Xerox CEO Interview and American Jobs

Xerox CEO Interview and American Jobs
May 23, 2012
By: David L Butler, PhD
Executive Director, National Association of Call Centers
www.nationalcallcenters.org

This morning on the National Public Radio show Morning Edition, the CEO of Xerox was interviewed. At the end of the interview the following exchange took place.

"MONTAGNE: You know, Xerox now has nearly 140,000 employees. More than half of those employees are operating out of the United States. And I'm wondering if - do you think corporations like Xerox have an obligation to provide jobs for Americans?

BURNS: This idea about a responsibility is an interesting statement. Xerox, as an American company, has a responsibility to have jobs in the U.S. But we also have a huge business in the U.K.; I have a responsibility to have jobs in the U.K. I have a growing business in India; I have a responsibility to have jobs in India. I have a big business in the Soviet - in Russia, etcetera, et cetera. So, I don't look at it as myopically or as single-focused as providing jobs in the U.S. only.

I think that because we are here, I will bring back jobs, we do bring back jobs, we bring jobs into the United States, as long as the U.S. can continue to be competitive. And we can. We are an innovative group of people in the United States, and we can be competitive in both cost, but also in quality, and as I said, in innovativeness" (source: http://www.npr.org/2012/05/23/153302563/xerox-ceo-if-you-don-t-transform-you-re-stuck).

I know personally that Xerox has call centers in a variety of locations around the world. What is interesting to note from a call center perspective, and something that I have been blogging about, is the idea of being creative, innovative and efficient in your call center operations. If a call center has the right people (staff) and the right mission (goals to achieve) and the right processes (steps and technology both) to achieve those goals the the operation will be a value-added to the organization and will be productive. If any of these pieces are missing, the operation may falter and become a liability instead of an asset to the organization and support will be found elsewhere. As the CEO of Xerox says, Americans are innovative, so become innovative within your call center. Try and test new things, shake things up a bit, do not be afraid to try and fail at new opportunities for within each trial there are lessons to be learned on the road to success.

Copyright © 2012 David L. Butler