Total Workforce Size: 2.1 million English Proficiency: Very Low GNI Per Capita: $6,060 S&P’s Currency Risk Rating: BB+ Regional Wage Savings Rank: 11 / 19 Cultural Compatibility Rank:14 / 19 Technological Readiness: 6 / 19 Ease of Doing Business Rank: 125 / 183 Economist’s 2010 Democracy Index: 24 / 167 (Flawed Democracy) AT Kearney Global Services Index: 19 / 50 Selected as one of 8 LATAM countries to make the Gartner Top 30 Offshore Services Destinations Costa Rica’s small but mighty (friendly) labor force is an excellent option for companies of any size. According to Frances Karamouzis, a research vice-president at Gartner, Costa Rica’s main appeal is "a high comfort level with Western business practices." In addition to cultural compatibility, Costa Rica’s other strengths include English language proficiency, talented software developers, and call center outsourcing. The Costa Rican government is taking steps to draw outsourcers to the region with the National Training Institute (INA), which offers free technical training in several areas including software development, accounting, and HR. | Is Un-Sourcing a Problem for Costa Rican Call Center Workers?At any given time in Costa Rica, tens of thousands of Ticos take calls from consumers in other countries who are in need of service and support. These agents work in call centers mostly located in the Central Valley, and the majority of the calls are handled in English -although demand for Portuguese-speaking agents is growing.
decided to gleefully take over customer service and tech support from them? According to a recent article in The Economist, the new trends of“unsourcing” and peer-to-peer support could become a thorn on the sides of the outsourcing and call center economies of India and the Philippines. Should Costa Rica be worried as well? What does Central America Have to Offer?These days, services outsourced to Central America reach far beyond call center offerings. Costa Rica blazed the trail in LAtin America for software development services and web design. In fact, Costa Rican design and programming firm InterGraphic Designs signed popular nearshoring news source Nearshore Americas as a client. Beyond Costa Rica, other countries in Central America have well-established companies in local web development market. In Nicaragua, check out Guegue and Webbasica, web studios that offer web development, design, marketing, and hosting services. El Salvadorian company Happy Punk Panda Studios creates digital campaigns for brands, and an array of web companies are popping up in Guatemala. 'Occupy Wall Street' Movement reaches Costa RicaOctober 17, 2011 It looks like the United States has markedly more influence on Costa Rican culture than we thought. On Saturday, 200+ people marched around the streets of San Jose, joining the worldwide protests against corporate greed and failed economic politics. Like the US protests, the agenda was ambiguous. “This is a spontaneous event with no official organizers, leaders or representatives. There is no program or agenda. We are here because we share the idea of a better future for our country,” said Mayela Ruíz, who organized a number of social network events. Costa Rica FDI on Pace to Break All-Time High
Will Costa Rica Stand the Test of Time?Costa Rica has positioned itself as a key nearshoring destination and boasts solid track records with companies including Amway, Microsoft, and IBM. This article examines Costa Rica’s success despite rising salaries and a miniscule labor force, questioning their ability to stay at the top amidst rising competition in Latin America. | CINDE News |
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