Techies Sound Off on Offshoring

Techies Sound Off on Offshoring by Allan Hoffman Monster Tech Jobs Expert US technology professionals who were job-hopping and earning hefty bonuses just a few years ago now face an uncertain future, their career prospects roiled by offshoring -- the outsourcing of IT work to companies in India and other nations.

Frustrated by the willingness of US companies to shed workers and ship work overseas, techies are expressing their dissatisfaction in phone calls to industry organizations, emails to legislators and posts to online discussion forums. Some techies say political action is required to blunt the trend's effects, while others say offshoring is irreversible, the result of unbridled capitalism without regard for workers and their communities.

This article is the third installment of a three-part series about offshoring. Is it a threat to IT careers or an opportunity for advancement? Post your comments in the Tech Jobs message board.

Part one, "Are Tech Jobs Headed Offshore?," explores what technology executives think about offshoring and its impact on North American IT projects and staff.

Part two, "If Offshoring, Then What's Next for Techies?" asks tech execs for their perspective on the effect of this trend on tech careers -- and what techies should do to respond.

"There's a lot of complacency and apathy and fear, in terms of what to do," says Marcus Courtney, cofounder and president of WashTech, a union for high tech employees. "We can no longer afford to be complacent."

Two recent Monster articles about offshoring garnered hundreds of messages in Monster's Technology Forum, mostly decrying the trend. With titles such as "Exporting Our Future" and "Shipping High Tech Out," the posts give voice to the anxiety and anger of techies who have lost jobs or seen prospects for advancement recede.

"I think this is a deplorable trend," wrote one Monster member. "It is an attempt to beat down the salaries on nonmanagement jobs to the level of unskilled workers … [so] there will be no reason for workers to expend the effort and expense in obtaining a high tech education."

Ed Marx, a programmer from Middletown, New Jersey, says he was considering a career change, perhaps into teaching, after being laid off as "a direct result of an offshore initiative." He was unemployed for several months, until he found a contract position.

Like others, Marx -- with 26 years of industry experience -- was caught off guard by the speed of the IT turnaround. "It was such a vital, in-demand kind of skill," he says. In 2000, Congress increased the number of visas available for foreign techies. "It surprises me that it could turn around in two years. I guess they just changed the strategy -- not to bring the people to the work, but bring the work to the people."

Another Monster member, Richard, posted a message in Monster's Technology Forum about being laid off when his job was sent to Juarez, Mexico. A federal training grant for individuals whose jobs were lost to Mexico was unavailable to him. The reason? The grants only apply to manufacturing jobs, not service positions.

"I would think the government should be just as concerned with the software industry as they are with manufacturing," says Richard, a programmer from Colorado Springs, Colorado, who is now seeking training in .NET and Web services.

Janet Ruhl, who surveys IT salaries at Realrates.com, says her data indicates declining employment among consultants, even those with up-to-date skills.

"Anecdotally, what I am hearing is that companies that have had long-term relationships with consultants -- 10 years and more in some cases -- have suddenly shifted their entire IT function abroad, leaving those consultants high and dry," she says. "The explanation is always cost."

Of course, not all techies see offshoring as an unremitting danger. "The truth is, most companies will pay a premium for face-to-face software and Web development, and most IT jobs should remain in the US," says Eric Leung, a Web developer from Long Beach, California, who believes "offshoring's bark is likely louder than its bite."

Craig Connell, who serves on the board of the Programmers Guild -- many of whose members oppose offshoring -- questions the usefulness of some proposals, such as a tariff on foreign software.

But Sharon Marsh Roberts, chairperson of the government relations committee of the Independent Computer Consultants Association, says programmers have to be ready for political action -- and compromise -- in order to effect change.

Techies must organize and gain representation, says WashTech's Courtney. "I don't believe that enough workers, at this point, understand what this trend means for the long-term picture of this industry in this country," he says.

"This is the warning bell. Something is amiss here, and it isn't just isolated to customer service or email support workers," Courtney continues. "It could happen to you, and we need to make sure we have a voice over what this means for the future of our industry."

You're right. They don't.

The dynamic is that everyone wants money and power. Those who have it wanna keep it. Those who don't wanna get it. Those Harvard grads figure they earned their position and should be rewarded. You feel otherwise.

The strength of the little guy lies in numbers and organization. Not an easy thing to do...even in bad times. In good times it's almost impossible...almost. It always pays to vote, always pays to speak out. You can never be sure who will listen and what the result will be.

If, on the other hand, you do nothing you can be sure of the result. Nothing.

And you know that Microsoft hires illegal employees because... ? As a foreigner, and a previous Microsoft employee, I found that they were very careful about checking my credentials when hiring. They were also more careful about being honest and up front with their employees than any other company I have ever worked for, and I worked for quite a few. Never did they advocate anyting under the table or dishonest. You really need to step out of the rut of loving the underdog and hating everyone who succeeds. Unless, of course, the one who succeeds is an immoral so-and-so, and then it’s ok to love them… all in the spirit of acceptance and forgiveness, and all that stuff…

Man, have you got me all wrong. I am all for success (I have done quit well for myself) and for immigration, just not at the expense of Americans. The H1-B program requires stating that no American was avaialable for the job, while many companies only go for the cheap labor and lie about no Americans being available.

I apologize if I misunderstood. When I was with them, Microsoft did hire some foreign employeems, but most were US. They did set up overseas sales teams but kept most of their work in the US. They contributed a great deal of money to the areas where they did business and matched all of their employees contributations to charity, regardless of the cause. While many companies sent their books and manuals to Korea or Taiwan to be printed cheaply, Microsoft printed in the US and England.

If I hadn't worked for them, and only read the press, I would probably think they were an evil empire. However, the only reason I can come up with for the public kicking they get is success. For some reason in the US, it's ok to be a rich SOB, but not a rich corporation.

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