There’s an old adage that goes something like “It’s better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool rather than open it and remove all doubt.” By Mark Twain. That reminds me of an article I read in Rediff the other day (read it here), which had a CEO of an Indian IT firm, HCL Technologies saying that American Tech grads are pretty much unemployable! Yup…He said that when he was in the US, in the vicinity of 50 journalists (how come he didn’t have any shoes thrown at him??). Now, I’m really not sure how many of us would indeed support his claim but I for one, DO NOT! For me, it’s a plain matter of biting the hand that feeds you and an inferiority complex.
He claimed that the American Engineering graduates were way inferior to their Indian counterparts insofar that they wouldn’t work for a pittance, are in a hurry to get rich and above all wouldn’t take up boring and often laborious process oriented aspects of IT that Indian IT engineers spend their every waking hour doing. He went on to say that the Americans are way too expensive to train (to do this boring stuff, I assume) and in his own words ‘whereas Indian graduates are generally well-versed and highly trained in real-life applications, thanks to vocational training programmes and other opportunities for hands-on experience’. Coming to think of the last part, I wonder what he means by all that high tech wordings. Does he mean our abilities to reach offices negotiating the cut throat traffic which would now be worsened by Nano?
I remember that we had multiple articles on the Indian education system, in which we discussed ways to improve the education system that creates engineers who are anything but ‘highly trained in real-life applications, thanks to vocational training programmes and other opportunities for hands-on experience’. Indian engineers, as discussed earlier, are grossly incapable of doing anything more than repeated mundane non critical tasks, thanks to the ‘process orientation’ of our education system. Again, we have plenty of exceptions here- the pass outs from the Ivy League institutions forming the majority in this category.
Most Indian IT outsourcing firm have no takers from institutes like IITs or IIMs or US tech grads for the same reason that the job is plain boring! If his definition of unemployable has to be considered, we find that most of the grads from IITs and IIMs fit the bill as they don’t want to spend the rest of their lives doing a copy paste job that is completely devoid of any intellectual involvement. Another thing this highly educated XLRI Jamshedpur pass out discounted was the fact that IT outsourcing companies SERVE American high tech companies like CISCO or Microsoft that thrive primarily on creativity and inventing the ‘next big thing’. Beyond reasonable doubt, such companies recruit American grads and other students including those from American universities and IIT/IIM grads, who are highly capable of such job functions. Or simply put, they hire who are capable of THINKING!
This also shows the inferiority complex of Indian IT firms which fail to attract any plum talent. Just because they fail to attract the finest talent doesn’t mean that the whole lot is unemployable! But what really continues to amaze me is the fact that Indians still pride themselves over a system where they’re treated like daily wage labourers (they’re billed on the number of hours of effort they put!) and end up doing tasks that Americans despise. I don’t speak for the Americans or defend them but was this really a wise comment to make? Take another hard look guys, where are our guidance systems?
P.S: Do go through the comments in the Rediff article, if you can find some time to spare! A friend of mine wonders if he had ever seen an iPhone, a classic product of the very creativity, innovation and the search for ‘the next big thing’ he despises!
I have to disagree with you, because we do have great number of skilled employees. And many of them are working in US at Microsoft, Google, NASA etc. There is nothing wrong with Indian companies, only thing is that, they cant afford highly skilled employees. Thats why most of the US based companies are moving their R&D’s to India. This includes Microsoft, GE, CISCO etc.
Comment by Tony Jose — June 27, 2009 @ 6:30 am
Indian firms make money because we have this cheap labour .Thats the only advantage indian IT sevice companies have.And their sole aim is to make money exploiting this advantages as long as possible.So in this perspective no wonder Nayyar found American Tech Grads unemoployable.(They are expensive).
Its not like Americans are too intelligent and they refuse to do the work indians do..if that is the case why they are and making so much fuzz about
outsourcing and job loss due to out sourcing? Due to difference in cost of living and life style Americans cant do this work at the same pay indains are doing.So they loose. (their jobs to us indians..).
And about cutting edge research done in American companies and lack of research here in India..i believe its not happening here because our market is not ready for it.I mean there is no demand in our industry for this high end research.But it will happen with in next twenty years and thats for sure.
We will get richer,our raods,scools,hospitals,colleges and life will improve
and then we no more will have to do this low end outsourcing work.But it has its importance because this is the industry which gave us global exposure for the first time.All those H-1 B visa holders who went and came back from US not only bring money but also expertise.(At least in dealing with American clients).So if we see the big picture IT happened for good.
@Ashwin
I guess You are more frustrated about the lack of opportunities here than
HCL CEO’s comment[:)]
Comment by Dhanesh — June 27, 2009 @ 3:57 pm
@Tony:
Thee’re two angles to this. One is about the expense of the labor and the second is the willingness of the workforce. And I dunno if how many Americans would indeed be willing to take up such stuff for a pittance. But then again, how many American grads would indeed flock to outsourcing? Indians make for the second most intelligent people in the world (right next to the jews). That should be reason enough why so many of us do out-of-this-world things be it in NASA or guiding the co founders of Google!. I was just wondering as to why such a talented population has to work in such an industry that is totally devoid of any intellectual engagement. I totally agree on ur point reg shifting R&D to India but it should also serve to remind you of the fact that these parent companies run solely due to the American(Tony Fadell of iPod or Pierre Omidyar of eBay) and bright Indian talent. Again, how many IIT guys join outsourcing these days? My point here is that outsourcing DOESN NOT NEED such a bright crowd.
Comment by The Nomad — June 28, 2009 @ 10:10 am
@Dhanesh:
You’re the mind reader pal!!
Jokes apart, interesting response! If only the labor costs are to be considered, yes..they’re way to expensive, but they can’t be classified unemployable staright off the bat for refusing to do boring stuff (remember, our IIT/IIM grads fall almost under the same category as this guy describes unemployable and thats the LAST thing i would DARE call them!).
I’m not really sure about our market not being ready for all this- quite frankly I don’t know!
And yea, interesting, why would they make all the fuss about losing their jobs? Its probably becoz they would grab anything at all when they’re left with no option!
No more comments on this!
Comment by The Nomad — June 28, 2009 @ 8:37 pm
Was passing by your blog. Needless to say that this guy is completely out of his mind. Having been a part of both the Indian and American education systems as a student, I find it completely the opposite. I feel that one of the few things that is probably the best part of America is its education system. Its something that values intellectual contributions and individuality and creativity. This is exactly opposite of the way things are done in India where the standardization and one size fits for all card is played. Clearly this is a case of sour grapes and pointless jingoism fostered by the over-the-top private media without realizing the ground realities. One way India can catch up and over take the US is by realizing the need to improve itself and see whats wrong with it instead of harboring on past glories and jingosim.
Comment by The Saniyan — July 3, 2009 @ 11:19 pm