Kiezia:
Hi, and welcome to a new episode for podcasts. I’m your host Kieziaa, I am the director of company culture here at Pappas are the following episodes we will be featuring our company’s core values, which are family respect, compassion, personal growth and teamwork. So every year, we choose that award based on votes of our winner that display these core values. So today I with our personal growth awardee Kent. Yes. Welcome to the show, Kent.
Kent:
Hi, Kiezia. Thank you. Hi, guys. So I’m Ken. So I’m, my role here in Pac-biz is is open IT support. And I was a call taker when I started here in backbase. And it was a great journey. When I started here. There was a lot of, you know, things that I’d like to share with you guys about my personal growth. And I’ve been here since 2021. So it’s two years and still counting. Yep, that’s it.
Kiezia:
Well, thank you, Ken. And so what what’s your role now at Pac-biz
Kent:
oh, yeah, I’m now at an IP support. I’m working as a an support lower forward to the agents that needs assistance with their laptops or devices if they have an issues with it.
Kiezia:
So yeah, but I can’t wait to know more about how did you become it from call taker. But before that, Ken, what drew you to pack this
is what drew me to pack.
Kent:
This is actually I, when I got here in Dumaguete, they are hearing nacreous, I actually did not plan to work in a BPO company. Because I’m originally from Cebu. So I’m from Cebu, I work as a people, I also work as a an agent or a call taker. And when I got here, my fiancee, I we actually plan to, to do business like, you know, and we when I got to the place, you know, and I decided to since I don’t know how to the livelihood in the area, like in Maasai. They have this fishing farming, and I don’t have any idea about it. So I switch back BPO. So I go ahead and search in Facebook and LinkedIn, LinkedIn, and I actually found this path based in Facebook. So and then I tried to apply. And luckily I got interviewed. And actually, it’s a challenge because in in beside there’s no, there’s no cellular signal, and no proper internet. So I need to go to the to any area that has a cellular signal. So I go there, and they will just call me and I got hired. And I came here in Douma get there without any any hesitancy
Kiezia:
Well, yeah, that’s that is such a, you know, having that personnel growth mindset, right, as an interesting story of yours. So I have your how do you prioritize? I guess you do prioritize this and encourage personal growth in you know, in your professional environment or development?
Kent:
Yes, yeah. So I’m totally my approach for personal growth is setting a goal and then I adapt, and then I networking, and then we have this will be in self balance. Those are the four things that actually my approach to personal growth and because we have the set goals to ourselves, so that we will be able to achieve the things that we wanted to achieve and adaptable other person. Yeah. Yeah, adaptability is like, you know, you have to adapt to the environment, so that you will grow. And networking is like about how you socialize your life. Like how, how you interact with the people or do that specific to backbase or like to the company itself. And for the well being, self balance is about like, you have to balance yourself from work to your family. Because if you keep if you just keep on thinking about work, it’s not balanced. You also have to think about your family. You also have to balance yourself with your family and work so that you will be able to grow and to understand, but you know, personal growth
Kiezia:
Yeah, and I heard your story earlier about being flexible, since you did not want to work in a BPO, right? Yes. Yes. And now you’re here it is a BPO. So, can you share a specific skill or area where you you have experienced notable personal growth that happens, as
Kent:
I mentioned earlier that I work here as a call taker. So I started here as a call taker. So, I actually did not plan to apply as an IT. And it’s actually my dream job. It’s, it’s my dream job. So when I got here, I just asked the admins, the leaders, the IT managers, I told them if they could, if, if someone who will apply in this position, like if they don’t have any, if they were not able to finish their college four year college, is it okay, if they could apply to that specific position? And yep, I just shared it to supervisory admin leaders, I just shared it with them. And they suddenly I actually get, I was so shocked, because I never actually expected about getting hired this specific position, like my dream job to be an IP. So they just, they just told me that he can’t join to this to this link, and then I just go ahead and join that link. And then it was an interview, you know, it was, it was a, you know, it’s like, I feel like, you know, I’m excited about it, because they did not just, they did not see me as an agent or an employee, but they see me as a family, as a family, and they they did not just ignore, or they just, they they just ignore my potential, but the find ways to encourage me to practice my skills. So that’s, and then I accept that specific position that they gave me to be an IT support. And I’m grateful for that.
Kiezia:
Yeah, and yeah, it’s just how packed is, is? I think that this should be grateful for you, too. Because I, from your supervisor, or dominated mentioned here that something about a system that you’ve introduced on our payroll that we have been using, so can you can you tell me more? Yes. Okay. Tell the audience more about this.
Kent:
Yes, actually, it’s about the system automation. So, when I initially started hearing about this, I do have an idea about web development, but not that deep, though. But when I get when I get here, when when I got hired in it, and it this way, I have this particular manager in it that is very, it’s very, it’s very excited about knowledge, to share it with us. And, and then suddenly, he just shared this specific project. So he just, he just said that, like, okay, so we’ll be doing a project like an automation. So it’s a payroll automation, and then I have no idea but idea about it. Because, you know, in computer programming is very broad, and it’s very hard, especially if you don’t have any idea about it. So just a simple hello word, you can apply it without any, any knowledge if you don’t have any idea how to run this specific program. And then I get this, our manager just, like, offer us like it. Our Our Manager offers a free training here and banners, but he will be the one conducting the training. So it’s an automation, like a scraping website scraping, and then I took that advantage. I learned from it. So I started we started actually, we started making the payroll automation. So it’s, if, if without the automation, they will do it like three days to finish finish that specific week schedule. So after we finish the automation, it will now take three hours to finish. So three days, the three hours.
Kiezia”
That’s amazing. And no three days from three three days or three hours. Yeah,
it’s not three hours. So it’s actually like a great help to our admin or payroll department to do some other tasks, instead of doing those, plotting the schedules manually, the
system. So thank you, thank you for sharing can’t. Yeah. Do you have? Do you have? Do you have mentors or guides at practice? Who played a significant role in your personal growth?
Kent:
Yes. It’s actually my manager here. And IT manager. It’s not, it’s not just me who benefits from him? But it’s the entire team who benefits from him? Is he actually like, you know, a big group or to this personal growth? To the team? Sir,
sir? Ejer?
Kiezia;
Yes.
Yeah. Can you share like a specific example?
How did? Yes.
The guidance that we got from him? Are you?
Kent:
Yes. Like, he mentored us with how to do the automation, like, improve my knowledge about web development, about servers, like about networking, Dax, he actually shared it because it’s not just a more shared that. Thoughts, but actually, the entire team? Were like doing a brainstorming. Like, who knows about networking? Who knows about or knows about servers? Who knows about when development and they actually gave those ideas? To me, not just me, but the entire team knows about it. So they shared ideas, every time that they have, they have something to share?
Kiezia:
Yeah, so thank you taking care. So how do you contribute to the personal growth of other members within what it is?
Kent:
I’m actually what I actually do. We have this monthly meeting, like every, every week, there’s every month, there’s four weeks, right? So every Friday, we have this IP meeting, and one of our manager shared last, like, what he says is, okay, here’s what we’re going to do. So every meeting, every end of the meeting, we need to share something new, like new technology, like a new development or whatever that you found in the internet, you can share it to us that is very useful to the company. So the team will go ahead and search and Google or any any, any sites that can be that has new technologies. So what I usually do is, instead of searching it, in Google, what I actually do is I will create, like, I will think of a project that is that can benefits the company like for, for example, the automation. So we actually, we have, like, for example, the automation, we have the password manager on any any password manager. So I actually like, share it to Suraj. Or like, sir, we have this, it’s okay that we have any documentation or any password manager that that is our own that we don’t need to pay for it, like our own copyright pathways Password Manager in the documentation. So what we do is that the team, I will share, like, I will ask them a question like, how to do this, how to do that, because they know something that I don’t know. So they will share it to me. So what we what we do is that instead of me growing, but the entire team will grow because they have the search for a specific, like, how to do this, and then they will just go ahead and search it in YouTube or search it in Google. And then they will find an idea or anything that that that they will learn from that specific task that they’ve been given. So they will learn from it, they will grow from it. So it’s not just me who will go grow from that specific project, but the entire team, it’s like hitting hitting two birds in one stone. It’s the personal growth and the teamwork. Yeah.
Kiezia:
Wondering what’s the motive behind that mindset?
Um, absolutely Lives Matter Ovation
the most. Personally, when you have the kind of thinking,
Kent:
Yeah, I have that kind of my motivation about that because I’m sorry, the my motivation about it is because I wanted Grow. I only finished first I only finished my first year of college I’ve never been. I’ve never graduated college. And so I’m so like, you know, hungry for knowledge, new things, new ideas, I really am really into it. I’m so eager to learn from many things. I’m like, I’m so curious about things like, even though how small it is, I really ask what what’s this? What’s this? How to use this? That’s how curious I am. So I’m so eager to learn whatever new technologies that we have in the world. I’m so I’m so I’m so open to it.
Kiezia:
Right. And I like I also like your sense of, you know, you have this personal growth, but you also have this sense of contribution because you think sharing it to the, to the company, right?
Kent:
Yes. Um, um, my mindset, my mindset about it. I’m doing it that way, because I love backbase. So, why do you love practice? I love backbase. Because first thing at first, I thought the core value is just a word. But the implemented here, family, compassion, teamwork, and respect. Yeah. And first of all, there’s the it’s not just a word, it’s actually the implemented to each employees here in factories. That’s why I love backbase. So I grow here, I get promoted here. And they accept me as what I am. They respect me as what I am. And then I grow from it. And the banding here is not just about being your staff, you’re an admin, so you’re higher than me. No, they treat you like a family, even though they are higher than you. They will treat you like a family. They will, it’s easy to approach. It’s really easy to approach the admins, the leaders, even the employees team in bad ways. That’s why I love pathways.
Kiezia:
Yeah, and how did you feel about when, how did you feel about like, when they offered you this was to shine instead of you said that you don’t have the the years or you only have this years of experience? Not only do you are Yeah, they were open to you? For that responsibility?
Kent:
Yes. Um,at first you expect that they didn’t expect that. At first, I was hesitant, because my knowledge is just Yeah, I only knew basics, but I do fix computers during pandemic, you know, I fix computers with that. I also help my neighbors with their networks like for example if they have problems with their modem. So when they told me that they they have an opening here and it so actually it was a it was my first actually my supervisor told me he can join this meeting and then I thought it’s just a meeting but actually it’s a interview so and then and then I’ll actually I was hesitant at first like I said Am I really fit into this specific position? Do I really fit into this specific process here and then am I should I just stay here as a call taker and then it just popped to my head like No, you need to get out of your comfort zone. So I decided to get out of my comfort zone I accept the job and then I mean the position and then I asked them if Is it okay if I just um Is it okay if I just I was not able to finish college, I only have in state two computer system services and then they said yes, no worries, not a problem. Even the previous manager in it referred me when they the previous assistant manager referred me as well in the leaders as well the admin referred me to this specific position and I was so I did not expect that I was so happy because they just told me about it. And I at first I thought that I am not going to be hired for that specific position because it took like a month for him to decide a
month long Wow.
And they just message me Hey, can you can now go to you can go ahead and try this position you can go and do the training. So it was a great experience or journey here in fact this
Kiezia:
Yeah, it it was under also the contract. decision that you made right from your from having that growth mindset. So how did it affect? Or did it inspire your team members? Or what was the, what was the reaction? does it inspire them? Or?
Kent:
Yes, it inspired them when I got when my, like, my, well, my first day in it, they were like, Oh, I guess you would just, you know, you’re you’re the call taker. And then now you get into this position and they get inspired from it. Like they said, I thought they thought backbase will just get, like other other people outside of backbase. For those people who were able to finish college, who has a better experience than me, they thought, but actually, it’s not. They were so inspired, but they were so inspired about when they got to that position from a call taker to it, and what and then they also get, you know, excited. I mean, they also did not expect that I was not able to finish college. So they said they thought that I was able to finish galleys when I thought when I told them that I was able to finish college, they said, Oh, I thought they will have people with with proper, like, was able to finish college.
Kiezia:
Yeah, so thank you for sharing that can definitely not with with your example, right. Fact, is really muddies the core of personal growth as scan also shared earlier. I was actually yeah, interested when I when I read the what they wrote on your nomination, it wasn’t it was my first time they know that you were a call taker, and then you become an IP. So it then inspired me just by reading that. Thank you. So, um, I will ask you, how do you so how do you ensure that your personal growth aligns with the core values of
taxes?
Kent:
Yes, it’s not just, it’s not just about personal growth, we also have to follow those core values that we have, so that we will be able to, like, for example, family, you also have to think about your family so that you will grow. And then for compassion, you also know do need to be very open to the people like to the team, to any employees here. In fact, this and teamwork, of course, teamwork is really important, because without the teamwork, it will the team will collapse and respect as well. Whoever you are, wherever you are, they shouldn’t be respected. So while you are growing, you also have to respect people with the team work, including family.
Kiezia:
Right. And you said earlier, you did consider the need of a pack this time. Right, the need of the company, the family. That’s how you were able to contribute that that you were able to make that make the contribution? Yes. You took consideration.
Kent:
Yes. That’s why I contribute something to the company because they treated me like family. It’s not just me, but they their employees in families.
Kiezia:
Good. Awesome. So I guess we’re wrapping up this. Yeah. Finally, to wrap things up. What advice would you give to others on embracing and fostering personal growth in their careers?
Kent:
Yes, I just have this simple advice to the people, to the employee, or to whoever listening to this. My advice is, you have to keep moving forward. So you have to keep moving forward. Even if you fall down, just stand up. You have to keep moving forward. As what I’ve said earlier, you have to set goals. For you, for you to be able to get that goal, you have to keep moving forward, to adapt, and to socialize your life. That’s how that’s the only thing that I can advise you guys.
Kiezia:
Great advice, Ken. And so I think that ends our chat for today. Thank you. I’ve learned a lot from you can’t on personal growth contribution and the tips that you gave. So thank you so much, Kent for being our guest tonight. Again, I’m with Ken T. He’s our awardee for first So I agree with that fact it’s it’s been a pleasure to to talk with you