Beyond Layoff

As a GCC veteran who has spent years navigating the evolving landscape of global capability centers in India, I often come across similar questions from professionals eyeing opportunities in this domain. From how these centers hire to the best ways to get noticed early, there are a few patterns I’ve consistently observed across organizations and industries. How Do GCCs Typically Hire? Most global capability centres use a blend of direct applications through platforms like LinkedIn or their own ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems), consulting firms, and an often-overlooked yet powerful channel — referrals. While formal postings account for a noticeable chunk of hires, the truth is that a large proportion of great roles get filled through internal recommendations. A referral from someone already on the inside can fast-track the process, helping your resume stand out in a sea of applicants before the job is even public. The Role of Recruiters and Job Boards There isn’t a secret or exclusi...

In the fast-evolving tech industry, career transitions are inevitable. Whether you're shifting roles, exploring new industries, or pursuing leadership opportunities, strategic networking is key to unlocking new career possibilities.  In this video clip, Mohan K shares his tips and ideas on networking along with peronal experiences after returning to India after spending 15+ years in America Here’s how tech leaders can effectively navigate job changes through professional networking: Leverage Your Existing Network – Before seeking external connections, tap into your existing professional circle. Former colleagues, mentors, and industry peers can provide valuable insights, referrals, and recommendations.  Build an Authentic Online Presence – Update your LinkedIn profile with recent achievements, leadership contributions, and thought leadership content. Engage in discussions, share insights on emerging trends, and showcase your expertise to attract the right opportunities. ...

You are probably referring to “ layoff of IT professionals in India” that is generating a lot of news. Let us start by looking at the basics. Indian software service companies generally do NOT resort to “layoffs” or shutdown entire business units and retrench people enmasse. By doing so, they will become subject to labor laws and other government regulations. What they do instead is the following: Wait for natural attrition and slow-down hiring - The attrition in Indian IT has been in the 10–15 percent range Instruct individual managers to seek the help of HR to initiate “Performance Improvement plan” for the bottom percentile of people. For a large company like Cognizant, TCS or Wipro, the ‘bottom 5–10 percent” of people will account for 10–20,000 people. Such a large number of people being “nudged out” becomes news; which the Indian media calls it ‘layoff’ A while ago, I blogged about Cloud Computing Architects (link) . Architects working for consulting firms have to sta...

Hiring and firing are a common business practice in the west. The typical American spends about 4.2 years in a job ( link ) and sometimes leaves for better opportunity and at other times may be fired or laid off. The phenomena was glorified by reality TV shows like The Apprentice with Donald Trump’s punchline “You’re Fired”   ! Googled image Even considering the fact that layoffs are a common business practice in the west, the impact of a job loss is hard on individuals. Many psychologists and researchers classify “Job Loss” among the top 5 stressors for people, ranked with the “Death of a loved one,” Divorce, and Major Illness! Let us switch to layoffs in India, more specifically layoffs in Indian IT which is in the news a lot. The news of layoffs come at a time of additional scrutiny on employment-visas in the US, UK, Australia and elsewhere, and a general slowdown in the Indian IT (my earlier response to a question). For those laid off involuntarily,...

Every year, about 400,000 graduates with Engineering and Technology degrees from varying branches/disciplines graduate from universities in India. In addition, hundreds of thousands graduate with other degrees, including computer applications, commerce, science and arts.  In the past years, companies like Infosys, Wipro, TCS and others would go to campuses and hire tens of thousands of Tech graduates and send them through boot-camp like training that focused on programming and software engineering. Googled image Years ago, when I first started my career in IT, my manager – a seasoned veteran – gave me a simple piece of advice that holds true to date. When I went to him for advice for career planning he ended with the old Chinese quote “Give a man a fish and you feed him for the day. Teach him to fish and you feed him for life” Source (beliefnet) In 2017, this hiring has slowed considerably and 2018 may be no different.  If you are a fresh graduate, y...