Have you ever heard of HR wrath in an IT company...I had heard ; but experienced it in the last few days of working, in a company that I have been part of for more than 7 years now. I was in free pool ( bench) for the last 2 months - looking for projects in Sweden, where my husband is planning to travel in the next couple of days. I was communicating this to all the HR people who were contacting me for getting me projects - none of them said a 'NO' but, all replied that they would try and let me know if they came across any suitable openings - well, good-understanding people I thought , until one fine morning I received a mail from Ms.G asking me to call her for a discussion. Oh, Maybe they have finally found out something for me in Sweden - too innocent a thought for these crooks( excuse me).
I tried calling Ms.G - but when she dint pick up , dropped her a message saying I was so and so - you had asked to call ( naive ). " I will call back" replied Ms.G . Professional - I thought.
Finally she calls me after sometime - and there began the saga of typical ( yes G seemed to be very used with delivering these ) dialogue exchange.
Ms.G : " So you are in free pool for this long a time - why ?"
I narrated my full story including the e-mail confirmations that I had got regarding HR looking for projects in Sweden for me .( This never happens and only thing that can happen is you spread your wings , use your contacts and look out for something yourself - maximum that they will do is to tag you once you find something for yourself and if they are not in a position to do anything against you ).
Ms.G's tone and sound changes ( She seemed trained in doing this ): " Don't you know you have agreed to work in any location in your appointment letter and now I have a resource (after all, that is all that I am ) who is willing to go to Sweden but not to Chennai "
I replied that I would have looked for a transfer to Chennai if my husband was in Chennai and that it was about keeping my family together.And I ask her what is it that can be done to confirm that there is no opportunity in Sweden before I decide to take up anything elsewhere.
Ms G: " I have no clue - try contacting Mr B. Anyway I don't think it is possible now since there is a 'TED LOCK' on your profile and we cannot wait for any longer. All of us have personal reasons - why don't you take a break and put your papers for now.I should know an answer by tomorrow this time - as a company you cannot be paid for longer than this without work "
I was literally shocked - I had not thought of leaving my job yet - it was just that I was looking for a suitable opportunity.
I wrote a mail to Mr B who forwards the mail to C,D and F from whom there is no response at all even after two days.
It was 'National strike' the next day and I call up my Manager who handles few accounts in Sweden and I get to know that there is nothing in Sweden for now and he gives me another contact who also seems to not reply to e-mails.
Day 3 : Ms G calls up . " I did not call you yesterday. What is your decision ?"
I tell her that I was not going to put my papers and that I was open to projects in Bangalore.
Ms G: " You have no time now. You do not have any projects in hand and when you get billed. And since there is a ted lock against your profile you cannot be proposed for any projects now "
I explain to her that I did not attend any interviews because I had been looking for something specific and I was confident that I would get selected if I attended any interviews. She keeps the phone telling that she maynot be able to help me get the LOCK released.
She calls me the next day , " Do you check your emails ? There was a mail to you asking you to take up an assignment with WALMART - what is the status?" I reply to her taht I'm not able to recollect the exact e-mail because there have been many e-mails that I've been replying to.
To this she again raises her voice and tells that I don't even track my e-mails.
At this, I lost my cool and clarified to her that , it was just that I didnot remember at the moment about that specific e-mail and tht I would check and let her know. I later checked the e-mail that she was referring to. It was a mail that had come about 2 weeks back asking me to contact a manager in WALMART and to work with him for a month before getting billed. I had actually forwarded tht mail to the said manager and asked him for a convenient time for meeting - which he had not replied to. I forwards the mail to Ms G and she seemed happy with it .
I started looking out for projects in my technical area . Got few calls and cleared the technical discussion for two of them and they ask for the TED LOCK to be released before proposing for the client interview. I call Ms G several times before she answer my call to tell that she would not be able to help.
I was thankfully proposed for the client interview of one of them before the LOCK RELEASE and I cleared that. I call Ms.G several times .No Reply. No Call back.
Later after a day , the Project Manager of the account that selected me calls up to tell that the LOCK would be released in a day or two.
What was the role of HR in my case?
Terrorize me to leave the company. Not even bothered to look into the reasons - genuineness behind the reasons- for not taking up projects.
They could not help me lookout for projects in my preferred location - I feel they didnot even try.
All this from the HR of a company that I have worked for the last 7+ years.
Stopping for now. Running out of time .People in the IT World - Save YOUR SELF :)
