Donkey in Horse's Skin

The sum total of intelligence on the planet is a constant and the population is increasing.

This is true not only of intelligence but also of character, of decency, of decorum and probably of all other things.

Gone are those days when job seekers had to study voluminous books to sharpen their aptitude, English, go through several rounds of interview, group discussions to land themselves in a good job.

“Good afternoon ma’m. I am calling from IBM. We have an opening for this position. Our compensation is the best in the industry. Would you be interested in attending an interview this Sunday?”

The competition among recruiting companies for resources is so severe that it would not be wrong to call it “hostile poaching for resources”.

Anyone and everyone is being hired. Literally. Choose any of the thousand software companies. Simply walk in. It’s as easy as that. The doors are wide open.

It is needless to say that quality has been compromised.
The population in IT is no longer the CREAM.
There is too much hype about IT. But that’s that. HYPE.

I went to the HR department after joining this company for some paperwork. This HR guy who was responsible for attending to me was reclining in his chair, talking on his cell phone. I stood right in front of him trying to get his attention. He looked at me casually and then turned to resume his conversation as if he was in Lalbagh at leisure. I did not understand what he was talking since he was speaking in Telugu. But I deduced that it was nothing more than a casual chit chat with a family member or a friend because of the way he was giggling every now and then. Once in a while he would guffaw loudly not caring a shit about his surroundings. By this time a few more people had gathered with papers in their hands waiting for this guy.
I don’t care about the fact that he was conspicuously engaging in personal work during office hours. But how could he be so rude, so indifferent to people waiting in line just to get his signature? While hiring this guy did they not train him on the basics of manners and etiquette?

Every time I go to the finance department, this woman is busy working with some excel sheet. I can understand. Invariably I have to wait for 10 minutes for my turn. I don’t mind. But what the hell is stopping her from offering me a seat? Why can’t she excuse herself and tell me how much time it is going to take? Why can’t she turn to me for a second and say “give me 10 minutes please”?

I travel by this air conditioned Volvo bus most of the occupants of which are IT professionals. Fortunately I get a seat after a long wait. But what the hell? This guy standing right over my shoulder is barking loudly into his cell phone in a local language. I hope that he will finish in 2 minutes. It has been half an hour now and he continues his barking. I turn to look at him with an annoyed look on my face hoping he will get the message but in vain. He is shouting into my ears now, discussing the silliest of matters … sambhar that he had this afternoon, a movie he is going to watch this weekend, his aunty who is visiting, an orkut scrap …. I look at him once again. He pauses and barks at me, “you have prablam if I talk?”
I give up.
All mobile vendors should include a copy of “mobile manners” along with user manual and warranty card.

Lunch in office.
The queue is not moving because the tray of Poori’s is empty. At least 20 people are waiting. The guy refills the tray with some poori’s, but not enough for the people standing there, leave alone people who were joining the queue. The guy standing first in the queue quickly grabbed 6 or 7 pooris and left! Couldn’t he have taken just one or two and come later for second helpings?

People standing in corridors and narrow passages with their hands on their hips, elbows protruding out is the most irritating of them all. Every time I pass through one of the corridors, I have to struggle my way through a dozen elbows saying “EXCUSE ME PLEASE”.
This one I am sure is documented somewhere. I clearly remember reading during my school/college days “DO NOT STAND WITH YOUR HANDS ON HIPS IN PASSAGES AND CORRIDORS”. Is common sense really that uncommon?

And then there are other things like people speaking broken English, people speaking in vernacular languages in offices……among other things. American slang in every sentence. The justification is a bloody cliché. “Language is a mere means of communication”. What the @#$%^&*!!

And all these people get away with it scot-free???

Which school did all these people go to? Did they finish college? Which slum did the HR recruit them from?? I grimace at the thought of the generation that will be born out of these people who constitute a vast majority! And having money is going to make it all the more worse.

Driving around in fancy cars, showing off in discotheques, designer clothes, possessing 25 plastic cards in their wallet, swiping them in shopping malls….none of these serve to prove a single point. The eyes of the truly cultured will be fooled by none of these… they can tell the wheat from the chaff…….just a single glance.

It’s time IT heads set aside a fat portion of their budget for educating their employees on the BASICS. Its high time someone put substance into the empty bottles with colourful labels.

Disclaimer : I am not perfect. I am not saying that I am perfect, but I know I am much better than at least half the people around. And when someone holds a mirror to my imperfections, I register them in my mind and consciously or unconsciously improve over time.