Log has written
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2010

Bangalore: With companies keen on maximum utilisation of employees and low tolerance to poor performance in the backdrop of global economic turmoil, nearly 2,100 employees in software firm Infosys have faced the axe.

“Some of these employees have been asked to go while some have left on their own,” V Balakrishnan, CFO of the city-headquartered Nasdaq-listed company, told PTI today.

Prior to asking the employees to leave, they were put on a performance improvement course and those who showed no improvement were asked to leave while some others quit, he said.

“Tolerance to poor performance is very low given the current economic scenario,” said Infosys CEO Kris Gopalakrishnan.

Usually, the employees who showed poor performance were given some more time to improve themselves, but this time there had been no such consideration, he said.

Both the officials said the sacking was part of the annual routine, which usually formed 5% of the total number of employees but this time it was much lower.

Some of the employees had been “outplaced”, Kris said, which refers to the firm hiring the services of placement agencies to help the employees to get placements in other firms.

Infosys has a workforce of 1,05,000, including trainees.

Tags - Find More Articles On:
READ MORE ARTICLES BY:
 
Srinivas Said:


The fact being the Indian Companies like Infosys and Wipro are losing to the likes of IBM and accenture in their own game of outsourcing. The prime culprits for this are the senior leadership team for there strategy and influence over customers. Hence aren't they not the real poor performers. Are the senior managment in these companies being served with performance notice and being layed off too.

Posted On 4/11/2009 5:51:57 PM
Alpha Said:


Is it possible that after such scrutiny and selection people like these can underperform? Or is it another Satyam in the making wherin you try to play around with the careers of "at least" 2100 people. The company boasts of "powered by intellect and driven by values" and so many times being the best employer of the country. Was that also cooked with a "Valued" nexus with the media. The company which said that its employee commitment is such that it keeps so much cash reserves so that even if it has no business for 1 year it would be able to sustain without any layoffs. Where were these under performers when the company and the economy was doing well. That time the company needed men to bill no matter what their degree was or their intellect which again makes me ask the question was it so dificult to get into infy. Was it a mask that the company wore or is it a new paradigm of fakeness. The thing which is most disturbing was the said company laid oaths on middle class values on forums across the Globe. Where in middle class family a brother is told to leave their boat and dive in turbulent weather because he can't "row" or so called under perform. No matter how hard we try one cannot quantify Logic. One cannot say Newtons logic was better than Einstien. So if you cannot quantify then you cannot rate anyone. Or to say you cannot club into top and bottom performer. Logic is not a piece rate system where you say if the target is 100 and you make 90 you are a poor performer. Similar is the case in software industry. It's the logic that comes out in code and depending upon the size, billing constraint, entry time in project etc a person is made to contribute and then rated by his superiors whose judgement again is questionable.

Posted On 4/11/2009 10:38:23 PM
Re: Rajesh Said:


I would say irrational exuberance is the key to the current hiring & firing or boom & bust cycle. Sometimes CEOs and managemnent needs to question whether irrational demand of 2006 , 2007 is it sustainable, which is responsible for increase in capacities and headcount . In bust cycle companies will fire people to maintain the bottom line and deliver value to share holders. They key question is can we stop irrational exuberance ....example demand will always grow , house price will always go up , companies will always deliver X % of revenue growth .... which defies the basic law of economics. As India is getting more integrated with the global economy hiring and firing cycle is there to remain.

Posted On 4/14/2009 3:38:47 PM