Webhelp Group is present in the entire world and for 17 years in Romania, can you introduce your company, its history, skills and values added?
I would start by saying that our story was born in Romania. The Webhelp idea and the first services were initially tested here when, in 2000, French entrepreneurs Olivier Duha and Frederic Jousset founded a company to facilitate access to digital information. 18 years later, supported by two investment funds, Charterhouse and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR), Webhelp has become one of the leaders in the business process outsourcing industry, ranking first in Europe and the top 10 global suppliers.
Now, the Webhelp Group came to be present in 35 countries and has more than 50,000 employees dealing with 500 clients in different areas, however the first steps were taken based on the talent and passion for foreign languages of the Romanian citizen.
Webhelp has become the largest francophone employer in Romania since 2010 with a team of over 500 employees. Over the next few years, Webhelp Romania continued its expansion to reach more than 1,500 employees in 2015.
Over the years, the company’s services have expanded steadily. Centralized around customer experience, both on the B2C and B2B segments, the services offered have moved from voice support, mostly offered to French companies, to a multilingual, omnichannel, with an industry expertise that targets companies around the world. Among the Webhelp Group’s customers are some of the most progressive brands: Sephora, Samsung, Easy Jet, Bouygues Telecom, Vodafone, Valentino, or Marc Jacobs.
Today, Webhelp Romania is a mature company with a team of 2000 people and a presence in four cities in Romania. We are the first multilingual hub with 14 languages used for our clients and the first digital hub and KYC within the Group. Thanks to our ongoing digitization efforts, we have more than 300 employees in the Digital department. Also, Romania has representatives in almost all management structures in the 35 countries of the Group.
As added value of Webhelp services, I would mention the BPO digital technology consultant. Thus, customers have access to a complete solution that best integrates human added value and technology tailored to each type of business.
Technology enablement is part of our Solution Design proposal, being a key success factor globally.
Our role as a technology consultant focuses both on integrating and streamlining the use of solutions already applied by our clients, but also on the ability to provide and to ensure a smooth transition when a partner needs technological solutions to operate with current processes.
You are the largest Francophone employer in Romania, what is your recruitment, training and social approach? Why is Romania attractive?
Webhelp Romania offers a flexible and cosmopolitan work environment with many possibilities for professional development. We recruit candidates who have strong knowledge of foreign languages, mainly French, and the most important selection criteria are language skills, human relations and the motivation to succeed. Since recruitment, we help them focus on the most appropriate activity for their profile and integrate more easily into the company. We have a dedicated team of Webhelp University trainers who have as main objective the development, career orientation and improvement of the performance of all employees.
After 6 months in the company, our employees can apply within the Assessment Centre for available management positions. With an internal promotion rate of over 70%, Webhelp Romania can be considered a career school.
At the same time, all team members profit from both non-financial and financial benefits. Among the non-financial benefits, we could mention the flexible schedule, according to individual priorities, free transportation for colleagues who finish the program very late, subscriptions to medical clinics for them and their families. To all this, access to various professional, vocation and e-learning courses is added, Webhelp Romania being a provider of training certificates by the National Authority for Qualifications. Most of the courses take place in the online environment to allow learners to plan their own development curriculum according to their needs in specific competence areas. In terms of financial benefits, we have a performance recognition system that includes individual monthly performance bonuses.
The BPO industry has evolved a lot in recent years by offering a variety of jobs with real career opportunities.
What are your business values, and your economic development strategy?
We have established five landmark values that define the organization’s relationship with its customers and employees, but also with the community they are part of. The first of these values is Recognition. Regardless of the position they occupy, the company’s people are recognized for their contribution to the success of our business. Integrity is one of the values that makes the company an excellent work environment and a true partner for our clients. Another value is Unity – we are a wonderful team dedicated to both our company and our customers. Dedication – is for us the respect of the promises we make both between us and our clients. We conclude with Positive Impression – the value of the organization by which we strive to offer our business partners the best possible and effective collaboration.
Regarding our development strategy, we have three pillars: digital transformation, innovation and the growth of our local customer portfolio. The process of diversifying the range of services and repositioning on the local and global BPO market will continue in 2019.
Our new services of Market data research, Invoice & credit control, Knowledge & Risk Management, Business Transformation, Digital, Client Expectation Management, Invoice & Credit Management, Analytics and Business Controlling, combine human expertise and creativity with innovative digital technology.
At the same time, we want many employees of Webhelp Romania to benefit from international mobility to give them a perspective on what a multicultural and multi skills career within the Group means.
On the eve of a busy 2018-2019 season, including the European elections under the Romanian Presidency, what message do you wish to convey to your teams and your current and future customers?
your current and future customers?
Our operations mirror a connected and efficient world and I hope that the choices made by Europeans will support this openness that is second nature for us.
I would say to my colleagues to keep their enthusiasm and I wish for them to be noticed. Seeing them, how involved they are, it seems to me that if everyone were like them, we would progress more as a society. To our clients I would say that due to our partnership they can focus on developing their core business and that together we can generate opportunities for the communities in which we operate. We have the international expertise, the digital tools developed and tailored to their needs as well as an intimate knowledge of markets and the needs of their customers.
Bâtiment Premium Plaza,
63-69, rue Dr. Iacob Felix, Bucarest
T : +40 374 155 600
bpo.services@ro.webhelp.com
Premium Plaza Building,
63-69 Dr. Iacob Felix Street, Bucharest
T : +40 374 155 60
bpo.services@ro.webhelp.com
