The ACS Scholarship Program: People Empowerment as Corporate Social Responsibility

ADVANCED CONTACT SOLUTIONS' (ACS) APPROACH TO CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IS TO INCORPORATE IT INTO THE VERY FABRIC OF ITS BUSINESS BY CONNECTING IT TO ONE OF ITS MAIN STRENGTHS-ITS PEOPLE.

The call center industry, no doubt, stands out as one of the strongest in this economy today. And like companies in other industries, call centers have embraced the idea that a business has to give back to its stakeholders, employees and environment while at the same time improving their business profitability. This is corporate social responsibility (CSR)--now considered a staple buzzword within academic circles, politics, activist groups, and the business community.

Corporate social responsibility should neither be a novelty nor a fad. In fact, it has been around since the 1970s. Most companies seem to attach themselves to a CSR philosophy and program tailor-fit to current issues. However, Advanced Contact Solutions' (ACS) approach to CSR is not to treat it as a mere philanthropic exercise which is peripheral to its main business; ACS seeks to incorporate it into the very fabric of its business by connecting it to one of its main strengths-its people.

ACS has always prided itself in how it has provided career and personal growth opportunities for its people. Now it has taken this commitment to its people to a whole new level-in 2008 the company launched the first ever scholarship program in the call center industry. The ACS Scholarship Program provides full and partial scholarships to deserving students both within and outside the company.

As early as 2007, the management committee approved the program under the oversight of Paxys. Juicy Oliver of ACS' Human Resources-Organization Development section, the project drivers for the program, acknowledges that the idea for the program was welcomed and well-received by the management committees of Paxys and ACS, because they recognized the importance of such a program as part of the company's corporate social responsibility.

"It is a well-known fact that majority of the employees of the call center industry are not fresh college graduates, but students who are still in college," Juicy says. " We found out in 2007 that around 19% of ACS employees haven't finished college yet. So the program was initiated to provide employees with the opportunity to finish their studies, so that they can apply for higher positions and not just remain at entry level. It really is for them to become more marketable and upwardly mobile on the career ladder."

One of these ACS employees who has seized the opportunity to finish a bachelor's degree is Ralph Sherwin A. Corpuz, a customer service associate in the company's airline account. Known to his friends and coworkers as Rap, he also holds the distinction of being the first ever ACS scholar to have graduated, finishing his studies in October 2008. No stranger to scholarships, Rap had finished a technical certificate course as a scholar for a government agency. Although he had always wanted to continue the course and eventually convert the certification to a degree, he opted to find work in the call center industry. "I really wanted to work, especially in a call center, since at that time, working in the call center carried an especially novel prestige about it," Rap says. He started working as a customer service associate at ACS' stock transfer account. He was regularized after a year, which encouraged him even more to work harder. The opportunity to be able to finally earn a degree, without having to give up the work he had grown to love, presented itself when Rap found out about the ACS Scholarship Program from another co-worker who also intended to apply for it.

Going beyond assisting ACS' own employees, the scholarship program was also opened to poor but deserving students from all over the country. Public schools nationwide were contacted and invited to submit their candidates for the scholarship, specifically those who were incoming college freshmen.

Darlene Joy C. Tuscano and Chrizaldy Neil C. Manibo are just two of the students who became ACS' external scholars. Now incoming sophomore students at the University of the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University, respectively, they have also jumped at the chance to get a full scholarship to the universities of their dreams, without having to worry about rising tuition fees and other costs that their families couldn't afford.

For Darlene, the ACS Scholarship Program was something that could provide her the means to continue her studies. "My parents were already paying for my older brother's education at another university. I was worried about my own education because I knew that my parents couldn't afford to send both of us to college," she relates. Her school was one of those public schools contacted by Juicy and the HR-OD team, and Darlene found out about the scholarship through her school's principal.

Chrizaldy, on the other hand, was also enticed by the scholarship program of ACS, since it was different from other scholarships. "I needed the scholarship because I knew I wouldn't be able to enter the school I wanted, which had a very high tuition fee. There were also other things to consider like transportation fees, allowances, and books. But I also wanted to make sure that I chose the right scholarship to apply for," Chrizaldy explains.

Aside from being underprivileged, ACS scholars like Rap, Darlene and Chrizaldy were chosen for their excellent academic performance (indeed, most of the candidates were valedictorians and salutatorians), leadership capabilities and good moral character. For ACS employees, they also had to be regular employees and have excellent QA/DTR scores.

The process of choosing the scholars is threefold-the first stage is the pre-screening of the candidates and involves the perusal of document requirements. The second stage is the initial interview, where candidates who have passed the first stage undergo an intense interview with the Human Resources - Organization Development section representatives. This stage narrows down the candidates to the top 10 from the National Capital Region and the top 10 from the provinces. These then can move on to the third stage, an even more intense final interview with the management committee of Paxys. The interviews in these last two stages determine the leadership capabilities and good moral character of the applicants, as well as their drive to succeed if and when they are granted the scholarship.

In Rap's case, he claims that at first, he did not really expect to get the scholarship. "I doubted whether I would pass, because as an agent, my QA scores on the floor were lower than say, those of higher positions. So I felt at a disadvantage. But I still took a chance at applying, since I already knew what it entailed to apply for a scholarship."

The application process proved difficult, particularly the interviews, because aside from the fact that they were nerve-wracking, the questions asked were also sharp and direct to the point. One of the most difficult questions in the interviews was regarding his back-up plan be if ever he did not qualify for the scholarship. "I thought that was already a hint that I wouldn't get the scholarship," Rap narrates.

Fortunately, he was endorsed for the final interview with the panel from Paxys' executive committee. This interview was tougher, as the panel consisted of people in the company who were in high, key positions. "I was really careful that the words I used were appropriate. They asked me questions on why they should give me this scholarship, what my expectations and plans were. Again, I told them the truth-that I wanted to stay with the company but that I also wanted to earn my degree." Rap was only able to breathe easier when the panel said that they couldn't say much more about it because he really deserved the scholarship. It was only then that he knew he had the scholarship.

Darlene and Chrizaldy looked at the application process as a challenging experience. “I had my father with me, so I wasn't too nervous. If there was a question that I couldn't answer, my father was there to answer it for me," Darlene says. For Chrizaldy, though he didn't know the panelists for the final interview, he knew that they were company bigwigs, and that added some pressure. "But I was already there, so it was useless to let nervousness get the better of me. I did my best to answer all their questions truthfully and confidently," he explains. Both youngsters and their families were excited and overjoyed when they learned that they were approved as part of the first batch of ACS scholars.

By May 2008, the process for choosing the first batch of ACS scholars was completed. Originally, the target number was eight external candidates to be granted with full scholarships. "The committee decided to grant eight candidates full scholarships; however, they also identified nine other possible candidates who deserved financial assistance in their studies," Juicy explains. "It was decided that those nine others would be granted partial scholarships." There were also four full scholarships granted to internal scholars (ACS employees). In all, there were 21 ACS scholars for the first batch of the scholarship program.

The scholars receive fixed annual allowances to defray tuition and other education costs. They are free to choose whichever course they want to take up and wherever university or college they want to study in, as long as they maintain the requirements of the program. For external scholars, these include an average grade no lower than 85%, no disciplinary cases in their schools, and an internship and leadership development training at ACS during summer. For internal scholars, the requirements are the same but they also have to maintain excellent attendance and performance at work.

Of course, getting the scholarship was just the start. What was more challenging was keeping the scholarship. For Rap, the difficulties he encountered had a lot to do with being both a full-time student and a full-time employee. The combination eight-hour work shifts and eight hours at school, with only a very short window of time in between, was particularly grueling. “I would even come to work still in my student uniform. There were times when I would be late for several days and I would get disciplinary action for it, “Rap relates.”My supervisors would try to be considerate but of course they couldn't just waive such delinquencies. There was even a time I fell asleep right in the middle of a call. I felt embarrassed because it seemed as if I couldn't handle the pressure."

Juggling work and studies definitely took a toll on Rap, but he never gave up. "I made it--overcame all obstacles and became the first ACS scholar to finish my studies," Rap proudly says. Now he has a degree in Technical Teacher Education, major in Electronics Engineering, and has recently passed the licensure exams for teaching, the fee for which was also covered by the ACS Scholarship Program.

For any student entering college, just the new environment and heavier school work load would be challenging enough. For Darlene and Chrizaldy, getting good enough grades to maintain their scholarships added pressure to their studies. Chrizaldy's course, BS Physics with Materials Science and Engineering, is one of the more difficult courses in his university. "Even as freshmen we already have major subjects, so we definitely need to do well even in our first year. Our own college and course demand that we maintain a certain grade; that, coupled with the scholarship's maintaining grades, makes it really challenging."

"Since I'm a political science major, much of my school work involves research," Darlene says, "and of course I need the use of computers and internet access for research and to get class announcements. I don't have a computer, much less access to the internet. I have to rent at a computer shop. The allowance I get from the scholarship definitely helps me in that respect. Without the scholarship, things would be more difficult for me," she adds.

The scholarship program itself has its share of difficulties and challenges. In the beginning, there was some difficulty with the scope of the search for the candidates and the coordination/logistics involved. "It was a nationwide search, and I was the only one conducting the search. So it was mostly a manpower issue during the first batch, which fortunately is no longer the case now," Juicy says.

Another issue was the response of ACS employees themselves when it came to looking for likely candidates. Most employees of the company were hesitant to apply for the scholarship because they foresaw how hard it would be to balance both studies and work. But with Rap as a shining example of how one can actually overcome these obstacles, the company is hoping that more employees would be encouraged to apply for the program.

"None of these challenges are insurmountable, especially since the program has been met with much support and enthusiasm, from the upper management to the schools we contacted, to the parents of the scholars and the scholars them,” Juicy explains.

Rap, for his part, plans to stay with the company despite the fact that there are offers from other call centers. He feels that he should stay until he could give back what the company has given him, even though there is no obligation to stay with the company because of the scholarship. To other ACS employees, he says, "You should anticipate the hardships and challenges it entails, but it is an important opportunity that you shouldn't just let pass. What you really need is determination to finish whatever you start."

Both Darlene and Chrizaldy agree. They are currently undergoing the company's summer internship and leadership training, in which they learn about leadership, time management, and other skills that they would still make use of in the future. "Yes, it's difficult that there's added pressure, that you have to maintain a grade and all, but it also shows that you still have to work hard for something you really want. The scholarship gives you an opportunity to study, it encourages you to excel, but at the same time it's really your own efforts that will help you follow your own path."

"I used to just hope and pray for a scholarship that would be granted to me, but that was all I would do," Darlene confides. "But then I remembered a proverb that said, ˜When you pray, you should move your feet as well' and this is what I have learned with the whole experience of applying for the scholarship and maintaining it. I really consider this a blessing."

At the core of this program is ACS' corporate social responsibility to its people and to society in general. It is not merely ACS' dedication to its employees' career and personal growth-it is also ACS' commitment to nation building through building the character of its citizens. This provides an opportunity for deserving Filipinos, employees or not, to add value to themselves. It really is about empowering people, providing them with the opportunity, and supporting them by all means, so that they are the best they could be.