It has been long I wrote on my blog. Life is full of uncertainty. My dears and nears will be knowing what has happened but I will write about it. Meanwhile I collect all excuses, I would like to share the weird of conversations I had in my life.
By profession, I am a software developer but please don’t mind if I tell you that I found very behavioral problems with IT professionals. Some points made me to write about it. I don’t have any personal problem with any of IT professionals. Please don’t take it personally (I am not worried about it till comments are moderated ;) )
Before few days, I went to meet Amit, one of my friends in my previous organization. As usual, I called him to come downstairs to our favorite “Kittli”. When we were having our tea, Hiren, one of his colleagues, joined us. Now when software developers from different organizations meet, they start pulling legs of current employers. We followed the same tradition. But I did not know what made Hiren so sad, he started crying about working conditions at EC tech, my previous and his current organization.
“How would you retain your employees when you don’t provide good training, food, facility, bus service, The tea provided is pathetic, the elevator is sub-normal. People have to learn on their own and there is not enough documentation on previous work.” Said Hiren.
I and Amit were surprised but agreed to his point. But he did not stop there.
Continuing his philosophy, he added “It took 8 months for me to get a better chair that doesn’t give me a backache. When you work for more than 10 hours and are working after 9 you should be provided free food, free transportation. I remember in my last project I used to work till 11 and nobody cared for my dinner or any snacks. According to medical science one should not remain without eating for more than 5 hours.”
I looked at Amit to make him stop but Amit wanted to listen more, may be Amit was impressed by Hiren’s medical science knowledge.
“Lights would blow off in office and people would have a few hours off. How can you imagine something like that in Software Company? For a company going truly on world scale to find a market, with a classy product it should also provide the same kind of infrastructure, support and work environment to its employees, then only employees will remain in the company.” Hiren was really worried about productivity and market position in global market.
“Employees should be given technical as well as soft skill training, English speaking training to go global. There should be at least one gym or a kind of Exercise/rest room.
When you expect best from the employees, you should have the best incentives and facilities to support. What do you say?” Hiren looked at me and this time my mind was really blown. I wanted to punch him hardly.
I could not keep myself mum as I appreciated the way his organization had grown to city’s largest IT firm. I looked at Amit in a manner that I was asking him for his permission. Amit smiled and nodded giving me my freedom of speech.
“I agree with most of all comments. I am not admirer of EC Tech. I hated notice period, commitment period, HR and higher management team, annoyed with few problems of lift. But when you say that you were not provided with a good chair till 8 months, I ask you why you didn’t collect a new chair from conference room or from some other place on your own. But you need a servant for that? Have u gave mailed this complain to your HR? Did anyone stop you eating at any time or place? Why do you be hungry for more than 5 hrs? Do you need HR come to u and serve the plate?” I shouted like anything
“In case of electricity cut, thousands of factories remain shut, why don’t we fear of few hours off. If you really care of wastage of time, don’t waste it when u have electricity dude.”
Amit was so amazed with my comments. He was waiting for his turn to speak. Finally he broke his silence and added “Have you visited gym even a single time when you actually needed it, you do you ask today? Forget about whether company provides you gym facility or not. Do you have care of any kind of exercise like walking, running, cycling? I don’t think you need a gym for that.”
I recalled that Amit does yoga everyday and he does not need gym. Hiren also realized that after having seen Amit’s symmetrical body.
Jay, The Studious Boy, did not comment on Study!! That was a question on my rapport. So I added “We have not studied when we used to pay high fees in college. We did not make our global personality and spent about total learning age in waste. Don’t expect that we will learn by few hour classes now.”
Finally, we ended our arguments with Hiren calling us sycophants. I won’t lie that we did enjoy talking with Hiren but somehow I was not feeling good knowing about such attitude especially for organization I admire. May be Hiren is right at his perception, but battle is not about who’s right.
It is not the infrastructure or facilities which make an employee happy or satisfied; it is our attitude, respect to our work and our honor which really matters. Don’t live in dreams, be realistic.
