IT lay-offs a reality to face
The noose is tightening. The IT industry that first witnessed lay-offs a few years back is now moving into tougher times. Senior techies with up to 20 years of experience are being summarily dismissed. Mass lay-offs are being recorded in various cities this year. Companies appear to be favouring the younger generation, freshers or those with just a few years of experience. What is the real issue? Is the changing dynamics of policies regarding outsourcing putting financial pressure on IT companies so that they can no longer afford to be top heavy? Or is it that the paradigm is shifting so fast in the technology world that senior techies are finding it difficult to keep pace?
T.S. Babu, a techie in Hyderabad, stated that his colleague in Hitech city with over two decades of experience was asked to resign from the job as the company could not accommodate him any longer.
Sundeep Makthala of Telangana Information Technology Association stated that seniors in IT industry have a challenge on their hands.
“Engineers, who are freshers, are agile and sharp and are quick to adapt to emerging technologies in the market. For instance mobile technologies are being constantly upgraded. The present generation techies also have good communication skills, especially in English, thanks to the education foundation they had. This was not the situation 20 years back when techies were more comfortable in their regional language than in English. This definitely gives an added advantage to the newbies,” he explained
The former chairman of National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) B.V.R. Mohan Reddy also stated that experience alone was not a must to sustain in the IT industry. Reinvention of self has become mandatory. Technology has a new update every few days and the workforce whose bread and butter come from this business has to be on the toes, constantly upgrading their tech knowledge.
“Skills are the key to job retention. Techies should upscale themselves with the latest technologies otherwise it would be difficult for companies to continue their services,” he said.