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Over the last decade we have seen tremendous growth in our economy. This phenomenal growth has been
driven by the surge of exports particularly driven by the IT and ITES sector. The case attempts to show
the darker side of this growth and how it has impacted the life of the people involved in it.

With the cut-throat competition the companies in this sector face immense pressures to perform and to cut
costs, even though it impacts the prosperity of their employees, leave alone their career paths.The mode
of operation in the present scenario is far from ethical where employers hunt for professionals in other
companies and lure them by making false promises and showing glimpses of a better job profile and pay
package. This is what happens to Mr. Subir, the central character.Subir is a senior professional working in
the telecom sector. He¶s head-hunted and hired into a company. He¶s is forced to give into unrealistic
demand of quitting his current organization without giving them any notice. Mr. Subir goes ahead with
this unethical behavior and quits the company only to find himself in a humiliating situation where his
experience and dignity is being disregarded. A person of his stature and experience is made to stay
without any work and moreover, the boss, Mr. RKtries to evadeevery attempt by Subir to communicate
his problems and to get help with his stale career. Finally, he loses his cool and decides to quit the job. He
is made to waste 3 crucial months of his career as a telecom expert in an organization that has treated him
with no respect and honour.

It¶s not the fault of the recruiters or the HR or Subir¶s boss alone. This is the typical story of almost
everyone in the industry. The industry works on the model of outsourcing where foreign customers give
contracts to the companies based on capabilities. Such capabilities include the capital, the technology
know-how and a very important part being the number of people in reserve for the project. This reserve is
otherwise known as ³the bench´. The entire cycle from getting a project to the final delivery involves a
lot of deceitful tactics by the companies. They overpromise on their capabilities and capacities and then to
cover that up, they go on a hiring spree. In the hope that they get the projects, they make people allocated
to bench and thus play around with their career growth and development. The employees are treated as
resources and not as dignified human beings. This view of the employees by the management and the HR,
also leads to the company becoming ignorant to their career development needs and even their self-
esteem is neglected.

Such a practice is to be looked into by the entire industry and this model has to change to become more
sensitive towards its employees and its customers as well. Such a change will motivate the employees to
put in their best efforts towards the progress of the company. The industry also has to self-regulate itself
to monitor and prevent talent from being just amassed without putting them to projects. The companies
could also contribute to people¶s career needs by assigning them internal projects when they are not billed
for any client project. Such steps would make the industry mature and stronger and will equip the
companies in handling the Indian phase of IT penetration in a much better way.