I really wish there was a neutral unit of account one could use for comparing costs etc.
I like this idea. What do you have in mind?
Lessons from Outsourcing to India, China and the Philippines
21–30 of 121 posts
Re: Lessons from Outsourcing to India, China and the Philippines
#22I really wish there was a neutral unit of account one could use for comparing costs etc.
I like this idea. What do you have in mind?
Not quite sure. Something akin to the Bancor that Keynes suggested back in the day perhaps.
Re: Lessons from Outsourcing to India, China and the Philippines
#23Earlier quoted context omitted.
Well, in some cases people will do it because otherwise their employer may fire them. Living in the US most of us are at will, and don't have that much luxury to give employers the finger.
What's your value to your employer? If you're not willing to stay late to do a cross time zone meeting then I agree that you're worth a bit less to your boss than you otherwise would be. Personally I would rather accept a bit less pay to be rid of a nuisance like a boss who thinks I'll inconvenience myself and my family for stupid shit like adjusting myself to his outsourced labour's schedule. I do stay late when shi…
But, reflexively, why are you putting yourself above the "delicate flower" in India, who, by the way, probably has a hell of a lot worse working conditions than you do? I'm entirely okay with staying late for an overseas call because I recognize that the price I'm paying for staying late is probably less than the price they'd pay for staying late, and I'm more able to pay it. It's a simple matter of not being a wanton asshole towards people I'm supposed to be cooperating with.
Re: Lessons from Outsourcing to India, China and the Philippines
#24Really interesting and well written article. I don't think China will be an outsourcing destination for long. In India your slowly starting to see agencies that aren't merely code factories but places where you can do actual product development. Its early days though.
This is kind of frightening, our wages won't survive a world in which where there's a surplus of talent coming from developing countries.
Re: Lessons from Outsourcing to India, China and the Philippines
#25Earlier quoted context omitted.
Well, in some cases people will do it because otherwise their employer may fire them. Living in the US most of us are at will, and don't have that much luxury to give employers the finger.
What's your value to your employer? If you're not willing to stay late to do a cross time zone meeting then I agree that you're worth a bit less to your boss than you otherwise would be. Personally I would rather accept a bit less pay to be rid of a nuisance like a boss who thinks I'll inconvenience myself and my family for stupid shit like adjusting myself to his outsourced labour's schedule. I do stay late when shi…
> But stay late so some delicate flower off in India can work 9-5? Fuck that.
Um, you realize clifanatic was talking about this "delicate flower" sleeping in their office because of an 10 am CST meeting and not the other way around?
Re: Lessons from Outsourcing to India, China and the Philippines
#26I can't believe he skipped over the real elephant in the offshoring room - the time difference. All of those countries have almost no overlap with any part of the United States. If we schedule an 8 AM CST meeting with India (which is super early for some of the people here), it's already 7 PM at night there, and they're completely exhausted and ready to go home. And that's _if_ you can schedule a meeting far enough i…
Here's a question. You're in the US and your employer has decided to out source some work. Why are you , the American worker, tolerating your employer's request to stay late to talk to their outsourced lackeys? Whenever I've been asked to stay late for a time zone crossing meeting with outsourced employees, I've refused. WE are THEIR customers, not the other way around. They can damn well get up at 3am and WebEx-in i…
Globalization works the other way too. I'm working at a Danish company that offshored Danish jobs to the US. Before that I was at an Australian firm that offshored Aussie jobs to the US. Before that I was at a firm founded by two immigrants. Globalization cuts both ways.
Re: Lessons from Outsourcing to India, China and the Philippines
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
Here's a question. You're in the US and your employer has decided to out source some work. Why are you , the American worker, tolerating your employer's request to stay late to talk to their outsourced lackeys? Whenever I've been asked to stay late for a time zone crossing meeting with outsourced employees, I've refused. WE are THEIR customers, not the other way around. They can damn well get up at 3am and WebEx-in i…
Globalization works the other way too. I'm working at a Danish company that offshored Danish jobs to the US. Before that I was at an Australian firm that offshored Aussie jobs to the US. Before that I was at a firm founded by two immigrants. Globalization cuts both ways.
Of course it does. But in that case you were the US company's customer - they absolutely should bend over backwards to accommodate you.
In most cases bosses are hoping to externalize a cost to their local employees - if their outsourced labour has to wake up early for a call, they'll probably do it happily but then charge him for it. He's happier trying to make his salaried US employees 'stretch' a bit to help him out and make the cost savings work for him.
Re: Lessons from Outsourcing to India, China and the Philippines
#28Earlier quoted context omitted.
What's your value to your employer? If you're not willing to stay late to do a cross time zone meeting then I agree that you're worth a bit less to your boss than you otherwise would be. Personally I would rather accept a bit less pay to be rid of a nuisance like a boss who thinks I'll inconvenience myself and my family for stupid shit like adjusting myself to his outsourced labour's schedule. I do stay late when shi…
> But stay late so some delicate flower off in India can work 9-5? Fuck that. Um, you realize clifanatic was talking about this "delicate flower" sleeping in their office because of an 10 am CST meeting and not the other way around?
Um, yes I do realize that. But think about what his employer is asking of him. Is the wellbeing of these offshore workers his charity? Why should clifanatic EVER be put in the position of saving the offshore workers that his boss hired?
Clifanatic's boss can ask those offshore workers to stay late, and then he can damn well shell out for them to take a taxi home. Maybe he can even let them come in late, given what an amazing savings he's realizing in labour costs.
Re: Lessons from Outsourcing to India, China and the Philippines
#29What is he talking about? Indian with good english skills?? What? Good with computers?? When people will end all those prejudices ???
Re: Lessons from Outsourcing to India, China and the Philippines
#30Really interesting and well written article. I don't think China will be an outsourcing destination for long. In India your slowly starting to see agencies that aren't merely code factories but places where you can do actual product development. Its early days though.
I feel it's mainly the younger generation (born after the 70's) that has embraced globalization and are coming up with quality outsourcing firms.