A gag order is coming in within the IT industry in India at least. According to a report in Business Standard, it seems companies like Infosys are like to put in place a policy which will disallow the employees to “leak of confidential company data on open forms like Facebook and Twitter (social networking sites”.
Although the main reason being touted is “Confidential company data”, but really speaking these companies are mad about the employees bad mouthing the company and its policies itself. Which is something that comes out when you read the “fine line”:
This will likely bar employees from venting their ire on colleagues and seniors on a public forum.
Now, coming to think of it – confidential data – internal sales information or other such financial and operational matters is one thing, venting one’s frustration is another. Let’s assume a company cuts the salary of their empoyees or keeps the employees in a bad state on overseas projects. Is that confidential information regarding company policy? Shouldn’t such abuse be public information? There was a time when TCS and other IT companies used to enslave their employees using “bonds”. That was challenged and TCS was defeated in the US. Many things changed for employees.
Let’s face it – Indian IT companies have NO.. repeat NO process core competency that can ensure their cost advantage. Except – ABUSE OF EMPLOYEES. Over the years, if you track their performance and work, anyone will easily realize that the quality of their work has come down appreciably. Whereas earlier they would hire the best of the best – which automatically ensured the quality (no achievement of the hiring company really) – now they are even contemplating on hiring non-science and non-IT graduates for BPO kind of “repetitive” work.
If anyone has worked in the US in, say a big four, one will realizes very quickly that very rarely does one come across an MIT or a Stanford grad. Most of the folks are pretty regular guys – even partners and senior partners. Its about the system in the company that makes ordinary people work using methodologies and processes that are repeatable, which makes them shine.
Ask the top three Indian IT companies, if they have ANY ERP implementation methodology. None have it. Some may be in the process of creating it because their US employees pushed for it. But as far as the Indian higher ups were concerned, they wouldn’t even think that having a consistent implementation methodology was even necessary!
Heck, go inside any of the top 5 Indian IT companies and look for the Full Life Cycle implementations in SAP, Peoplesoft or Oracle. I can BET that in all of them combined you would have NO MORE THAN 30 (5-6 each) for the last 10 years! Even a small boutique company in US can boast of more FLCs in ONE year! So, if this big firms have not done much of value, what the heck have they been upto? 95% (unsubstantiated guess but which may be very close to reality) of the revenues of all these firms comes from maintenance, support and outsourcing of operations. Actual business and IT transformation work – which is at the middle to higher rung of the IT work globally – is very minimal in their portfolio. So, if you are just an “IT Dollar Store”, it is obvious that you would be playing around on just one variable – COST. Value, as a strategic lever, is obviously not relevant to you. Because you are not even playing in that area.
In fact, these IT firms can go to any length to get “easier to bid” low cost work instead of being creative and adding value to companies. One of the most obvious indicator to me was the Infosys made a corporate decision to do work in India just a couple of years back!! Until 2 years back, Infosys did ALMOST NO WORK in India! Why? It wasn’t remunerative! Really?? So, who were servicing the Indian companies? Actually, as stupid as it may sound – probably the IBMs and the Accentures! Because, my guess is, these companies were not ready to do large outsourcing bids (except in case of a few telecom companies). The transformation and ERP implementation work being done at say the Oil and Gas companies etc was being led by the IBMs and the Accentures of the world. Infy, WIPRO and TCS were as usual bidding for the “crumbs” even there.
Its a suicidal spiral – “he is doing for 30p sir, I will do for 25p” .. “Oh, he is doing for 25p? I will do for 20p”.. and so on. That’s called Sales in context of Indian IT. No one stops to say – sir. if he is doing for 30p, I will do for 32p but will offer you this, this and this over and above the normal work and ensure a perfect delivery”. There may be a few examples of Value selling here and there.. but those are few anecdotal examples that the execs of these companies use to deny a larger and overwhelming statistic of self destructive business ethic.
The truth is that these companies basically are nothing more than glorified slavery institutions. Shutting the mouth of their employees is just one more piece to a more totalitarian slavery that is being practised in Indian IT sector.
It is just like Pakistan banning these social networking sites because they violated Islam. Use a “high sounding principle” and then shut everyone up. This move is no different from Talibanization of the IT sector.
I would be very interested in getting more inputs from people working in these companies or who have earlier worked there. Please comment anonymously, but do comment.
Reference Links:
Companies to restrict employees’ social media use
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I wouldn’t say Talibanization but Mechanization– at least as far as Infosys is concerned. I’ve been following this company for the last 7 years. Not just because of my vested interest, but also because I was actively involved in the recruitment process at KIIT. I could sense a difference in ethos and ideology. Not anymore, my hubby would say, since the retirement of Narayanamoorthy. It lacks that personal touch, and the fair-game approach that separated them from the rest of the genre. But they have 1,09,882 people to tackle lately. Can you really blame them? Obviously employee-satisfaction rate has decreased. CRR is more like tallying numbers and not about inter-personal goal achievement. Infy even sacked people during the last recession–something that never happened in the history of the organization before. I can only say, when you are in Rome, do as the Romans do.
The buoyant optimism that marked the IT industry in the late 90s, that gave the process of globalization the much needed thrust and support, is buckling under hackneyed mediocrity and lack of innovation. Let’s face it, IT processes and services are no rocket science. Unless you are a product company, you’re pretty much doing an automation job. So, why would the employees be treated any different from say, auto mechanics?
I do understand things were different earlier. The amount and scope of requirements were different then, perhaps. When my hubby visited Paris in 1999 for a project with Reebok, he had a personal apartment overlooking the Seine river. Reebok payed for his ski training and vacation at Mt. Chamonix in the Alps. Also gave him number of goody bags filled with Reebok products and accessories. My friend, who is with IBM, says that in 2004, IBM sent him to a fully paid vacation at Disneyland. Also paid for his tickets to his home country twice an year. They not just do it anymore but treats their employees rather shabbily these days to the effect that my friend is contemplating on pursuing research than have a career in IBM.
In 2005, within 5 months of our marriage, my hubby’s then client arranged for a fortnight trip for us to Brussels. It was supposed to be for business but in reality it was pretty much a wedding gift to us as my hubby didn’t have much substantial work out there.
In 2009, while we were in Connecticut, a five year long project came to a halt. Not only because of the recession but for other reasons, known and unknown, my hubby’s client shut shop amid indecision and chaos. I was pregnant then and was heavily nauseated. Consequently my hubby’s manager at Infy went out of his way to look for an alternative project in such depressive times so that we could stay and sustain in US.
Recently, Infosys is rewarding its loyal employees with share dividends. So, overall I am a rather contended Infy wife.
Things change. So does perspective. And, grass always looks greener the other side.
I wouldn’t say Talibanization but Mechanization– at least as far as Infosys is concerned. I’ve been following this company for the last 7 years. Not just because of my vested interest, but also because I was actively involved in the recruitment process at KIIT. I could sense a difference in ethos and ideology. Not anymore, my hubby would say, since the retirement of Narayanamoorthy. It lacks that personal touch, and the fair-game approach that separated them from the rest of the genre. But they have 1,09,882 people to tackle lately. Can you really blame them? Obviously employee-satisfaction rate has decreased. CRR is more like tallying numbers and not about inter-personal goal achievement. Infy even sacked people during the last recession–something that never happened in the history of the organization before. I can only say, when you are in Rome, do as the Romans do.
The buoyant optimism that marked the IT industry in the late 90s, that gave the process of globalization the much needed thrust and support, is buckling under hackneyed mediocrity and lack of innovation. Let’s face it, IT processes and services are no rocket science. Unless you are a product company, you’re pretty much doing an automation job. So, why would the employees be treated any different from say, auto mechanics?
I do understand things were different earlier. The amount and scope of requirements were different then, perhaps. When my hubby visited Paris in 1999 for a project with Reebok, he had a personal apartment overlooking the Seine river. Reebok payed for his ski training and vacation at Mt. Chamonix in the Alps. Also gave him number of goody bags filled with Reebok products and accessories. My friend, who is with IBM, says that in 2004, IBM sent him to a fully paid vacation at Disneyland. Also paid for his tickets to his home country twice an year. They not just do it anymore but treats their employees rather shabbily these days to the effect that my friend is contemplating on pursuing research than have a career in IBM.
In 2005, within 5 months of our marriage, my hubby’s then client arranged for a fortnight trip for us to Brussels. It was supposed to be for business but in reality it was pretty much a wedding gift to us as my hubby didn’t have much substantial work out there.
In 2009, while we were in Connecticut, a five year long project came to a halt. Not only because of the recession but for other reasons, known and unknown, my hubby’s client shut shop amid indecision and chaos. I was pregnant then and was heavily nauseated. Consequently my hubby’s manager at Infy went out of his way to look for an alternative project in such depressive times so that we could stay and sustain in US.
Recently, Infosys is rewarding its loyal employees with share dividends. So, overall I am a rather contended Infy wife.
Things change. So does perspective. And, grass always looks greener the other side.
Even during the Nazi times , few of the millions like SS and the families were having gr8 time. But it doesnt justify the atrocities.
This is typical mentality of the selfish few ,which is trying to justify and let the world still follow master-slave.
Even when they were introducing unfair policies which was affecting every1 , the PR dept of infosys was doing gr8 job for publishing that as two promotions in a year even during recession times.
And now for the peanut shares for the pressure they published as Infy being a generous company with too much concern for their employees.
If countable few in 1 lakh no had few good managers , it doesnt nullify the 90% cold-hearted managers who say “why do u want to have your child born in US, better pack to India and let ur kid be born as Indians and u dnt have to pay NRI fees” while they would have applied for GC in EB1 catergoy without even having any basic eligibility.
You dont have those company sponsored vacation every 2 years and u have to pay from ur pocket for ur lease breakage minus the namesake amt from infy for their project scrap.
But still the same the few in a lakh bootlickers get free vacation every year and unlimited moving charges and no limit baggage charges and full lease breakage sponsored by company.
And this company proclaims itself as fair company which beleives in values and ethics. Same on them and same on some who still try to justify their actions quoting size as reason.
Check these blogs
http://www.adityanaik.com/info…
http://proudprasad.blogspot.co…
Even during the Nazi times , few of the millions like SS and the families were having gr8 time. But it doesnt justify the atrocities.
This is typical mentality of the selfish few ,which is trying to justify and let the world still follow master-slave.
Even when they were introducing unfair policies which was affecting every1 , the PR dept of infosys was doing gr8 job for publishing that as two promotions in a year even during recession times.
And now for the peanut shares for the pressure they published as Infy being a generous company with too much concern for their employees.
If countable few in 1 lakh no had few good managers , it doesnt nullify the 90% cold-hearted managers who say “why do u want to have your child born in US, better pack to India and let ur kid be born as Indians and u dnt have to pay NRI fees” while they would have applied for GC in EB1 catergoy without even having any basic eligibility.
You dont have those company sponsored vacation every 2 years and u have to pay from ur pocket for ur lease breakage minus the namesake amt from infy for their project scrap.
But still the same the few in a lakh bootlickers get free vacation every year and unlimited moving charges and no limit baggage charges and full lease breakage sponsored by company.
And this company proclaims itself as fair company which beleives in values and ethics. Same on them and same on some who still try to justify their actions quoting size as reason.
Check these blogs
http://www.adityanaik.com/infosys-powered-by-intellect-driven-by-what/
http://proudprasad.blogspot.com/2010/07/dog-eat-dog-or-survival-of-fittest-my.html
Dear Anonymous
I hear you. Things are indeed not as hunky dory as they used to be.No paid vacations by the clients now. I don’t think there were any promotions or salary hikes during the recession year. But I just want to make 3 basic points related to the original article:
1. When you are working for a corporation, you would want to have some kind of affiliation for the people who are paying for your work. What would you have been doing, if you did not have this job? Have you ever thought about it? Does this job not pay for your all-encompassing lifestyle adding to your statusque? If you have a better option, move on…
2. When you are part of a corporate culture, you belong to an administrative system, you would want to hinder your emotive displays and act more rationally, in congruence with the civilized society. If you bitch about your family on Face Book, My Space etc, your family members might have a problem. Is it so bizarre? Your work place is not even your family, nothing close to it, then why do you want to get so personal? Does it not portray you as a very vulnerable, unprofessional person?
3. What does all your rambling tantamount to? If this organization xyz offers a 30% salary hike to your friend, he wouldn’t think twice about the negative corporate culture of xyz that you so advertised.
All said, I would like to mention that I am all for a healthy discussion on betterment of certain corporate. But one should also realize that its nothing beyond a give-take, supply-demand relationship. You should think in terms of mutual benefit. Not mutual mortification.
Best
Somanjana
Dear Anonymous
I hear you. Things are indeed not as hunky dory as they used to be.No paid vacations by the clients now. I don’t think there were any promotions or salary hikes during the recession year. But I just want to make 3 basic points related to the original article:
1. When you are working for a corporation, you would want to have some kind of affiliation for the people who are paying for your work. What would you have been doing, if you did not have this job? Have you ever thought about it? Does this job not pay for your all-encompassing lifestyle adding to your statusque? If you have a better option, move on…
2. When you are part of a corporate culture, you belong to an administrative system, you would want to hinder your emotive displays and act more rationally, in congruence with the civilized society. If you bitch about your family on Face Book, My Space etc, your family members might have a problem. Is it so bizarre? Your work place is not even your family, nothing close to it, then why do you want to get so personal? Does it not portray you as a very vulnerable, unprofessional person?
3. What does all your rambling tantamount to? If this organization xyz offers a 30% salary hike to your friend, he wouldn’t think twice about the negative corporate culture of xyz that you so advertised.
All said, I would like to mention that I am all for a healthy discussion on betterment of certain corporate. But one should also realize that its nothing beyond a give-take, supply-demand relationship. You should think in terms of mutual benefit. Not mutual mortification.
Best
Somanjana
Dear Anonymous
I hear you. Things are indeed not as hunky dory as they used to be.No paid vacations by the clients now. I don’t think there were any promotions or salary hikes during the recession year. But I just want to make 3 basic points related to the original article:
1. When you are working for a corporation, you would want to have some kind of affiliation for the people who are paying for your work. What would you have been doing, if you did not have this job? Have you ever thought about it? Does this job not pay for your all-encompassing lifestyle adding to your statusque? If you have a better option, move on…
2. When you are part of a corporate culture, you belong to an administrative system, you would want to hinder your emotive displays and act more rationally, in congruence with the civilized society. If you bitch about your family on Face Book, My Space etc, your family members might have a problem. Is it so bizarre? Your work place is not even your family, nothing close to it, then why do you want to get so personal? Does it not portray you as a very vulnerable, unprofessional person?
3. What does all your rambling tantamount to? If this organization xyz offers a 30% salary hike to your friend, he wouldn’t think twice about the negative corporate culture of xyz that you so advertised.
All said, I would like to mention that I am all for a healthy discussion on betterment of certain corporate. But one should also realize that its nothing beyond a give-take, supply-demand relationship. You should think in terms of mutual benefit. Not mutual mortification.
Best
Somanjana
You are a homemaker I guess [ I am not trying to underplay that role] and you dunno what is happening in the company and ur vision of Infosys is from ur hubbyz view who is one in a lakh and fortunate few who happened to have few good men as managers.
These are my thoughts
1.If you are talking as if Infy is some sort of Redcross or salvation army dedicating itz life to help unfortunate and needy. If I wasnt employee of Infy what would they do? Go for another employee , I would do the same. And lifestyle or whtever isnt charity from infy , they paid portion of wht they looted from their customer for the work I did.
2.What makes you compare Infy and family. Family doesnt kick u out or stop feeding u when they have little less zeroes in their income. I am juz an employee no to the company and it is just a job. And as an indiviual and independent citizen of independent country and a person with self-respect and morale I have dignity and condemn the company and itz managers treating me as slave and strongly object when it acts as some messenger of god and try to own me.
3. This truly shows the attitude of the oppurtunitists like you who are spoiling the culture. This is attitude of few who juz come to office to fill hours and flatter the immediate boss and get their things done without even deserving it.
You are supposed to be loyal and trustworthy not to ur company but to ur job , when u deliver, u r supposed to do it with responsibility. This isnt applicable only to lifesavers like doctors,firemen etc.,
Personally I didnt want a job in govt office and joined s/w for the very culture and I choose Infy over other options with better pay for ethics , values and peace of mind and to contribute my part to the industry.
And what did I find? People like you who try to make everything a business transaction burying ethics , morale and principles..
I guess definitely who – people like you should refrain from using words like professionalism.
You are a homemaker I guess [ I am not trying to underplay that role] and you dunno what is happening in the company and ur vision of Infosys is from ur hubbyz view who is one in a lakh and fortunate few who happened to have few good men as managers.
These are my thoughts
1.If you are talking as if Infy is some sort of Redcross or salvation army dedicating itz life to help unfortunate and needy. If I wasnt employee of Infy what would they do? Go for another employee , I would do the same. And lifestyle or whtever isnt charity from infy , they paid portion of wht they looted from their customer for the work I did.
2.What makes you compare Infy and family. Family doesnt kick u out or stop feeding u when they have little less zeroes in their income. I am juz an employee no to the company and it is just a job. And as an indiviual and independent citizen of independent country and a person with self-respect and morale I have dignity and condemn the company and itz managers treating me as slave and strongly object when it acts as some messenger of god and try to own me.
3. This truly shows the attitude of the oppurtunitists like you who are spoiling the culture. This is attitude of few who juz come to office to fill hours and flatter the immediate boss and get their things done without even deserving it.
You are supposed to be loyal and trustworthy not to ur company but to ur job , when u deliver, u r supposed to do it with responsibility. This isnt applicable only to lifesavers like doctors,firemen etc.,
Personally I didnt want a job in govt office and joined s/w for the very culture and I choose Infy over other options with better pay for ethics , values and peace of mind and to contribute my part to the industry.
And what did I find? People like you who try to make everything a business transaction burying ethics , morale and principles..
I guess definitely who – people like you should refrain from using words like professionalism.
SCB: I agree with Anonymous for his reasoning and his thinking.
As for your reply here is my take:
Except for one, all examples that you gave are how the CLIENT helped or paid you guys. That’s the rub! Infy or any other Indian company hardly does anything.
I was hired from India in late 90s by a Big four, which was bought by a large IT company and is one of the biggest IT consulting company now.
When I was hired, I came here and got an apartment for a month until I could find one for myself and they took care to ask me if I was doing ok.
Now, that same company doesn’t do that. You know why??? Because our Indian companies – through THREIR ASININE policies have told the other companies that “guys, these folks are Indians.. no need to treat them humanly. Look, we dump them when they come here. You try the same, it will work fine!”
And HECK YES! It worked JUST FINE!!
As for Infy, next time you should ask a person who comes for a short term assignment to overseas.. anything short of 3 months – the EMPLOYEE actually pays from his pocket!! Its economically UNVIABLE!! I know the process and what people get. It’s not as if Infy is a bad egg… ALL the Indian companies are SAME!!
And NO, it wasn’t Murthy who was a God in front of whom all was fine. Murthy, Premji, Kohli etc.. they ALL are of the same lot!! Earning arbitrage from salaries in India vs US is fine.. but all these ass holes created arbitrage from salaries and benefits paid to citizens of a SPECIFIC NATIONALITY in US!!
Do you understand what I am saying. They have demonstrated and institutionalized DISCRIMINATION AGAINST INDIANS!!
And NO, IT companies are NOT into cookie cutter stuff. Consulting is NOT cookie cutter stuff done by mechanics! The outsourcing work – maintenance and support – that the Indian companies are into surely is. But that is because THAT is ALL they can get!! If you pay peanuts then you will have an army of monkeys .. monkeying around.. right?
IBM, Accenture etc.. are NOT into just outsourcing. Their consulting business is BIG!!
I can bet you – take the top 5 companies and add their END to END .. FULL LIFE CYCLE ERP implementations. The sum wont exceed 30!
They are NOT into high end work.
Indian companies are basically Dollar Stores of IT… PERIOD!!
Dear Anonymous
You didn’t read me right. That’s exactly what I said: Your workplace is NOT your family. So there’s no need to judge it with your emotions.
To talk about work culture — I agree that corporations are exploitative. It’s survival of the fittest out there. I hope you’re not too naive to get that yet! Infy is no exception. There are definitely bad managers. There are bad workers too, who spends their time Facebooking and chatting in working hours. Who plays TT, Tennis, swim, don’t do their certifications in time, don’t care about delivery, not empathetic about coworkers, yet fight for CRR-1!
Of course I am a homemaker. Every married woman is!But my views of Infosys are NOT from my husband. I cited him as an example. I’ve been involved in the training and placement processes of an university and worked closely with Infy HR, E n R and ILI divisions. Many of my students are working in Infosys at the moment and am in constant touch with them, discussing issues related to the current scenario. I hope this put things in perspective.
Desh-
The scenario has changed. So no point blaming the client or the parent company. Face it, Indian IT workers come with a tag: CHEAP. Obviously they get treated that way. You got it, right. Mere outsourcing work wont gain respect. Indian IT companies will have to think beyond the obvious in the coming years. India, as a nation, has to contemplate on tackling this jobless GDP surge. One has to focus on manufaturing, research and innovativeness. Here’s hoping better days for Indian IT industry…
SCB – Indian workers come cheap because they have been MADE to come cheap by our own companies. No other people come so cheap. Not Brazilian (by their companies) or other Latin American ones.
We are forced to live the colonial nightmare vs others – specially the Europeans because our own people did not have any guts and had a slave mentality!!
I guess I made my stand clear that I have right to condemn the actions of the company and lowlife managers to treat a self-respecting individual as a slave when u live on their blood and sweat and when u urself r an salaried person or a public limited company. I couldnt understand when u say dont judge it with your emotions. When it affects my personal life and my capability and my career and my growth , how doesnt emotions come into play?
I can easily jump from one company to another. But it doesnt make me any different and fighting with the system by staying in the system also doesnt make any sense. And I had read before “many people leave the managers and not the companies”. Now the new HR power and play in infy has changed the statement. All new policies are kicking the very breadwinners. You should always work on solving the issues and not the whistleblowers.
And I wouldnt call the lifestyle and fight in IT as “survival of the fittest”. It is dog-eat-dog as stated in this blog I quoted before.
http://proudprasad.blogspot.co…
I guess I made my stand clear that I have right to condemn the actions of the company and lowlife managers to treat a self-respecting individual as a slave when u live on their blood and sweat and when u urself r an salaried person or a public limited company. I couldnt understand when u say dont judge it with your emotions. When it affects my personal life and my capability and my career and my growth , how doesnt emotions come into play?
I can easily jump from one company to another. But it doesnt make me any different and fighting with the system by staying in the system also doesnt make any sense. And I had read before “many people leave the managers and not the companies”. Now the new HR power and play in infy has changed the statement. All new policies are kicking the very breadwinners. You should always work on solving the issues and not the whistleblowers.
And I wouldnt call the lifestyle and fight in IT as “survival of the fittest”. It is dog-eat-dog as stated in this blog I quoted before.
http://proudprasad.blogspot.co…
You are a homemaker I guess [ I am not trying to underplay that role] and you dunno what is happening in the company and ur vision of Infosys is from ur hubbyz view who is one in a lakh and fortunate few who happened to have few good men as managers.
These are my thoughts
1.If you are talking as if Infy is some sort of Redcross or salvation army dedicating itz life to help unfortunate and needy. If I wasnt employee of Infy what would they do? Go for another employee , I would do the same. And lifestyle or whtever isnt charity from infy , they paid portion of wht they looted from their customer for the work I did.
2.What makes you compare Infy and family. Family doesnt kick u out or stop feeding u when they have little less zeroes in their income. I am juz an employee no to the company and it is just a job. And as an indiviual and independent citizen of independent country and a person with self-respect and morale I have dignity and condemn the company and itz managers treating me as slave and strongly object when it acts as some messenger of god and try to own me.
3. This truly shows the attitude of the oppurtunitists like you who are spoiling the culture. This is attitude of few who juz come to office to fill hours and flatter the immediate boss and get their things done without even deserving it.
You are supposed to be loyal and trustworthy not to ur company but to ur job , when u deliver, u r supposed to do it with responsibility. This isnt applicable only to lifesavers like doctors,firemen etc.,
Personally I didnt want a job in govt office and joined s/w for the very culture and I choose Infy over other options with better pay for ethics , values and peace of mind and to contribute my part to the industry.
And what did I find? People like you who try to make everything a business transaction burying ethics , morale and principles..
I guess definitely who – people like you should refrain from using words like professionalism.
Desh–
I agree. Historically Indians have been doing clerical jobs and following orders. First from the Muslim imperialists, then from the Brits.
As for the IT industry, I think initially it brought India into the global paradigm. Got a lot of people- mediocre and stalwarts jobs and opportunities. Ran a lot of middleclass households. But it’s time to have a new vision.
It’s time Indians come out of the slave mentality and get into some original thinking.
SCB: I agree with Anonymous for his reasoning and his thinking.
As for your reply here is my take:
Except for one, all examples that you gave are how the CLIENT helped or paid you guys. That’s the rub! Infy or any other Indian company hardly does anything.
I was hired from India in late 90s by a Big four, which was bought by a large IT company and is one of the biggest IT consulting company now.
When I was hired, I came here and got an apartment for a month until I could find one for myself and they took care to ask me if I was doing ok.
Now, that same company doesn’t do that. You know why??? Because our Indian companies – through THREIR ASININE policies have told the other companies that “guys, these folks are Indians.. no need to treat them humanly. Look, we dump them when they come here. You try the same, it will work fine!”
And HECK YES! It worked JUST FINE!!
As for Infy, next time you should ask a person who comes for a short term assignment to overseas.. anything short of 3 months – the EMPLOYEE actually pays from his pocket!! Its economically UNVIABLE!! I know the process and what people get. It’s not as if Infy is a bad egg… ALL the Indian companies are SAME!!
And NO, it wasn’t Murthy who was a God in front of whom all was fine. Murthy, Premji, Kohli etc.. they ALL are of the same lot!! Earning arbitrage from salaries in India vs US is fine.. but all these ass holes created arbitrage from salaries and benefits paid to citizens of a SPECIFIC NATIONALITY in US!!
Do you understand what I am saying. They have demonstrated and institutionalized DISCRIMINATION AGAINST INDIANS!!
And NO, IT companies are NOT into cookie cutter stuff. Consulting is NOT cookie cutter stuff done by mechanics! The outsourcing work – maintenance and support – that the Indian companies are into surely is. But that is because THAT is ALL they can get!! If you pay peanuts then you will have an army of monkeys .. monkeying around.. right?
IBM, Accenture etc.. are NOT into just outsourcing. Their consulting business is BIG!!
I can bet you – take the top 5 companies and add their END to END .. FULL LIFE CYCLE ERP implementations. The sum wont exceed 30!
They are NOT into high end work.
Indian companies are basically Dollar Stores of IT… PERIOD!!
Dear Anonymous
You didn’t read me right. That’s exactly what I said: Your workplace is NOT your family. So there’s no need to judge it with your emotions.
To talk about work culture — I agree that corporations are exploitative. It’s survival of the fittest out there. I hope you’re not too naive to get that yet! Infy is no exception. There are definitely bad managers. There are bad workers too, who spends their time Facebooking and chatting in working hours. Who plays TT, Tennis, swim, don’t do their certifications in time, don’t care about delivery, not empathetic about coworkers, yet fight for CRR-1!
Of course I am a homemaker. Every married woman is!But my views of Infosys are NOT from my husband. I cited him as an example. I’ve been involved in the training and placement processes of an university and worked closely with Infy HR, E n R and ILI divisions. Many of my students are working in Infosys at the moment and am in constant touch with them, discussing issues related to the current scenario. I hope this put things in perspective.
Desh-
The scenario has changed. So no point blaming the client or the parent company. Face it, Indian IT workers come with a tag: CHEAP. Obviously they get treated that way. You got it, right. Mere outsourcing work wont gain respect. Indian IT companies will have to think beyond the obvious in the coming years. India, as a nation, has to contemplate on tackling this jobless GDP surge. One has to focus on manufaturing, research and innovativeness. Here’s hoping better days for Indian IT industry…
SCB – Indian workers come cheap because they have been MADE to come cheap by our own companies. No other people come so cheap. Not Brazilian (by their companies) or other Latin American ones.
We are forced to live the colonial nightmare vs others – specially the Europeans because our own people did not have any guts and had a slave mentality!!