ICMR Case Collection

Icfai Center for Management Research

p y
Co
Infosys BPO’s Campus Ambassador Program
CLHR009
ot

This case was written by Debapratim Purkayastha, ICFAI Center for Management Research (ICMR). It
was compiled from published sources, and is intended to be used as a basis for class discussion rather
than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a management situation.
N
o
D

 2008, Icfai Center for Management Research. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means- -
electronic or mechanical, without permission.

To order copies, call +91-40-2343-0462/63 or write to Icfai Center for Management Research, Plot # 49,
Nagarjuna Hills, Hyderabad 500 082, India or email [email protected]. Website: www.icmrindia.org
 CLHR/009

Infosys BPO’s Campus Ambassador Program

Infosys BPO, the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) arm of one of India’s leading information
technology companies Infosys Technologies Ltd., was established in April 2002. It was originally
established as Progeon but in August 2006, it was rebranded as Infosys BPO so that there would be
a single integrated brand for consulting, technology, and BPO.1 The company focused on
integrated end-to-end outsourcing in specialized and niche segments that included Banking,
Customer Service, Finance and Accounts, Healthcare, HR and Knowledge Services, Insurance,
Procurement, Securities and Brokerage, and Telecom. In addition to India, the company had
operations in the Czech Republic, China, and the Philippines.

y
Though the BPO boom in India had led to many jobs in the country, analysts felt that the industry
itself did not have a very good image in the eyes of prospective employees or the general public.

p
This posed a challenge to the human resource (HR) managers in the BPO companies when it came
Co
to attracting quality talent. Nandita Gurjar (Gurjar), Vice President and Head of HRD, Infosys
BPO, said, “Business Process Outsourcing is a people business. The Human Resource function,
therefore undoubtedly, becomes the backbone of a company whose competitive advantage is the
quality of its people. In an organization that is witnessing rapid growth, the HR challenge is even
more pronounced. We have to work hard to ensure that we have all that it takes to manage scale.
ot

This translates into moving beyond the immediate and focusing on long-term strategies of talent
sourcing and enhancing talent supply.”2
N

In 2004, the company started the ‘Campus Ambassador Program’ (CAP) in India to bridge the
divide between the student career aspirations and industry expectations from the newcomers.
Analysts viewed this as an initiative by Infosys BPO to build a strategic link between the industry
and academia. As part of the program, students selected as the Campus Ambassador from select
o

campuses around the country underwent a week-long training at the Infosys Leadership Institute3
D

and the company’s facility in Bangalore. During the training program, the trainees experienced the
BPO environment, understood the scope of the industry, and also spoke to clients. They also
received training in communication skills, team building skills, leadership and influencing skills,
assertive skills, etc., and ways to dispel the myth that a BPO was just a call center that worked in
the night. Many trainees noted that their perception about the BPO industry had changed
dramatically following their association with the company. “If I were asked what a BPO 
Business Process Outsourcing  was, before my Campus Ambassador Program, I would have
simply said that it was a call center. But after attending the program I learnt that a call center was
roughly 15 per cent of the total BPO activities,”4 said one trainee. The trainees said that the
program had helped them understand that students could aspire for a fruitful career in BPO
industry as in any other industry.

1
Leslie D’ Monte, “Companies See Sense in Rebranding,” http://in.rediff.com, September 28, 2006.
2
“Evolution of HR at Infosys BPO,” www.growtalent.com, April 2, 2007.
3
The Infosys Leadership Institute (ILI), located in Mysore, India, was set up in 2001 to conduct various management
development and personal improvement programs at Infosys.
4
Amutha Kannan, “Campus Ambassador Program: A Myth Buster,” www.hindu.com, November 6, 2006.

1
 Infosys BPO’s Campus Ambassador Program

After receiving the training, the Campus Ambassadors were expected to make presentations in
colleges and conduct BPO-related quiz competitions and other programs to provide a more
accurate image of the BPO industry. “As campus ambassadors we act as the SPOC (Single Point
of Contact) between the company and the college, to enrich and help students decide on the choice
of a BPO career. We embody the true spirit of an emissary and work to organize various activities
at our college to share the experience we gained at Infosys,”5 said a Campus Ambassador.
As of 2008, Infosys BPO was one of leading outsourcers with revenues of approximately US$148
million in fiscal year 2007. Its revenue had grown from US$4 million in 2003 to approximately
US$148 million in fiscal year 2007. For the nine months ended December 2007, revenues had
increased to US$157 million.6 Amitabh Chaudhry, CEO, Infosys BPO, contended that even in
these times, which were considered to be tough for BPO companies, the company was witnessing
no slowdown in the demand for BPO services.7 In addition to strong financial results, the company
had gained international recognition and had been ranked among the leading BPO companies in
India by Dataquest, the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals, NASSCOM, Red
Herring, etc. In 2007, it was also ranked fourth globally in the first-ever FAO (Finance &
Accounting Outsourcing) worldwide ranking of service providers.8 BPO being a people-oriented
business, the company gave credit for this to the quality talent pool that the company had created

y
with its innovative HR practices.
According to Gurjar, the CAP had gone a long way in helping not only in talent sourcing but also

p
in increasing the talent pool. “Through these initiatives we are proud to say that we are employers
of choice at campuses and most often enjoy day-one slots for recruitment,”9 she said. In early
Co
2008, analysts felt that Infosys BPO’s CAP was one of the innovative hiring strategies being
implemented in India.10 According to them, creating brand equity in the eyes of potential
employees and hiring for retaining purposes and not for the short-term had helped Infosys BPO in
these tough times.
ot

Questions for Discussion:

1. Critically analyze Infosys BPO’s Campus Ambassador Program.
N

2. What are the challenges faced by the BPOs in India on the HR front? How can companies
overcome these challenges?
References & Suggested Readings:
o

1. Tarangini Sriraman, “Ambassadors for BPOs,” www.hindu.com, October 17, 2005.

D

2. Leslie D’ Monte, “Companies See Sense in Rebranding,” http://in.rediff.com,

September 28, 2006.
3. Amutha Kannan, “Campus Ambassador Programme: A Myth Buster,”
www.hindu.com, November 6, 2006.
4. “Infy Ambassadors to Give a Feel of BPO Life,” www.offshoringtimes.com, 2006.
5. “Evolution of HR at Infosys BPO,” www.growtalent.com, April 2, 2007.
6. “Infosys Expected to Reach $ 4 Billion in 2008,” www.indiaprwire.com, April 13, 2007.

5
“Infy Ambassadors to Give a Feel of BPO Life,” www.offshoringtimes.com, 2006.
6
“Infosys Technologies to Hire More BSc Graduates,” http://loungerecruiters.wordpress.com, January 15, 2008.
7
In addition to high rates of attrition, as of early 2008, the BPO companies were facing tough times due to the rise of
rupee against the dollar adversely affecting their profits and signs of an impending economic slowdown in the US.
8
“Infosys Expected to Reach $ 4 Billion in 2008,” www.indiaprwire.com, April 13, 2007.
9
“Evolution of HR at Infosys BPO,” www.growtalent.com, April 2, 2007.
10
“Innovative HR Practices is the Key for Retaining Talent,” www.economictimes.indiatimes.com, April 9, 2008.

2
 Infosys BPO’s Campus Ambassador Program

7. “Infosys Technologies to Hire More BSc Graduates,”

http://loungerecruiters.wordpress.com, January 15, 2008.
8. “Innovative HR Practices is the Key for Retaining Talent,”
www.economictimes.indiatimes.com, April 9, 2008.
9. www.infosys.com
Cases on related topics:
• Human Resource Management - Best Practices in Infosys Technologies
• Human Resources Accounting in Infosys
• JC Penney's People Strategy: Setting the Right Climate for Human Resource Development

p y
Co
ot
N
o
D