IT'S OUTPLACEMENT

Technology Firms Are Finding Easy Ways To Fire Staff

 

Mini Joseph Tejaswi | TNN

 

Bangalore: An employer who fires attracts bad reputation, and potential recruits may shy away from the company. So, here is a novel retrenching mechanism concocted by tech/BPO firms to get their unwanted staff out, very smartly and discreetly, sans any heartburn or negative media publicity.
   It’s called ‘out-placement’ (placed out of the organization). See how it works? Deepak Pradhan, a networking professional with a large IT company, got a job offer from an MNC through a headhunter although he was not scouting for a new job. Well, it was a ‘stage-managed’ offer by his own HR head, who had a mandate to cut 8 people from Pradhan’s team. The company has confidently asked its external hiring agency to poach on its own people, strictly without their knowledge.
   Pradhan who moved out to a new firm six months ago along with three of his colleagues said, “Some half a dozen of us got similar job offers. I simply thought it was just coincidental, till recently when the same HR consultant spilled the beans. I did not feel bad as luckily what I landed was a better deal.’’
   “Generally it is scary to be associated with companies that often fire. Also firing stories make media headlines. That’s when companies deploy the very same channel used in hiring to get people out. Such firing is gaining momentum among tech/BPO firms,’’ said G Gautam Charan, an HR professional.
   Outpalcements can happen with or without the knowledge of the employee. In the latter case, the HR team passes on the leads of the employees whom they wish to outplace to an outplacement agency. The agency approaches these candidates directly with job offers.
   This can happen for different reasons. “Cost cutting- or financial crunch-elated staff downsizing, termination of a project or winding up of some business or non-performance of employees who need to be displaced,’’ says Nirupama VG, MD, AdAstra.
   Outplacement diminishes the resentment, hurt and anger as it antagonises noneand also helps employers save their image. “It’s a common practice in theUS, victims of cost cutting, restructuring, mergers and acquisitions andconsolidation all are exposed to outplacement,’’ says Zubin Shroff, MD, Talent Management Group.