Jobs galore – But where are the people?

All the time we hear about unemployment running into lacs and people not getting work etc. etc. but when we have work and need people, it’s hard to find people to work, there is a huge demand supply gap. All the people seem to be only after jobs, not work.

One of my friends, who has his own firm, is looking for some guys for quite some time. He is simply pressed, overworked and desperately need people even above the few he has. He often has to refuse work/ assignments for want of people. Myself and a few other friends try to send anyone who seem suitable to him, consider it a social work for both the parties. A few days ago, I referred a guy who said he is looking for a job, have him his no. and advised to go meet my friend after an appointment. The guy called up after 3 days, asked to meet my friend, dithered on which day he will come and said OK, I will come at 6/7 in the evening. My friend said “6 or 7 ? I hate that people will wait for me and expect to get the same treatment from others”. The guy said “OK, Sir, 6.30”. My friend was waiting, even postponing a meeting with a client, on the appointed time. The guy called up at 7.50 to say sorry and that he had some trouble and could not come, can he come on the next day ? My friend was furious but said nothing and said ok. Next afternoon a client called up my friend for an urgent meeting in the evening. He called this guy and asked if he could come at any other time. The guy said Sir, I am already working somewhere and they are giving me 12K, how much you are going to give ? My friend was flabbergasted. He said “I can give you double, even triple of that. But do you deserve that ? I have to know that first. If you are interested to talk to me, pl. come tomorrow at that time”. The guy never came.

Another girl, sitting at home, giving CA final exams with article-ship over a year ago, sent me her CV thro’ an ex-student of mine who still keeps in touch. I spoke to her and thought she is quite suitable for my friend and it will be very beneficial for her. I gave her his number and asked to get in touch, alerting my friend. She could not call up in the last 8 days. Seems busy in looking for a job. She was asking me in the beginning how much she will be paid, I said I have no idea, why don’t you go for an interview?

Sounds familiar ? The stories sometimes get dangerously similar and aligned to the stories of getting proper and good domestic maids, who also are getting scarce day by day and show the same kind of attitude problems, partly due to pure poverty in this case though. In my training on Interview techniques, I teach them all kind of strategy and tactics about how to put their best foot forward, project the best image and fit possible and push any salary negotiation till the end so that they can play on a solid ground at that point and extract the maximum juice. I have seen this strategy getting immensely successful most of the time. At a pure mind-game that is an interview, finding that balance is important as otherwise you are ought to sell yourself cheap or ask for too much and be unable to prove your value. But the issue at hand is much bigger and bleaker than the money part alone. It is a problem emanating from self-knowledge and looking everything in a price angle rather than the value. In a class in IISWBM, in a different context, the discussion veered toward this. They were complaining that even bad companies are being brought in who are offering laughably low salaries. I expressed surprise that why they are coming to IISWBM, not going rather to all the other Mgt Institutes where many students would love to get a job of 8000/-. One too smart guy from behind taunted "Dollars Sir?". I kept my cool and asked if he did think $8000 is something fantastic. I said to my little knowledge about US which I have visited a few times, it's not much and too many people get it. The question is that "if you deserve it?"

I am pretty habituated to see the youngsters of today, mainly MBA students but other species are included. I have a good sense of their potential, have every sympathy for the confused state that they usually belong to and have even sacrificed a lot on my personal front in the hope of adding a lot of value to their lives. I do not claim to compare myself, but the concept that Chandragupta would never become an Emperor if not trained by Chanakya. Even the best steel cannot be a samurai sword unless you have a master craftsman at work.

I generally find that the most significant trouble most of them have is in the attitudinal area. They simply do not have the mindset to work, they always look for a “job”, that will pay them very well but will not give much work, and not outside the plush air-conditioned office, of course. The vision to look inwards, the question of “deserving” that my friend raised, is simply missing. They are very good at having fun, being at the facebook, and master at passing the exam with the “Matrix” notes with the question of what they have learned totally missing from the happy picture. They have “bought” the degree, paid so much fees to the Institute (whose quality is something I won’t even comment about) and now it is the liability of the Institute to give them a cushy plush job, with as little work, of course. Except a few, the more I see them, the more hopeless I become.

Even if I have the power to change this, I do hate the idea to force someone to come to me for a lesson, you just can’t teach anyone to live better if he does not want it with a passion. Nobody can change anyone, it’s on them and you can only help, guide, mentor, motivate and inspire, not spoon-feed a reluctant spoilt brat who thinks his father has a lot of money so he can afford to be a monkey and so, why care? Their parents are no less a willing party to this thinking approach and attitude. One of my old students completed his MBA, worked for a bank for a few months, hated the back-breaking work that could also have given him a solid grinding as well, and left the job. He at least got bored after taking rest for half a year and had enough intelligence or contacts to land a nice job. Being the only child of well-to-do parents, his parents did tell him to relax and not get killed. Thanks Papa!!