Well you mite be wondering about the context in which "we" has been used in the Title. I would like to keep this open across all the layers (a.k.a hierarchy) that follows in an organization. This seems to be a very common theme these days, for everyone, but I feel who matters the most are those who live with this uncertainty.
Just a mark before proceeding : There are as many opinions and perceptions in this world as the number of brains, and mine (opinion meant) is just one of them. So, do come up with your comments and experiences and share if you have felt the heat too.
It is that time of the evening when I swipe out of my office and say "Thanks" to the almighty, as I know, I have my workplace sound and I will get the salary till date. I know I have to follow my daily schedule tomorrow as well, but somewhere underneath my heart, I have this fear that says "Will tomorrow be the same as today?". Every individual who's involved in this *not withstanding* industry has felt this fright some day or the other.
Regrettably, many have faced this bad music and have tasted the flavor of so-called "pink-slips", which have not only affected them alone, but the complete aura around them. The negativity that pours into the mind and the helplessness that hurts the confidence, shakes up the complete soul.
Not only this, I feel more "dejected" when I see the plights of the people around that mortal. Today you may not be affected by it, but "who knows who's next". I would like to quote here " We all are in a rat race, Even if we win the race now; we still will remain a rat."
I agree that companies are facing a global slowdown, due to enormous reasons, and there are times when they (companies) need to keep a check on the expenditures and cost-saving mechanisms; but the argument is "Is Pink-Slip the only solution?" We all believe that "Make hay (employees referred) when the sun shines", but we all should also know that "There comes a time when the sun sets too.."
Companies have a tendency to hire people for projects that they *for-see* and when those projects do not materialize, the axe falls on the people who were hired to make that a success. There is a need for bench strength, but there is a need for stringent actions that can set up the guidelines for maintaining the bench strength. A company hires a professional when it's fully convinced the professional, and the professional joins an organization with the conviction that this might be another step on the ladder of success.
I have heard that many organizations set the benchmarks of profit so "High" without even considering the market scenarios, and once they are not able to meet those (Please Note: the profits are fine but still less), the we community takes the hitting.
As the title says "Are we a scapegoat!!", I think we are, because the penultimate thing for any working individual would be receiving a *Termination of Services* letter, without being at wrong end. There should be certain guidelines set that will help an organization grow professionally as well as ethically and I wish there will come a time when we all will go home with peace in mind.
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A very well written piece, Karan.
ReplyDeleteI agree, every individual who has to face the blow of layoff, must be in the same dilemma: "Are we a scapegoat!!". I would like to add a few points I have in mind.
We all know the various reasons for IT slowdown and there are many factors contributing towards it in India. Recession in the U.S., drop in the U.S. dollar value against the Indian rupee has terribly affected the service based organizations as the outsourcing pays in dollars. These may have led to the recent layoffs and less hiring here.
All these factors are known to each one of us, but unfortunately, we can just talk about them. We have no where been responsible for them but just because we are employees and we don't have the authority to tackle this situation, we have to swallow the losses. By we, I also mean the ‘we’ category, as Karan pointed out.
The worst impact on an individual who has just been given a pink slip is the challenge to face an interview and get another job for his /her livelihood.
Blame it on the culture, but many companies in India still cannot differentiate between a person who was "laid off" and a person who was "fired." Being laid off does not show a person's incompetence by any means; it just implies a cutback.
This mindset is the culprit which brings depression and mental stress to the individual.
As Karan said, while summing up, it is high time, organization must find a mid way and define such policies through which both the employee and employer are in a win-win situation even in such hardships. Organizations need to understand that it their loss as well. Layoffs actually wind up costing more in the long run. In the long term, a business's initial cost savings can be obliterated by the cost it incurs to ramp back up. In essence, the cost savings only last as long as the company doesn't need to rehire employees, and in most cases, that's not a long period of time. The employer will pay a premium price for attracting valuable replacements, including the cost of recruiting and screening candidates.
They need to analyze and answer now that does it really pay to layoff employees?
At first glance layoffs seem to be an easy fix, but they don't appear to be a strategic initiative that pays off in the long run.
Their analysis on these lines might save the ‘we’ community.