructure cost of companies,” says PG Raghuraman, lead executive, Accenture BPO.

A senior Genpact official informs that the company would save $2,000 per employee if they choose to work from home. Right now, it incurs a cost of $14,000 per employee.

According to figures released by Nasscom, the outsourcing industry is expected to face a shortage of over two lakh professionals by 2012.

Small wonder then that BPO giants like Genpact, Accenture, EXL and Quattro have already launched pilot projects to test the feasibility of the concept, with a couple of hundred people across centres.

Though DoT has given a green signal to the policy, there are still some concerns regarding security and technology and the bank guarantee, which the companies have to give before appointing extended agent positions.

In its policy announcement for other service providers category, DoT has specified that companies will have to submit a security deposit of Rs 5 crore for appointing home agents. Also, DoT can conduct surprise inspections at any given time.