U.S. firms employ more than 1.6 million call center operators in places like Bangalore, India.
Education crisis or opportunity? CEO complains of a skilled-worker shortage
Outsourcing U.S. jobs is a hot-button political issue, along with the economy and unemployment, this election year. But what happens if there aren't enough Americans qualified to do the jobs U.S. firms would otherwise outsource? The head AT&T said on Wednesday that the phone company was having trouble finding enough skilled workers to fill all the 5,000 customer service jobs it promised to return to the United States from India.
"We're having trouble finding the numbers that we need with the skills that are required to do these jobs," AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson told a business group in San Antonio, where the company's headquarters is located. So far, only around 1,400 jobs have been returned to the United States of 5,000, a target it set in 2006, the company said, adding that it maintains the target.
The problem, Stephenson says, is education. He is especially distressed that in some U.S. communities and among certain groups, the high school dropout rate is as high as 50 percent. "If I had a business that half the product we turned out was defective or you couldn't put into the marketplace, I would shut that business down," Stephenson said.
Is outsourcing the necessary result of poor education? Or profit motive? Should the United States refocus efforts on improving elementary education and vocational training? Or should policymakers look for other ways to discourage outsourcing?
Thoughts
ATT Exec's Labor Shortage Claims Untrue
Submitted on March 29th, 2008 by AnonymousTwice in the past two months an ATT recruiter has called me about an open position in their company. I am a software engineer holding two degrees and more than 15 years experience, including technical management positions.
The salary ATT had set for the job was about half the market rate for the position. The recruiter informed me it was not negotiable, and the extent of my experience did not matter. Essentially, I could take it or leave it.
The recruiter also required me to provide my social security number in order to continue my candidacy. I told him I believe it is illegal to require an SSN as a condition for recruiting and refused to provide it.
The combination of the two ATT recruiting policies I've described caused me to eliminate them as a potential employer.
In ATT's case perhaps it's not so much a shortage that prevents them from finding appropriately skilled labor as it is their HR policies.
How do we stop Outsourcing?
Submitted on March 28th, 2008 by The Big KlosowskiHaving run a call center, I can tell you that the quality of applicants was sub-par at best. We provided a wonderful environment, with above average pay and benefits.
However, workers often shirked responsibilities, didn't show up for shifts, were not motivated to attend additional job training sessions, couldn't write or use many basic MS Office programs, and had overall lousy attitudes.
But they did expect raises every year, and they did want job security. I was tempted every day to send their jobs to India.
CEO complains of a skilled-worker shortage
Submitted on March 28th, 2008 by AnonymousIn a capitalist free market country the state should have no responsibility for training and providing workers. That would be socialism. Businesses should provide training as part of the cost of doing business. Isn't it funny how free market types like socialist programs such as schools when it benefits them/saves them money. If American corporations paid their fair share of taxes and reinvested their profits in training and education the problem would be solved. Instead executives pay themselves exorbitant salaries 100 to 1000 times what an average worker makes. They have no loyalty to this country or its people. Like Khrushchev said American capitalists will sell the very rope that they are hung with.