‘Under performer’ tag hits laid-off staffers

It’s doom and gloom for the majority of software professionals left jobless due to layoffs in the IT sector.

These techies are facing an uncertain future with other companies too shunning them.

The companies are claiming that they are downsizing staff based on performance reviews and those who got low rating points are being given pink slips.

This “under performer” tag is hitting them hard when they try to get jobs in other companies. A techie who earlier was working with Cognizant stated that he has been searching for a new job for the last two months, but his efforts went in vain.

“I forwarded my CVs to a few companies. In the IT industry at present, nobody wants to offer jobs to techies, who have been at the receiving end of layoffs in the IT industry. The road ahead looks uncertain,” the techie, who did not wish to reveal his name, said in a worried tone.

Another techie said that retrenchment in the IT sector was usual every year, but this time the numbers are huge, which is why it had become a big talking point.

A large number of employees have lost jobs even in Hyderabad, but not many are coming out into the open due to fear of their careers getting affected, he said.

Meanwhile, G.R.Reddy, founder, Husys Consulting, suggested that techies explore alternative career options now that various companies are downsizing existing staff in view of global challenges.

“It is extremely difficult for experienced techies to get the same kind of position and a decent pay package in a new company at this juncture,” he said. Mr Reddy suggested experienced techies, who worked, for instance, as project managers, can alternatively look for the same positions in the retail industry or education sectors which have good openings.