If you are a coder or tester, on the other hand, these companies are going to be a nightmare to work at. It feels great when you are a rookie just out of college - you are pleasantly surprised by so many "facilities" like gym, library, canteen and even a resting room. But you'll soon realize that all of this means little if your project's work culture dictates that the one who sits late in the office until 11:00 PM is the "hard-working" dude who deserves all the appraisals and promotions.
Your colleagues start looking at you with weird faces as if you'd just committed a crime if you took an hour off to the gym or if you took a few minutes extra for lunch or went to the occasional library visit. So what if you are much better than others at programming or testing? So what if you can finish your task in just 2 hours, tasks that your fellow colleagues sit late hours to finish? Merit doesn't seem to matter at all here.
And why should they even care if you are a genius programmer? India is just so huge and there are a hundred other hungry people waiting to take your position if they decide to let you go. At this point, there is a real glut or over-supply of talent in these companies, there is virtually no difference between a programmer and blue collar worker in manufacturing as far as their dignity or self-respect goes.
From what I gathered based on my chat with many friends who worked in these companies, they often get this foreboding feeling that they are just a drop in the ocean, just another quickly replaceable asset which does the work (which is incidentally the term that HR departments of these companies use to describe their creative people!).
Many a times, these "assets" aren't even doing any real work, the only useful thing they do in a whole day is write a single SQL statement or Java function. Their supervisors and project-managers deliberately don't let them in on the inner workings of the projects, either to halt their appraisals or to simply screw them. If they protest too much, they are directed towards the HR dept. which then assigns them to another crappy project or to the bench (which is a very bad position to be in).
If crony capitalism has a dark and dismal face of cruelty and apathy in the 21st century, then its highly visible in the Indian IT companies. These companies are very much in need of a refreshing dose of socialism to cure the problems of their creative people. The HR depts. need to sit and discuss this problem with their employees, especially the ones in the lower rung.
36 comments:
You want people to deliberately comment on this. Sure if your friends feel they are a cut above the rest, then what have they been doing to fix it? If they dont like it, they should change their place of work.
Surviving in a workplace is often more than the code you write. In any other industry too. Sure some firms/projects/managers are worse than others, but overall this is not even an IT industry specific issue.
Case in point, in many T-group companies, even in service industries, the toilets for staff are different from the managers.
In customer facing sales jobs, cussing on your subordinates is not a new phenomenon.
Time has come for major change only talent will be left
You nailed truth...
Then which company gonna work with your creativity?
True
But which comapny said they need innovative people.
These all company need labour
well articulated the current situation/reality in software industry. Making people dumb workers. It is setback for india in progressing on innovations. And enforcing people to stay in office for 9.5 mandatory hours where in western countries 8 hours
Please include Capgemini to the list. If you want to know how they treat people and are caste biased work with them and see it's a sure short hell. As new joinee you have to serve coffee for the seniors, spend loads of money on treating them and meeting their demands. The hrs openly agree on this point and call it the culture. They blame you for nothing and Chuck you out of the company and after 10 days send an absconding alert. It's hell. Work and see you'll really feel at hell
Folks, nobody stopped you from innovating. If you go back few decades similar comments from new joiners in companies internal group platforms. So, what you said is nothing different. Atleast in olden days they code few lines and complain like this, millenials act like they moved a mountain and crib. There are enough open source tools available for geeks like you to explore and excel.
I tend to disagree with this. I come from a mid tier IT company and part of this so called "supervisor", "management" team. Our creative people "coders" and "testers" often don't realize that this so called "supervisors" work on SOWs, RFPs, Proposals, new fulfillments, handle client escalations, do delivery management, do people management, ensure to given required margin on each resourcing. Most importantly they keep these so called creative people "coders" and "testers" away from a lot of shit of Operations which is part of Service Delivery. I know some managers dont any work and just delegate but a bunch of them actually manage a lot of shit behind the scene which these "assets" don't realize. Guys, grass is always green at other side. Culture of IT should improve but it shouldn't be concluded that supervisors and managers have a happier life. Their lives are more screwed
Really feeling very bad i am also in the same sutiation right now
Get the f out, that's what I did.
Very bad IT company work culture....
I experienced these things in my life while working
It's totally hypocritical to make an obvious statement like this. All these companies are basically labor contractors. Period. If someone thinks he or she is special, they can build their own products. It's so much easier to do that these days. Why expect so much from employers. If you are really good you don't need these labor contractor companies. The bitter truth is, these folks sold their intellectual ambitions to the lure of material bliss and foreign travel. Come on, India has so many problems waiting to be solved. Start your side project. Start learning again.
Agreed, I would say in different way.. it's not specific to IT companies but Indian mentality.
Doesn't matter how much talent you have in technical side, it lasts in 5 years then need to switch and go for management. There is no value who can actually do innovative work but only value if you can get work from others. I.e. high salary, respect etc.
Many excellent engineer forgot their technical excellence after 10 years because they became busy in management politics.
Europe or US doesn't have same kind of culture.
This is true picture of most of the IT companies except few..Some of the Manager's,Leaders misusing their power for short term gain.. Industry leaders / HR need to rethink their strategy to cope with this type of bad workplace culture.
You are just a cry baby. Don't you understand a very basic thing about the IT services industry. It works on tight margins. What they earn isn't a result of pure creativity and talent but of the volume of output they produce for the most optimal input.
If you are a cut above the rest then go work for a more creative firm where innovation, and not production, drives the revenues.
Before making such statements please take a reality check and see the bigger picture. India's IT companies are putting food on millions of tables today. They have given you a chance to start a career.
If you think they are below your pay grade, please switch.
Regarding the work culture, learn to survive. If you want to play then don't crib about the rough state of play. Our colleagues are not aliens, they live around us in the same society. Culture is driven by people not by a name tag of Infosys, TCS or Accenture. If you join a community club tomorrow, you'll again have to deal with the same kind of people in the same ugly ways but in a different context and scenario.
Rise above the frustration and if you are really as talented as you think, contribute towards making this industry better.
PS: I'm just a student
You said you chat many friends, but I don't see anything more lucrative in the means of this subject. I am working in one of IT companies for years and I can say if you have qualities and guts to face the challenges, you will be definitely happy.
Well said, but this is a race where you need to come first. If no one recognize your creativity then find an option to show them how much potential are you. Be louder. When you are running in the race and cant win then start running backwards. Everyone will notice you.
Have guts to open their eyes..... Writing a post and abusing organization isn't a good thing.
Bunch of CRAP.... Complain.. Complain... that’s all you guys out there do and I mean YOU man.. the one who wrote this article... Yes, you are getting the desired results (like a Psychology students exercise where he throws a bone and sees who is going to fight for it) I am not a youngster and I have been there and worked with the worst of folks (in my time) Do you know how we beat those "seniors" By having "Cojones" bigger than them and did a better job than them... Never complained.... we were not wimps.. We worked our arses off and worked smarter.. The continued badgering by our seniors made us into what we are today.. we left companies and opened our own places... Look at how we treat our staff now.... WE START WITH COMPASSION.... the rest follows... we too set deadlines... we too push... but our people do not break under pressure... we party together... Juniors and seniors ALSO PUKE AFTER GUZZLING... Come Monday, no one has the time to talk about the Saturday's party.. too busy meeting deadlines....
So cut the bull... Get back to your desk and prove yourself... Stop whining...
BTW, What you have written is in English….. Try ‘talking’ the same in English… Keyboard Ninjas are in plenty.>!!
Wow people in the comments are butthurt.
I guess they would be, when what they hold dear is subject to criticism.
Yes bro this is 100% correct, I am also facing the same issue, and add the partiallity also.
I don't agree. I am working in IT industry since 7 year. Very happy and no complain so far. I believe if you do you work diligent you will get what you deserve and what you want. I frequently observed new comers want everything quick. They don't want to wait. They will start blessing everybody if any peer is growing.
I advice new people to try adopting your orgaorganization culture, think positive.
Problem is we are huge population and opportunity are less. Try to make yourself improved every day. One day you will also get what you want.
This found due to the anundance labour, labour is cheap in India. Graduate engineers available in very low cost.
People at senior level Never want a change. They always stick with old technology and process.
Coders or tester always try to bring something new to the table but they get denied mostly due to management.
Hehe.. HR??! Don't know why such posts exists in Indian companies.. They are allowed to just recruit and fire people.. In most situations they are just goons to managers..
You can't judge any work culture. Every company had their own pros and cons.
Well innovation is big word u need super creative engineer from cross platform domain experience to solve problems of society yes money will come but u have to wait and passionate about your work u do it just like artist . Money doesn't matter when u are super creative and enjoy your work in your own labs .yes u have to earn At least your bread and butter but that's min requirements u can easily qualify . Rest is your time u can use in your own way .forget about girlfriend and family as that sucks your time. Then at last who the hell have such commitment for such work ?? Called creativity and innovation!!!
I have heard many incidents from my friends about tech mahindra. Its a manager driven company , HR policies are just on papers. If manager feels you are not skilled even though he is a non tech manager , you will have to find other company.
India has become a hell for those who really want to have a peaceful life.
I really like the mindset of the IITians who graduates and go towards the foreign countries to work and eventually ends up settling there.
This is the best option we have.
Nothing stays forever. Forget enjoy. Life is short.
Culture is to kill creativity and encourage sychophancy. There are people with superficial knowledge who are furthering this sick culture culture in the name of people management....
The writer seems to be very optimistic. That's why he only mentioned project managers. The rot is very deep. Today politics, nepotism, favouritism dominates Indian IT. Managed by people who don't have an iota of brain and technical knowledge. Yet they are managing a knowledge based industry!!!! These managers are there by virtue of everything other than work a capability and are promoted by their bosses who are even bigger idiots running the industry like a potato chips company. All these will lead to a servere downfall in the IT industry in the very near future ads the changes that are taking place well not be handled by these idiots.
I completely agree. There are many people who have manipulated their way to senior roles like CISO and all, crammed the sybex book to clear CISSP, and have never delivered an ounce of business value, and always busy in flattering their boss. They will always keep saying that our role is to show direction and technical people are expected to work on floor. This Dalda and chips company culture is here to stay. These idiots think without technical knowledge they can give direction to a knowledge industry.
That's so true for Indian tech giants. The work culture of these companies, so called flexible,is not even better than my toilet sheet. They suck at assosiate manangment.
I see a pain & grief in the post.. without tickling my intellect, I would wish to say - I respect your feelings but.. plz either change your workplace or change your work. Work for startups that pay well...
Work as a freelancer if you are that talented.... And publish your codeful articles which we would follow...
But my friend seeing one part of the ocean doesn't make you the best captain.
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