How women are shaping the future of work in the BPO industry
As automation and artificial intelligence reshape customer experience work, companies across the IT and digital customer experience industry are rethinking how they prepare employees for the future. This transformation is being driven by continuous learning and leadership development—areas where women are playing a critical role.
At TELUS Digital Philippines, women currently make up 54% of the company’s workforce. Half of the company’s managerial to executive roles held by women. For TELUS Digital Philippines, empowering women in the workplace, closely linked to preparing employees for the evolving demands of the digital economy.
“Technology is transforming the way our industry operates, but people remain at the center of that transformation, whether it’s through intuitive apps, empathetic customer support, or personalized marketing strategies,” said Anne Muñoz, Country Vice-President of TELUS Digital Philippines. “By ensuring women have access to continuous learning and leadership opportunities, we empower them to grow alongside the changing workplace and contribute to shaping the future of our industry and the moments that truly matter to customers.”
Building future-ready skills
As roles evolve alongside new technologies, workforce development has become an increasingly important priority across the IT and digital customer service industry.
At TELUS Digital Philippines, employees have access to learning opportunities through TELUS Digital University (TDU), a platform that offers courses and development programs designed to support long-term career growth. Women have shown particularly strong engagement in these programs, accounting for 58% of participants in TDU learning initiatives in 2025. As of February 2026, this number has increased to 59%.
Beyond learning program participation rates, women are also among the most active learners. Internal data shows female participants recorded a 243% repeat enrollment rate in 2025, meaning many enrolled in two or three development courses within the same year.
Muñoz added: “As new technologies reshape the workplace, we’re committed to staying at the forefront by providing our team members with access to continuous learning and development opportunities. By fostering skills in communication, leadership, and digital capabilities, we ensure our teams are equipped to thrive in a highly connected, ever-evolving digital world.”
According to team members’ feedback, the skills they are most eager to enhance include communication and customer experience capabilities, leadership and people management, and digital and analytical skills such as data analytics, automation, AI fundamentals, and workplace productivity tools.
Strengthening pathways to leadership
As more women develop future-facing capabilities, organizations are also focusing on expanding leadership opportunities.
At TELUS Digital Philippines, strong gender parity, maintained across leadership roles, with identical representation at the executive level, a slight female majority at the director level, and perfect gender balance among all its managers. To help strengthen leadership readiness, the company supports targeted development initiatives that help women build executive presence and confidence as they progress in their careers.
One example: a leadership development program specifically designed for women delivered in partnership with the University of Asia and the Pacific Continuing Real-World Education (UA&P CORE) under Connections, the company’s women’s network. The program focuses on strengthening executive presence, personal branding, and professional confidence for women navigating senior leadership environments.
“Leadership development is a key part of building a resilient and future-ready workforce,” Muñoz said. “By investing in our women team members through mentorship and real opportunities to lead, we build a stronger pipeline of leaders and bring broader perspectives into decisions, helping the business perform and grow.”
Preparing talent for the evolving workplace
Workforce development programs at TELUS Digital Philippines, structured around three key learning tracks: communication and customer mastery, leadership and people management, and digital and analytical capability development.
These learning tracks, designed to support long-term career mobility, including promotion readiness and cross-functional movement within the organization. They also help employees build capabilities that remain relevant as the digital services industry continues to evolve.
For TELUS Digital Philippines, Women’s Month serves as a reminder that empowering women in the workplace goes beyond representation. It also means creating opportunities for learning, leadership, and career mobility, ensuring women not only prepared for the future of work, but actively contributing to how it evolves.
