The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Techies are beginning to feel the pinch

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Wednesday, Jul 09, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Techies are beginning to feel the pinch

Deepa Kurup

BANGALORE: While the proverbial pink slip is a somewhat acute effect of the IT slowdown, subtle and nondescript trimming exercises, seemingly shoestring budgets and looming uncertainty are greater indicators of the crisis ahead.

Employees feel the pinch at various levels ranging from serious issues such as delayed appraisal cycles to cut in canteen subsidies. Most techies and business process outsourcing employees have resigned themselves to stringent budgeting and vanishing incentives and goodies. However, they are closely watching the market and are apprehensive about the long-term implications on their careers and work portfolios.

Psychological ebbing

While switching companies (and hence the infamous attrition rates) and bargaining for better projects were the high points of this industry, their work lives are now punctuated with uncertainty and even desperation. Beyond the statistical side of the slowdown lies a psychological ebbing of sorts.

While the laying off and increase in workload is more drastic in smaller companies, employees say that large companies and MNC captives are no better. For instance, the appraisal cycles are being delayed. “Unlike previous times we have been denied arrears for the delay period too. The uncertainty in hike and promotions means a setback to our career,” says Raghava, whose company postponed the exercise by three months.

Reports indicate that there has been little or no lateral hiring this year. Salary hikes have dipped by nearly 10 to 15 per cent on an average this year. . Employees also feel that managements are taking advantage of the situation to pull back incentives and spread their employees thin.

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