Sutherland Global Services: Offering Employees Unrivalled Growth Opportunities

By Anamika Sahu
Sutherland Global Services: Offering Employees Unrivalled Growth Opportunities

Since its inception in 1986, Sutherland Global Services, one of the world's largest privately owned BPO companies, has remained focused on helping its clients maximize their customer lifetime value. Through applying their deep vertical industry proficiency, innovation in automaton, digital technology solutions and business process expertise, Sutherland drives operational performance with measurable results helping clients maximize their competitive advantage. Its vast portfolio of integrated offerings, which includes analytics-driven back-office and customer facing solutions supports the entire customer lifecycle. This focus has earned the company a rating in the Fortune 500 list and continually enables them to add some of the world's most prestigious brands to their client roster.

The company has more than 38,000 employees in over 60 locations with more than 15,000 based in India. In an industry of high churn, Sutherland has created a place where employees want to stay. Supported by its ambitious growth targets, it offers employees support and training, competitive compensation, defined career paths, a recognition program, benefits on par with the best in the industry, as well as attractive performance linked incentives. "Our back office businesses have a very low turnover due to the type of work it entails," explains Anil Joseph, Vice President & India Head of Human Resources. "These career enriching jobs offer depth of experience in complex processing. In addition, our internal career opportunities allow global experience should employees have the desire".

Sutherland employees have opportunities to gain experiences across nine industries, six continents and 19 countries. "Entrepreneurial Spirit is one of Sutherland's values and our work environment encourages employees to be curious, to take a few risks and learn from their mistakes," said Dilip Vellodi, Sutherland Chairman & CEO. "At the heart of our global operations we focus on sustaining a diverse work environment and workforce, enhancing creativity and innovative thinking, a critical ingredient to help us meet the unique needs of our worldwide clients and the communities in which we operate. It is due to the hard work and determination of our people that we are able to serve our clients so well and continue to grow our company. The reason Sutherland is such a great place to work is simple - our people and the passion they share for providing exceptional service to our clients".

Winning the Star War

There is a 'Star War' going on in the real world of recruiting and retaining good talent. Millennials are making decisions to take up something meaningful, and later determining whether or not they choose it as their career. With its thought-provoking ambience that complements creativity, being an international, collaborative, fun place to work with a range of career opportunities across its marquee clientele, functions and departments, Sutherland has won awards for being a great place to work. In fact just this year they were named Employer of the Year in the Philippines by the ICT and recognized as one of Achievers top 50 Most Engaged WorkplacesTM in North America.

"Our 'One Sutherland' culture offers a supportive and caring working environment where employees celebrate success," added Joseph. "Global teams work and learn together in partnership to improve processes and set team goals. Leaders walk the floors, interact with employees and hold town halls, round tables and cultural events to ensure employees understand. They also promote inclusion and team collaboration. Our belief is that as we strive to create a great employee experience, there is no finish line. At Sutherland, every leader challenges themselves with one question - why should people be led by me?".

An Inspiring Culture

Sutherland offers an inspiring culture to its employees. Sruthy Jayan and Janish RS, employees at Sutherland's Kochi Delivery Center, strongly assert, "Sutherland is a great platform to showcase my talent and we also have loads of fun at work. Sutherland offers a number of career development opportunities and advancement for employees that leverages globally dispersed top talent.Working for a company that puts its clients and employees at the heart of everything it does is inspiring and means we enjoy coming to work. Budgets for team building events are made available and we have an online recognition program called Extra Mile, to recognize those employees who go the extra mile and who exemplify our values".

Employees have fun on the job and engage in activities with the community. "Sutherland is my second home, a place where I am treated with respect and dignity," proudly conveys Akanksha Birjuka, Team Manager from Sutherland's Chennai office. "The company really cares for employees and our communities through corporate responsibility efforts, like setting up school infrastructures in four different states,providing care and support to the residents at old age homes,and supporting children with physical and mental disabilities," she says further. The company also undertakes training for school students and public administration employees on MS technologies in partnership with its esteemed clients.

Going Forward

The 9 to 5 work day is no longer the official hours worked; it's flexible-work hours that define the millennial's work syndrome. Realizing this, Sutherland is making adjustments with new initiatives for more employees to work from home, an extension to maternity leave for new mothers; these programs will be launched later this year.

Continuing to Recruit from India's Talent Pool

Unlike other companies, Sutherland recruiters also act as brand managers who understand the tools available in our connected world of social media. The company uses social channels extensively in its recruiting efforts, which has led to great results. Vacancies are also filled internally where possible to ensure organic growth and externally through both direct and campus sources. 70 percent of the employees Sutherland hires are entry-level. Sutherland also has a strong Employee Referral Program, which helps them reach 50 percent of their hiring goals.

A Great Place to Work

If you love challenges and exciting roles, then Sutherland is for you. Sutherland employees work in an entrepreneurial, diverse and collaborative environment and are part of a global team comprising of multi-skilled, multi-lingual colleagues, providing important services to its clients. The company offers employees career development and advancement opportunities, technology training, and other ongoing skill enhancement based on their particular interests and needs. Sutherland employees also get a chance to collaborate with some of the world's coolest and most prestigious companies. These inspired experts immerse themselves into their client brands and services, ranging from technology and social media to entertainment and healthcare providers.

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Key Management:

Dilip R. Vellodi, Founder, Chairman & CEO

A leading authority in CRM and the integration of consulting, technology and BPO, Dilip Vellodi founded Sutherland Global Services with a mission to offer customer-focused strategies to deliver improved productivity and efficiency. Dilip has been involved in numerous philanthropic endeavors including the Mayo Clinic, the Humane Society, and has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Boys and Girls Club of America. He also is the recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the Herbert W. Vanden Brul Entrepreneurial Award. He began his career as a consultant to Merck, subsequently joining Xerox Corp., where he held several senior assignments. He earned a bachelor's degree in economics with mathematics and statistics from Loyola University, and an MBA from Rutgers University.

Offices: New York (Headquarter), Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Egypt, India, Jamaica, and Mexico, amongst several others.

Offerings: Sutherland Global Services provides end-to-end business process management and services. Through its Design Thinking approach, immersive research and analytics-lead capabilities, Sutherland offers its clients transformational solutions through non-linear business platforms that promote agility and flexibility with lower costs, higher quality and productivity. Some of its offerings include: Integrated BPO, Business Transformation, Cloud Services, Knowledge Services, Back Office Services, Front Office Services, Robotics Automation and CloudSource.

Industry Domain: Banking, Financial Services, Mortgage, Government, Healthcare, Insurance, Retail, Technology, Communications and Travel & Transportation.

Technology: Innovation, Intellectual Property & Scalable Platforms. The Sutherland Service Excellence Framework, defined by Flawless Execution, Consistent Quality, Enhanced Customer Experience, Continuous Process Improvement and Ability to Scale is built on a suite of Customized Technology solutions (100+ Sutherland IP Applications, Tools & Products) designed, developed and deployed for our clients by Six Sigma certified engineers leveraging our 25+ years of domain expertise in the BPO space.

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Why Should One Join Sutherland?

- People friendly policies
- Career opportunities within Sutherland - it has nine verticals and opportunities for different skillsets within each vertical. This gives abundant growth opportunities for its employees
- Compensation structure - competitive and scope for tax savings through its choice pay options
- With 30 years of BPO heritage, the company is the preferred brand in the industry
- Its employees are its biggest advocates. And there is huge positive word of mouth that helps it attract walk-ins


Sutherland Provides a Full Range of Well-Being Benefits

- Employee Education Assistance program
- Sutherland Employee Welfare Trust - for hardship
- Sutherland Merit Scholarship for Children of Employees
- H2O - Health & Happiness online - a unique online medium to gain access to the finest medical help from eminent doctors
- EAP program for professional and personal counseling assistance
- Extra Mile, a global online reward and recognition portal for celebrating personal and organizational success
- Global Rewards & Recognition Program - Platinum Awards
- Yearly Employee celebration and talent showcase - 'Sutherland's Got Talent'
- Apart from these, the company has very progressive policies that are part of its employee benefits program