How GlowTouch Utilizes RemoteAbilityTM to Further Its Global CSR Efforts
BY VIDYA RAVICHANDRAN
Opportunity is often the gateway to a better life, but there are many who have limited access to opportunities by no fault of their own. As a global business owner, I consider our company’s “Putting People First” motto more than a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, but a privilege and obligation. We have a tremendous opportunity and responsibility to be that gateway for those who are underserved and disadvantaged.
In India, where GlowTouch began, BPOs have become an economic catalyst in moving people from poverty into the middle class. The same transformation is happening in parts of Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and in Latin America, where we recently expanded our operations in the Dominican Republic. Through the very nature of the contact center and technology services business, GlowTouch and other BPOs are poised to change not only employees’ lives but employees’ families and communities.
Over the last three years at our India location, an average of 12% of new employees were from economically challenged areas. By working with government agencies and NGOs, we were able to identify those who had the aptitude needed to advance. GlowTouch is importing this same approach in the U.S. near our Louisville,KY headquarters, where there is a great need, too. Five of the 25 poorest counties in the country are in Kentucky.
Because geographical borders or cultures no longer bind business, more doors than ever are open for outsourcing and impact sourcing—being intentional in employing the underserved and disadvantaged. Just think of the great potential available, when:
There are more than 60,000 contact centers in North America alone- The industry employs nearly 3.5 million people
- The global market size will reach $500 billion by 2027
There are more than 60,000 contact centers in North America aloneIn all these geographies, female heads of household are becoming more common. In the U.S., 63% of single-parent households are led by women. These women experience some of the highest poverty rates and lack access to not only education and opportunity, but also safe housing, clean water, healthy food, and affordable healthcare. Better opportunities for a better life are not always within their reach—often due to circumstances beyond their control or generational poverty that is not easily broken.
Through technology and our business model, GlowTouch has the RemoteAbilityTM, meaning, we have the ability to provide equal access and opportunity for jobs regardless of where a person lives. We can put feet to our Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives and positively impact women and their families. Our “Putting People First” motto is not just something we say, but it’s who we are and what we do…and hope to do more of.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, women are more vulnerable and need job opportunities that meet them wherever they are in locale and life stage. According to a recent Forbes article:
- Female workforce participation dropped to 57% — the lowest since 1988
- Unemployment for women peaked at 15.8% in April 2020 (more than 2 percentage points above unemployment for men)
- In September 2020, when many schools returned remotely, of the 1.1 million people who exited the workforce to help at home, 80% were women
- Since the onset of the pandemic, 400,000 more women than men have left the workforce
- Hispanic women face an unemployment rate of 6.5%, more than double that of Hispanic men
The Forbes article goes on to say, “If these trends are left unaddressed, they will exacerbate existing inequalities and reverse decades of progress toward an inclusive economy for women and people of color.”
If anything positive has come from the pandemic for GlowTouch, it’s that we have learned how effective RemoteAbilityTM is, especially for women. Here are three examples:
- For women who are unable to leave the house for work, whether it’s because they’re caretakers of children or elderly parents, disabled, or do not have reliable transportation—They can work remotely from home!
- For women who have a spouse in the military and don’t want to make a career move every time they move—They can take their job with them!
- For women who are in school and need a work schedule that works with them—Global business means opportunities for work during different time zones!
A RemoteAble job provides women and men with flexible, dependable, and secure opportunities. For us and our clients, this translates into a happy, life-balanced, continual workforce with reduced attrition.
Looking at the bigger picture, having a diversified workforce that includes the underserved contributes to building a stable global economy. By implementing Impact Sourcing wherever we are and by meeting people wherever they are, we can extend our reach and help others with opportunities that give them access to reach their career potential.
This article appeared in the 5th Anniversary publication of Diversity Professional, an interactive international publication with a focus on business, career, and lifestyle for diverse professionals, entrepreneurs and business owners.
