Call Centers in the Dominican Republic
Santo Domingo .- Dominican Republic Exports and Investment Center (CEI-RD) director Eddy Martinez yesterday said Call Centers generate 25,000 direct jobs, from the 57 companies operating in the country.
He said in the next two years those centers are expected to create 30,000 additional jobs, which when added to the indirect ones are more than 150,000 in
The official said almost all of the data and information technology centers have been installed country in the past three years.
Martinez said the average starting salaries is between RD$18,000 to RD$22,000 in the Call Centers, whose strong growth in the country increasingly require more staff.
However, he noted that those companies’ failure to secure a supply of skilled manpower causes higher costs which affects competitiveness.
My remark was removed but this does not alter the cold hard fact:
call centers in the DR have a flaw in that they press for the worst possible conditions and pay opting for loosing more profit with turnover by pressing employees into the dirt than minimal conditions and pay would remedy.
This is a business model for poorly run businesses and false economy.
I say again: some of the call centers violate US laws by running scams- not a legitimate business.
Economic development follows a pattern: first the lowest possible quality then as time passes increased standards, as we see in China.
The DR has a great work force with a large segment of educated underemployed: I am all for business development.
The extremely bad conditions applied to call centers today, will in time improve by a process of elimination where free market economics remove the worst, but that does not change noting what is there today.
For Dominican standard they make really good money, 12-20 k, which is a good salary for kids 18 years of age.
In fact a doctor, an attorney, various other advanced degreed people were in a training session for these jobs: not one 18 year old.
You underestimate the underemployment of educated adults, not youngsters.
You are in the DR so you are aware of the saying: to get a job that requires a high school diploma you need a university degree, to get a job that requires a BS you need a Phd.
This is the economic ambient we live in: physicians driving caro publicos, attorneys working in call centers, etc.
The fact is whoever is working in the current centers is badly paid and treated, and the far higher level of education and age than high school and 18, does show how painful the conditions and pay are for grownups.
The industry has good prospects, and today is a transition period, hopefully for a profitable and good industry for all concerned.
Again I state the obvious: good business practices reap good sound long term profitability and success for all concerned.
The sooner some of the extremes are modified or shift themselves out, the better for everyone.