By Business & Finance 
Andy Schachtel is the President and CEO of Sourcefit. He has over twenty years of experience and is an industry expert in strategic outsourcing.
What are your main priorities and goals in your role?
For me personally as a founder/CEO, my driving force has always been to create something tangible that I could be proud of. It was never about passion for a particular product or industry. Rather, it was about building something out of nothing; and then growing to love it as I cared for it over time and sacrificed so much for it.
So, as it has grown, my goals and priorities have evolved to reflect the particular stage the company happened to be in:
From getting a proper office, to making payroll each month, to building a brand, to providing enriching careers for our employees, to impacting our community and our environment, to finally envisioning a dynamic future for the company without me.
What are your biggest challenges as CEO?
My biggest challenge is focus. I find that the complexity of the world around us is increasing faster than we can accommodate it. Whether it’s changes in technology, the proliferation of new marketing channels, or genres of music, or theories of management; there is so much information that we can only focus on one thing for a moment, and can only assess it in the most shallow way. So the choice of where to place my attention, and that of my company, has become more critical than ever.
How do you keep your team/ staff motivated?
Shared purpose. We try to propose for our team a vision of the interdependence of everything in our lives. It’s more than simply work-life balance because that suggests a dichotomy between two opposing forces. We are mutually dependent with our surroundings, with our company, with our family and our friends. The goals of our employees are our goals and vice versa. And we must demonstrate that by being proactive with employee benefits and outreach.
What are the challenges facing the industry going forward?
The BPO industry’s greatest challenges are the unprecedented technological disruptions to be caused by AI; and anti-globalization sentiment.
What new trends are emerging in your industry?
The implementation of AI and large-scale consolidation.
Are there any major changes you would like to see in your sector?
I think a more personalized experience for both clients and employees. AI may enable this but can it truly be personalized if the experience is artificial?
As an employer are you finding any skill gaps in the market?
Application developers.
How did your strategy develop in the context of the banking crisis and economic crisis?
Outsourcing can be a solution in difficult times so I see it as an opportunity.
How has the COVID-19 crisis affected your business/sector?
Our work culture shifted from in-office to remove almost overnight. Small and medium businesses have become comfortable with remote workers and as such are more open to our offshore staffing solutions.
How do you define success and what drives you to succeed?
Happy customers, happy employees, a healthy environment and strong growth.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given, or would give, in business?
The advice or quote I’ve used more than any other as a CEO, coach and parent comes from the Michael Jordan ‘Failure’ commercial for Nike: “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.”
What have been your highlights in business over the past year?
Great Place to Work Award, HR Asia Best Places to Work In Asia Award, Marketing Excellence Award for Corporate Social Responsibility, Fortress CyberSecurity Award: Leadership, Financial Times top 500 Growth Companies in Asia. Increasing our at-risk food program to 3000 families.
What’s next for your company?
We are currently opening new offices in South Africa and Armenia with plans for Malaysia later this year.
Where do you want your business/brand to be this time next year?
We expect to increase revenues by 70% this year and have double the headcount by the end of our fiscal year.
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