Being 'unproductive' could mean being out of a job

By K.Satyamurty

BANGALORE, JULY 13. Even in these days of corporate downsizing and IT slowdown, a large majority of employees, mainly in the hi- tech sector, have not even thought of being fired from their jobs.

A JobStreet.com online survey conducted reveals that 34.76 per cent of male employees and 30.77 per cent of women have never considered losing their jobs. As for the most likely reason for being retrenched, 21.08 per cent of men and 28.85 per cent of women felt it would be the economic downturn affecting their employer. Poor performance at work was the reason given by 20.8 per cent of men and 21.15 per cent of women. Being "unproductive" could be the reason for being out of a job, according to 11.1 per cent of men and 9.62 per cent of women. Productivity and job performance, however subjective, appear to count in the corporate sector. Yet another cause for losing jobs was redundancy, with 12.25 per cent of men and 9.62 per cent of women citing this as a reason for being fired.

The possible factors leading to business success are equally interesting. The online survey posed the question "If your company were to triple in size in three years, what event or idea might catalyse this spectacular growth?."

Leadership quality of the person at the top was the main reason for corporate success, according to 40.15 per cent of male respondents and 38.46 per cent of women. A "growth mentality' (20.45 per cent of men and 26.92 per cent of women), and new technology (20.45 per cent of men and 19.23 per cent of women) were other reasons given. Growth could come from a breakthrough product, 12.12 per cent of men and 15.38 per cent of women felt. Only 6.82 per cent said corporate acquisition could result in growth; they were all men.

Many mid-level executives and other employees are often heard bragging how they will make things different in their organisation if only they are the boss. The Jobstreet.com survey showed that 44.44 per of women respondents and 30.61 per cent of men thought their organisation would have a "different vision" if they ran the show.

Changes in working environment was the response of 26.53 per cent of men and 26.53 per cent of women surveyed. Only the men (28.57 per cent) named technology as the change they would introduce, if they ran their organisation. Cost efficiency (12.24 per cent of men and 11.11 per cent of women) and expansion plans (2.04 per cent of men and 11.11 per cent of women) followed these.

A sensitive question asked was "you probably work with one or a few incompetent people. How do they manage to keep their jobs?". As many as 55.1 per cent of women and 39.02 per cent of men were frank. `` By `buttering up the boss" was their explicit response. The incompetent kept their jobs by being opportunists, said 23 per cent of men and 16.33 per cent of women. Scheming, riding piggy-back on others and backstabbing were other reasons given by the respondents.

The JobStreet.com survey is a monthly opinion poll conducted on various career and work-related issues, and covers visitors to the website. JobStreet.com has 1.3 million subscribers and 25,000 page views a day. The current survey was conducted during June and July. The site facilitates 2,200 persons getting jobs on a monthly basis.

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