The Affordable Care Act opened up the health insurance market to both new and old providers. While the market is changing, traditional providers are still relying on outdated technology like fax machines and direct mail to validate provider information, resulting in perpetually outdated information. Here comes TaskUs, a global BPO that is helping change this landscape for many businesses. In this Interview with TechBullion, Violaine Duchateau, VP of Client Services at TaskUs will be telling us more about the all-in-one solutions they provide and the opportunities available at TaskUs.
Please tell us a little more about yourself.
I specialize in helping clients succeed in outsourcing their key operational functions. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work in many locations across Europe and the United States. I eventually joined TaskUs in 2015 to support some of their Silicon Valley clients. As VP of Client Services, I now lead our client services teams to expand into this strategic market for TaskUs, helping our valued clients scale their operations and maximize their business growth potential.
TaskUs began with just seven employees, $20,000 in capital, and a one-room office in the Philippines in 2008. Now, we are proud to have over 31,500 TaskUs teammates operating in 20 different locations across the United States, the Philippines, India, Mexico, Taiwan, Greece, Ireland and Colombia.
In the very beginning, founders Bryce Maddock and Jaspar Weir envisioned TaskUs as more of a Virtual Assistant (VA) business that connected individual tasks with individual workers. Within the first several years, they pivoted to scaling business operations for larger companies by supplying entire teams of customer service workers.
As TaskUs grew, the founders began to understand the value of knowing client needs and expectations by heart, and equipping our own employees with that knowledge to deliver results. If anything, the first few years spent launching TaskUs was a valuable opportunity that helped the team recognize emerging industry trends, new in-demand services, and which aspects of our business model we needed to improve on.
Above all, TaskUs is obsessed with creating a ridiculously good employee experience. Investing in our own people and technology is the key to delivering an exceptional experience for our clients, ensuring that their success is our success. We believe that’s what makes us different from other business services companies—if TaskUs has a heart, the beat says “people.”
What is TaskUs, and what specific services do you provide?
TaskUs is an industry-leading business services company delivering digital customer experience, content security, and AI operations. In our increasingly technology-driven world, we ensure that TaskUs is constantly evolving, ready to handle any challenge at a moment’s notice. During the COVID-19 pandemic, TaskUs became a digital accelerator for some of the most depended upon companies, including three of the top four social media sites, three of the top four food delivery apps, and the number one audio and number one video streaming services.
Over the past year, TaskUs skillfully conducted the behind-the-scenes operations for some of the world’s most innovative and disruptive brands, offering business services to mobile social networks, on-demand food delivery, cryptocurrency exchanges, consumer goods, and more. Leaning on its investments in technology and support systems to allow employees to work from the comfort of their own homes, TaskUs made sure millions around the world could safely ride out the pandemic.
We understand that achieving growth for our clients requires a culture of constant motion, improvement, and adaptation. This is what we’re known for—a passionate, mission driven outsourcing provider with the ability to re-adjust and transform in any given circumstance. With an unparalleled commitment to delivering results, investing in our own employees, and keeping ahead of the curve, we continue in our work to scale business operations for our extraordinary clients in extraordinary times.
What exactly is digital transformation? In your professional opinion, why is digital transformation in any industry invaluable to business success going forward?
Digital transformation is the cutting-edge practice of integrating digital technology into business operations. As a provider and accelerator of digital transformation, our job is to enable and support growth in our clients. We equip businesses with the right people, processes, and technologies to thrive in a competitive economy that increasingly prioritizes efficiency, innovation, and digitalization.
Every business has to interact with its customers in one way or another, regardless of industry. We believe demand for digital transformation in customer service will continue to grow; many businesses need help to improve customer satisfaction and intimacy, while still expanding business capabilities and streamlining operations. That’s where TaskUs comes in—we offer services that actually make a difference for our clients and their customers.
Which industries are harnessing the opportunities of digital transformation the most, and what trends should we look out for by 2022 and beyond?
Digital transformation continues to shape the world’s fastest-growing sectors today, such as e-commerce, gaming, social media, and ridesharing. TaskUs has also identified one industry in which digital transformation may impact: HealthTech.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a real game changer for the healthcare industry. Over the past year, the number of in-person clinic visits dropped significantly for many healthcare providers, while the number of telehealth visits skyrocketed. Reports suggest that demand for telehealth will likely remain high even after the pandemic subsides, especially among senior citizens and immuno-compromised individuals who may still be wary of visiting in-person, as well as those who simply prefer telehealth due to its convenience and time efficiency.
Traditional providers are also struggling to adapt, with its operations still heavily relying on outdated technology—like fax machines and physical mail—to validate provider information, resulting in perpetually outdated data. We proactively took note of these industry inefficiencies and began brainstorming ways we could make that validation process seamless for both the provider and their patients. Today, TaskUs helps businesses scale healthcare operations by verifying basic information like name, address, and phone number, as well as unique data points like provider network participation, appointment availability, and acceptance of new patients.
The truth is, many healthcare providers aren’t ready to face the sheer number of patients online. We think this is an ideal opportunity for digital transformation, and a chance for us to help those who need access to quality healthcare from the comfort of their own homes. TaskUs has the ability to scale healthcare operations and delivery for providers, allowing patients to receive efficient, effective, and empathetic customer service.
How does TaskUs stand out in the business process outsourcing (BPO) space?
Everyday, more and more businesses are moving online. A recent report stated that in 2020 alone, over two billion people purchased goods or services online and e-retail sales exceeded a record-breaking $4.2 trillion worldwide. According to one article, companies that demonstrated the most resilience during the pandemic were those that bolstered their online infrastructure, incorporated automation, and capitalized on opportunities of digital transformation. COVID-19 amplified the need for businesses to establish and maintain an online presence to not only survive, but thrive, in our ever-changing economy. Outsourcing business processes is now a lifeline and necessity for companies of all sizes to keep up with the incessant demands of customer service, moderation, and security.
More than ever before, businesses understand that their outsourcing partners should be an extension of their own teams, and no longer evaluate outsourcing services as a one-time transaction. Although the outsourcing industry is vast, we stand out because we understand what potential clients crave: transparency.
At TaskUs, we pride ourselves on creating a truly supportive and enjoyable culture for our employees. From aesthetically decorated offices, to true remote work programs, to real support for mental health, to all the generous benefits you’d expect in Silicon Valley—we consistently put the welfare of our employees first. As we grew, especially during the pandemic, we found potential clients attracted to the transparent and open benefits given to our employees, so we made it a driving force of our sales program.
Our employees are not faceless transactions hired to support a distant company, but members of a closely integrated team that our clients can see and trust.
More specifically, how did the COVID-19 pandemic affect TaskUs operations? Did it influence employee experience in any way?
In March 2020, TaskUs made the bold decision to move its entire global workforce to remote work —ahead of most other companies across industries.
TaskUs was able to make the early transition, all while maintaining full continuity of service for its clients during the most vital times for their businesses. Other BPOs lagged behind, as some of their clients did not agree or believe they could maintain operational factors, such as security and confidentiality, while working from home. Our clients’ decisions to expand their business with us during the pandemic is tangible evidence of their satisfaction with our employees.
We also broke barriers with the launch of Cirrus, our work-from-home platform for employees. Cirrus is the embodiment of our commitment to our clients and culture of innovation. Its sustainable, cloud-based remote work model provides support to clients without sacrificing quality, transparency, expertise, security or skill that has come to define TaskUs’s business services. But Cirrus is more than a customer-facing solution; it’s also a holistic approach to a remote office set-up where our employees enjoy safer working environments, new opportunities, and career growth. As part of the program, we also developed custom content—including one-on-one sessions with licensed healthcare professionals, skills groups and outreach activities—made available 24/7 to create the optimal remote working environment.
Our employees at the frontlines of customer service are extensions of our clients. They are our most important stakeholders, and their needs are invaluable to our company’s success. We make sure every TaskUs employee has a weekly one-on-one meeting with a superior to provide feedback and allow for transparency; we conduct quarterly pulse surveys to monitor employee experience; and our Data and Leadership teams comb through thousands of survey responses from employees every month to determine and implement needed changes.
We’ve made it a point to leverage resources toward global scalability, cultural competence, and the use of technology to aid in the health and wellness of our teammates. The pandemic was a major turning point for everyone at TaskUs. Whether our teammates are working from home or will be transitioning back to an in-office environment, we continue to keep a close pulse on their wellness and satisfaction.
Any other information you would like to share with our readers today?
TaskUs celebrated its IPO in June this year, and announced several planned site expansions in India and the Philippines. From just a team of seven people in 2008 to a global organization of over 31,500 teammates in 2021, TaskUs has taken on the outsourcing industry by storm. Over the last decade, founders Bryce Maddock and Jaspar Weir have been relentless in creating a company that we truly believe in, embodying a dynamic culture that puts people at the heart of the TaskUs mission. We continue to lead the company’s international operations with a focus on building a ridiculously good company, believing that an incredible employee experience empowers TaskUs to attract and retain the best talent and deliver superior results. We are beyond proud of what our TaskUs teammates have accomplished, and can’t wait for what comes next!
For more information, visit the website: TaskUs.com