Contax believes that human capital is the basis for a contact center. The leader in the sector, the Company had 61.4 employees at the end of 2007, of which 12,300 were hired during last year alone. The large volume of hiring places the Company among the largest employers in the country. Most employees are young and for a significant part it is their first work experience. These facts motivate Contax to play a social role that goes beyond job creation and training its workforce.

It is the intention of Contax to take part in the life of its employees. It therefore maintains not only training and professional development programs, but also health, formal education and promotion of well-being. Making the employee comfortable and happy in the workplace is fundamental for a business based on human relations. The Company understands that the operator’s work is very challenging; and so, investments are made in infrastructure and creative solutions which are capable of improving the execution of the job.

The care starts with the choice of site locations, strategically placed near train, subway or bus stations to make employee commuting easy. The internal environment, as well as being well furnished, is designed to be ‘clean’, bright and silent, avoiding visual as well as sound pollution. The Company also invests in campaigns to promote motivation, relaxation and integration.

In training, investments grow every year. In 2007, the amount destined for training courses and professional development programs reached R$18 million. This is reflected in a more qualified team which seeks better solutions for its clients. Contax wins and so does the employee, which becomes better qualified to take on other opportunities that may arise within the Company or even in the marketplace.

Although it has attractive policies for retaining staff, the Company collects stories of young people who had their first professional experience as operators and went on to occupy positions of leadership at Contax or other companies. Contax is proud to be a talent factory and to take part in the life of these people.

At the same time, for better use of the allocated resources, the Company has an efficient Human Resources Area, staffed by people of the most diverse competencies. Between human resources (including training personnel), management and quality, which monitor operations, there are 1,500 employees, spread throughout all sites and trained in dealing with people.

The success of the Company is the success of each of the 61.4 Contax’s People. As a great creator of first employment in the country, the Company, through its management strategy, is dedicated to forming not only professionals, but citizens with dedication and motivation to contribute to a just and sustainable society.

HUMAN CAPITAL

The majority of employees consist of young women with a good level of education. However, in this universe of 61,000 employees diversity prevails. Present in seven Brazilian states and in the Federal Capital, the Company employs people of different social and cultural origins, which reflects in the way of speaking, of behaving and even of relating to work. The Company sees this universe as a positive factor and encourages the interchange between sites. As a result, it is common to observe people who started their careers in one state or site and eventually move on to another one.The Company rejects any form of discrimination, and supports multiracial, religious, cultural and sexual diversity.

Employees by Age . %	Employees by Gender . %
Professional Background . %	Education . %

Hiring policy also contributes to the Company’s internal diversity. Contax is a great former of young talent: of the present employees in December 2007, 20,769 are experiencing their first job. Apart from that, the Company seeks people of different specializations in the market and gives opportunities for more experienced people, including senior citizens and people with special needs.


The life experience of each employee, added to the training and to the daily challenges of the business, is seen as adding value to the Company. Thanks to this internal diversity, Contax has a better understanding of their clients’ cultural and social differences, regardless of the region of origin. It can thus provide more and better services, proving the commitment expressed in its Vision: “We Make Customers For Life”.

TRAINING AND CAPACITATION

A constant search for quality and performance improvements which was established in the “Leadership in Execution” strategy is directly linked to the quality and motivation of employees. Therefore, training them for their functions is a fundamental part of our policy.

Every year, Contax earmarks more hours and funds to this end. In 2007, the number of class/hours reached 5.5 million. Training takes place in specially designed premises. The Company has 160 rooms equipped with multimedia resources for the professional improvement of its operators. Its 437 instructors are responsible for adapting the standard methodology to the diverse technical contents specific to each product.

Through its large number of programs, the Human Resources Area is responsible for the career development of professionals in supervisory and management levels. The HR Area is also in charge of identifying the need for, creating and implementing new human development programs, such as the successful “Crescer” (Growth) program, which has progressed significantly throughout 2007.



Programs
The services provided by the Company basically involve relationship with people. Thus 90% of employees hired occupy the function of operators dealing with the end customer in Customer Care, Telemarketing and Debt Collection. The suitability of new employees to the type of service is defined during selection and hiring, when Human Resources seek to match the personalities and competences of the candidates to the profile of their functions. Once in the Company, the employees will progress continually through training courses that will initially prepare them for the job and later develop their careers. Contax is proud to have, as development tools for their teams, the programs described here:

Evoluir (Evolve)
Aims to train new and veteran operators with focus on excellence in execution in the areas of Customer Care (SAC), Telemarketing, Retention and Debt Collection. Methodology includes on-site, behavioral and technical training, as well as simulations and practical activities which will allow participants to exert their functions in accordance to the processes, routines and responsibilities defined by the Company. The courses, depending on the complexity of the operation, may last more than 30 days, with 6 hours of daily training.

This model includes basic training, with focus on Contax’s and the client’s systems, behavioral development, and finally, specific training aimed at the client’s product. The methodology also foresees constant renewals and on-demand training (new products and offers, promotional campaigns, system changes, etc). In 2007, 44.6 thousand employees completed the courses of the Contax Training Model – Evoluir (Evolve).

Contax employees have access to a career plan with real opportunities for growth and professional development. Such opportunities are established by the Career Path, which is known to all employees and is based on merit, a basic and fundamental Company value, contributing to lowering turnover and helping increase internal satisfaction levels. Recognition is the policy of the Company, in programs which support merit and performance-based promotion.

Apareça e Cresça (Show up and Grow)
Internal recruiting program that aims to give priority to employees in filling new positions within the Company. Vacancies are advertised in-house. All employees may bring themselves forward, including the part-timers, as long as they fulfill all basic requirements. It is necessary to have worked at least six months in the Company, technical knowledge for the new role as well as the suitable profile. During 2007, 4,294 employees were promoted.

The Company also has a motivation and incentive tool for employees called “Career Opportunities” whereby, depending on their growth and development perspectives, employees have access to the corporate career path specific to their product. This values merit and transparency in promotions, as well as encouraging self-development.

Instructors Training Program
With focus on training and certification of Contax Training Instructors, the aim of this program is to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to become an instructor. In 2007, 208 employees received the basic training and 127 received the advanced training, which became part of the “Professional Upgrade Program – HR Guide”.

Corporate Career Path

Other growth possibilities for:



Degrau (Step)
Aims to identify internally, amongst operators, back office staff, monitors and operations auxiliaries, people with a leadership profile for the job of Operations Supervisor. Such employees are prepared for their future work through several modules of the Leadership Development Program (PDL). In total, there are 98 hours of training, which include Human Resources practice as well as Contax corporate tools.

Trained employees form part of a talent bank and have the opportunity to develop their careers within the Company. In 2007, 893 of the 1,297 Operations Supervisors that got the job were trained in the Degrau program. For 2008, Human Resources Area is studying the possibility of expanding the program to form a talent bank for the Operations Coordinator position.

One of the Company’s concerns is getting to know better its ‘people’, analyzing their necessities and creating means to participate actively in each employee’s professional and human development. That is the origin of programs, whose benefits are not restricted to employees. In a larger picture, they are actions of social responsibility, since by improving employability, they are benefiting the larger community.

Crescer (Growth)
Offers access to university level education, through a polytechnic course recognized by the Education and Culture Ministry (MEC). This program was started in order to supply an aspiration of the Company’s employees, most of which are young people which have completed secondary education. In Human Resource discussion groups, they had expressed their dreams of completing a university education even though they had no financial conditions for such at the time.

In partnership with a renowned Rio de Janeiro-based university, in 2006 Contax developed the course Contact Center Management, with four modules and duration of two years. Every semester the student receives a certificate: in the first, Contact Center Operations Assistant; in the second, Contact Center Operations Monitor, in the third, Contact Center Operations Analyst, and in the fourth, Contact Center Operations Supervisor. The amount paid by the employees never exceeds 10% of their salary, limited to R$80. The rest is paid by the Company.

The first group, with 240 employees from Rio de Janeiro, will complete its course in July 2008. Throughout 2007, thanks to partnerships with other universities, the “Crescer” (Growth) program was extended to São Paulo and reached the mark of 420 beneficiaries. In 2008 the program will be expanded to the sites of Salvador and Belo Horizonte. In the long-term the objective is to extend the program to all the sites. As well as enabling and motivating. its professionals, Contax sees the “Crescer” program as social action. Many of the beneficiaries are people who would not otherwise have the possibility of studying in university. Generally, the employee is the first member of the family to study at university level and feels honored by that. This pride translates into more dedication than students in regular courses, according to university indicators. And it represents yet another step in Contax’s strategy of forming citizens.



Contax reaffirms its role as a labor market access facilitator with its social and professional inclusion programs, aimed at young people without previous work experience, university students, recent graduates and people with special needs.

Trainee and Conquista (Conquest) Programs
Aimed at recent graduates and lasting one year, the Trainee Program was created in 2007 to hire externally and develop young people with potential to occupy positions of leadership within Contax. At the same time the Conquista (Conquest) program was developed, with identical objectives, but aimed at giving opportunity to recent graduates that already work in the Company. The two programs last 12 months and have the same stages. In the first week, the participants get to know the Company, in the Contax Business module. After that they are allocated to their areas and go through two more modules: ‘Continuous Formation’, focused on perfecting their individual abilities, and ‘Project Development’, in which participants create and develop specific projects for their areas, followed up by their managers.

On-the-job Training Program
Aimed at university students, its focus is to attract and develop young people with potential to work in the Company after graduation. The program aligns academic theory and organizational practices, associating the daily work with periodic meetings, with pre-defined themes, which seek to promote experience between the trainees and in-house professionals. In 2007, Contax received 43 on-the-job training youngsters from 15 different courses, among which Business Administration, Information Systems, Law and Psychology. Of these, 19 were hired by the Company.

Jovem Aprendiz (Young Apprentice)
Developed in partnership with Centro de Integração Empresa-Escola CIEE (Company–School Integration Center), it gives the opportunity to young people (aged between 17 and 24) to get a professional qualification, as well as insertion in the labor market. With educational support of the Roberto Marinho Foundation, experience in the Company lasts for 2 years and includes a monthly salary, practical and theoretical classes at school, as well as supervision from specially trained employees.

Program for Inclusion of People with Special Needs
Aimed at qualifying and giving equality conditions to people with special needs in the Company’s selection process, creating a culture of respect and incentive to diversity. Contax offers people with special needs the course of basic notions of telemarketing after which the participants can apply for existing vacancies.


REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

Performance Management System
Meritocracy is the foundation stone in Contax’s Human Resource policy. All employees, regardless of their level, have clear and defined targets to meet. Transparency of the management model ensures that attaining positions within the hierarchy depends on merit.

As well as a fixed salary and variable remuneration depending on client-determined targets, Contax counts with several benefits and incentives. Recognition awards include days-off, trips for two, CDs, bicycles and TV sets.

Health and Well-being
An employee can only give his or her best to the Company while healthy. For this motive, Contax goes beyond just offering a health plan and adequate working premises. By committing to be part of employees’ lives, Contax shows concern for their well-being in and out of the Company. That is the reason why the health and well-being policy of the Company is being continuously perfected to suit the employees’ needs.

Health plan
The Company understands that health is very important and it is committed to have amongst its benefits quality medical plans. It has searched the market for solid companies with recognized know-how in healthcare management, and continuously monitors the services rendered. At present, three reputable healthcare plans share coverage of Company’s employees.

Program for Orientation and Follow-up of Chronic Diseases
Its target are sufferers of chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma and bronchitis, amongst others, which need follow-up. At no additional cost, the program allows employees to receive suitable guidance concerning their disease and how to deal with it. The participant is attended by a multidisciplinary group which includes nurse, nutritionist and psychologist with personalized advice. This is in parallel and does not affect medical treatment, quite the contrary, it helps in ensuring that the treatment is being followed correctly.

Vida Leve (Light Life) Program
Aims to increase the quality of life of obese people and those interested in controlling their weight through healthy eating habits. It is an educational program and is available in the sites of Rio de Janeiro and Niterói.

Birth Program
Around 70% of Contax’s employees are women and the great majority are aged between 18 and 25 years old. Aimed at this group, the program orients and follows-up mothers-to-be from the beginning of pre-natal care up to 30 days after giving birth. Consultations, courses and distribution of products for the care of the mother and the baby are part of the program, which has succeeded in lowering the incidence of urinary tract infection, hypertension, obesity and other diseases. Due to the quality of pre-natal care, there is also a reduction in the incidence of premature births, which reflects on the improvement in the health levels of the beneficiaries.

Workplace Exercises
Sedentary habits are commonplace in the daily work activities. Focusing in improving conditions for employees, Contax developed a program of Workplace Exercises, with stretching and relaxation sessions which generate positive results such as better posture and circulation, among other benefits. A team motivates and orients groups to practice their exercises in the workplace.

VOLUNTEER ACTIONS

In order to strengthen the bonds between the Company, its employees and the community, Contax supports and encourages volunteer campaigns. All actions are widely divulged over the internet and the Company’s magazine, with the Company participating with financial resources, freeing up of work hours, material resources and logistical support for the delivery of donations. It also organizes events to recognize the best teams.

Since 2003, three campaigns have been periodically organized at Contax. In 2007, 40,000 items of warm clothing were donated to the Warm Clothes Campaign, 11,000 toys for Children’s Day and 100 tons of non-perishable goods for the Contax Solidarity Christmas, in December. The widespread participation and excellent results of these actions reflects alignment between the employees’ solidarity and proactive behavior and the Company’s socially responsible policies.