BPO jobs: Chronicles of a walk-in interview

Edited By Shiphony Pavithran Suri | Updated on Dec 15, 2013 12:28 PM IST

IT proved to be a gruelling eight-hour experience for Shiphony. But at the end of it she walked out with an offer letter! The salary: Rs 14,600 in hand. She chronicles her interview experience, which took place in three stages and tips you off on how to be successful.

Location: Gurgaon
Position: Customer Care Executive
Eligibility: You must be a graduate. Freshers, those with non-BPO experience may also apply.
Added advantage: You get the offer letter the same day with fixed salary
Salary offered: Rs. 12, 000 to 16,000 per month (It is negotiable for those with work experience)
Working hours: Rotational shifts

BPO jobs: Chronicles of a walk-in interview

After scanning an advertisement by a leading BPO company for a walk-in interview, I did just that; I arrived at 12 p.m. with my résumé, one passport-size photograph and other documents (Class 12 and graduation mark sheets).

Upon arrival I was made to sit in the reception hall. A good majority of young, chirpy, excited-looking freshers in casual attire were waiting to be interviewed. Consultants, who were assigned to meet the needs of both employer and job-seekers, helped candidates in registering and with other recruitment formalities. They busied themselves with answering unending queries from the candidates. The company’s HR team was present to monitor interviews, a marathon which would last for four days.

By noon, the rush of candidates had become so great that the reception was packed! It was a rigorous process; selected candidates were present in the hall until about 8.30 p.m. with no food and water. At the end of each round, the consultant would immediately call out the names of those selected or rejected.

Questions in Round 1

Introduce yourself.

Why did you quit your last job?

What do you know about this organisation?

Describe this room.

After a close encounter with a lion in the jungle, how will you save your life?

What will you do if you see a crab in the sea

Review the last movie you saw.

Why should we hire you?

How will you sell this mobile phone?

How will you convince me to buy this pen?

Questions in Round 3 (stability check)

Are you comfortable working overtime/ nights/ weekends?

How long would you work for us if hired?

Do you get homesick?

How would you be an asset to the company?

What is your philosophy towards work?

Are you comfortable working on live answering service?

Do you have any questions for me?

What do you plan to be doing in five years’ time?

The interview time varied for each candidate (10 to 20 minutes). Clearing one round after the other, the majority of freshers moved in and out, confidently. And finally when the selected candidates were given the offer letters, they just could not hide their glee at landing the job, at a good salary ( Rs.14600+ incentives) in the shortest time possible.

THREE-STAGE INTERVIEW PROCESS

Round 1: Meet the company’s HR representative
One by one candidates were called for the first round, and after about one-and-a-half hours my name was called. My chances of moving into other rounds solely depended on the performance in this round. The HR representative started by asking for my résumé and other certificates. After screening my résumé she began throwing some typical as well as tricky questions (See Box).

Smart tips: I realised that verbal communication was a very important parameter of the interview. HR people are not expecting long answers but intelligent ones. The questions are designed to measure your logical, creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Speak with clarity, and offer short, constructive answers. If you have experience, then they might just ask you about your salary expectations right at the beginning. The HR representative tries to find whether you can play a positive role in the company or not.

Round 2: Telephonic interview with voice assessor
I got through the first round! Next, the voice assessor called me on the phone to test my verbal communication and voice quality. I headed to a quiet place where I had to speak to receive the call on the phone. He posed the same pattern of questions as asked in previous rounds. Before the interview, I was told that a computer will catch everything you speak over the phone.

In this round, the assessor tried to gauge whether I was a good listener and speaker or not. He asked some questions relating to my interests. The conversation helped them to know my telephonic etiquette followed by accent and pronunciation skills.

Smart tips: This round judges your verbal competency. You must be fluent in spoken English with a decent vocabulary. No slang, demeaning language during the interview. It could be tough to clear the round, if you speak broken English, which may be grammatically incorrect, or have a regional accent. The girl who sat next to me until the first round was rejected due to her regional accent.

Round 3: Telephonic interview with the operation manager (stability check)
I found some of the questions in this final round, repetitive. The company which works round-the-clock examines the psyche of the candidate, especially freshers, to check whether they are serious about the job (See Box). This round tests the emotional stability, attitude and the future plans of the candidate.

Smart tips: You must be clear on what you wish to achieve in life. The interviewee gauges through your thought process. Be sure of what you say. You must prove that you are not merely window shopping this interview. Every word counts! And remember to see a future in the sector at least until you join.

Offer Letter
At 7 p.m. I was declared selected for the job. Prior to offer letters, we were given forms to fill in personal details (postal address, phone numbers, references), and we had to attach photographs too. We were again called inside for a meeting. A group of four candidates flocked inside the room, the HR representative dished out offer letters to all of us. It comprised terms and conditions of the company (guidelines, induction, joining date, contact details, salary break-up, perks, mandatory documents to be taken on the pre-boarding day). The take home salary was Rs. 14,600. But to be fair to the company, it did promise to raise the emoluments by another Rs. 3,000 depending on my performance.

Usually, the compensation is based on the academic, employment history credentials including your prior work experience, the type of industry and compensation offered to you by the previous employer. At the end, the HR person asked me if I had anything to ask her. I confirmed whether the company offers a pick-up and drop facility. She said “All the details of the same, would be instructed on the induction day,” which was to be held five days after the interview. As the sun went down, hunger pangs hit me hard. The venue was a remote area with no grocery shops in the vicinity!

Smart tips: Carry some biscuits and water, along with you. Good luck!

Top 5 fatal errors @ BPO interviews

Every BPO job aspirant has to deal with a demon called “Common errors” or “Fatal errors” in BPO parlance. You never know when you have become a victim, because, as the name suggests, it is "common" - everyone around you makes the same errors.

Incorrect pronunciation: Ever heard the doctor say chew your food well? Now, that requires a lot of jaw movement. The same applies while speaking. Most candidates don’t open their jaws while speaking leading to incorrect sounds. You can also try this little practice. Say aloud: 'How now can we travel down to the town?' Now, say the same sentence this way: 'Naao haaao kaeen wee travel daaun to the taaauun?' To check if you are doing it right, record your voice and ask your friend to listen to it. Don't self-evaluate. You can also go to sites like www.m-w.com or www.dictionary.com, where you can listen to the correct pronunciation of any word.

Fast rate of speech: If people generally ask you to repeat what you said because they were unable to follow or understand you, that is a warning bell. Don't turn a deaf ear to it. Record and listen to yourself and see if you are speaking fast. Make a consicious effort to slow down. All you need to do is read aloud, everyday.

Use of slang - Avoid words like 'bucks,' 'yup,' 'gotya,' 'gotcha,' etc - in professional conversations. If you overhear a phrase and you like it, don't start using it unless you are sure you know the meaning. Develop a flow in speech, do not use fillers i.e words like, 'hmm, uhh, I mean, it's like, you know.' They break the flow of speech and sound irritating.

Incorrect grammar and influence of mother tongue - Use short sentences as that’s the magic formula to construct grammatically correct sentences. Don't try saying too many things at one go. Break down the information into short, crisp and to-the-point sentences. Also as non-native speakers, we tend to translate directly from our native language to English. For example, using sentences like - “I am from Delhi only.”

Five quick improvement ideas:
• Read more. Not just newspapers and
magazines, novels too.
• Refer to the dictionary and a grammar
book (like Wren and Martin), while reading. Make it a habit.
• Do crosswords. They help to increase one's vocabulary and also urge you to think.
• Grab every opportunity to speak English - with friends, colleagues - even to yourself!
• Listen to people who speak well. Watching channels like BBC and CNN is a good bet.

Poor listening skills - Remember the two-ears-and-one-mouth story? Some pointers to help you:
•Do not interrupt the speaker.
•Do not jump to conclusions.
•Do not assume.
•Ask if you have not understood something - asking to repeat is okay.

(List compiled by WCH Training Solutions, a New Delhi based Training & Consulting firm.)

The Careers360 team and Sunder Ramachandran, Managing Director- WCH Training Solutions will answer your BPO queries, through the month of September. Post your BPO query, today!