Thursday, November 13, 2008
The software industry in India is on a roll. Having accomplished the transition from body-shopping to offshore projects reasonably successfully, and with a few start-up product outfits trying to set up a new paradigm for growth, there is every reason to believe that the India’s software industry is firmly set on its tryst with a global destiny. Infosys CEO Narayan Murthy cautioned all the “Bill Gates wannabes” that they should not fall into the trap of following the paradigms of the ‘90s successes like Infosys. Instead, he advised, they should strike a new paradigm for success in the 21st century.
But new paradigm or old, one factor that continues to affect quality, delivery and overall growth of the software industry is the woeful inability of most organizations to retain the professionals that join their firms every day. Almost immediately employees pack their bags for their next assignment, which is more often than not in the land of Uncle Sam. The lament of the industry was sounded by an entrepreneur in a conference who wondered aloud what hope there was for a small unbranded company with no pedigree, no size and just the desire to succeed. How could such companies ever succeed or even survive if their employees deserted them at the slightest opportunity?
Facing the Real Issues
There is more to the manpower problem than really meets the eye. It is very easy to say that it is impossible to retain a youngster whose eyes are set on the big bucks that beckon him from America. But have the CEOs really looked deep into their organizations and checked out the realities of human resource management that are well within their control?
First and foremost of issues facing IT workers is the great American urge. Why on earth would someone with high capability, high ambition (and greed!) want to stick it out in an Indian firm when riches and glory seem within easy reach in America? Also important is lack of motivation. Who wants to work on old legacy stuff or even on an Oracle/PB project when colleagues and classmates send e-mails full of FORTE and CORBA conquests? And then there is the lousy attitude of the project leader to top it off !
IT workers in India also fear poor career prospects. Everybody seems to think that Silicon Valley CEOs are all twenty-something. There is the lure of making it big in the shortest possible time and achieving corporate leadership with all the trappings. Will it ever happen in India?
If the more farsighted Indian firms can find good answers to some or all these issues — as indeed, some already are doing — the task of retaining talent is not as impossible as it looks.
Many top Indian software firms and, to a lesser extent, some of the Bangalore and Pune startups — have attempted to find innovative reasons for professionals to build careers with them, rather than treat their stint as if they were waiting in an extended airline departure lounge.
Beating the
Get-rich-quick Urge
No Indian firm can really face a dollar-converted-to-rupee salary comparison with their American counterparts. But how many HRD departments really help the starry-eyed youngsters understand savings potential and the real value of money? And if the government policymakers oblige, a few more innovative employee stock option schemes can help in perpetuating the wealth theory rather than the crass money-in-hand philosophy that seems to be the key driver for job and country hopping today.
Building Nurturing Environments
It is foolish to justify poor work motivation by saying, “Anyway these guys will leave.” The young professional is still easily wooed by the opportunity to work on leading edge technologies and under charismatic and visionary leadership. Many organizations have used proper performance oriented reward schemes and developmental processes like mentoring, job rotation and ample learning opportunities to make the process of separation a painful thought and encourage young minds to flourish in a supportive work environment.
Providing
Fast-Track Career Routes
Who says there are no fast track opportunities in India? This author is one such person who has benefited by pursuing and finding leadership roles at many career stages. The need for organizational renewal has to be recognized by company owners and CEOs and it is always possible in a high growth organization to provide leadership opportunities for a large number of aspirants, whether through project, country, or business unit management roles, or even as CEOs and COOs of subsidiaries or joint venture companies.
And when all is said and done, there is still the patriotism card. Not everybody wants to fly away forever from their own country. Many would be happy to stay home if the company is good, the technology is contemporary and there is a nurturing work environment for career development. Of course, the pay is important but it is not necessarily the sole reason for attrition. The time has come for all industry planners to develop innovative strategies to attract and retain the best talent. And that is essential if India hopes to take its place among the global software leaders of the next millennium.
