Despite
the number of techies that India produces each year, India's never been a hub
of innovation in the IT sector. In the TV debates and NASSCOM surveys, it's
always blamed on the lack of suitable eco system in the colleges and
universities. It's been told many a times that an average Indian techie takes 3
years before he becomes fully 'employable'. But what happens after 3 years?
What the companies are doing about creating the right breeding ground for
innovation?
In
3~5 years time, most of our techies become either 'Leads' or even 'Managers' in
some cases (Halo Effect??). The average
time period a Software Engineer (SE) remaining technically hands-on is mere 5
years. Is that the right timeframe for becoming an expert in any domain?
Investment
Banking is the domain that is always accused of wasting highly brilliant minds
onto speculative trading and the technical analysis of the stock pricing
trends. Their talents are not utilized towards the betterment of products or
services that add immense value to the society like an innovative solution for
improving the health care. Indian IT service industry is doing a similar
mistake by promoting people too early to managerial positions, thereby taking a
hit on the technical caliber. Naturally India is very low on the IT value
chain. High end, innovative IT requirements are done mostly in the USA and only
the work that sounds like 'back office' comes to India. Spiraling effect of
remaining in the lower end of the IT value chain is that we need to face
competition from countries like Indonesia and China.
Thinking
about the problem, it looks like that 2 things need to happen very quickly
- IT giants should leave out the 'quarter-on-quarter growth' madness, instead spend more on R & D, inculcate the habit of giving it back to the industry (and the society as well) by regularly coming up with ground breaking innovations.
- We cultivate the culture in our SE's that IT consulting is indeed a profession. A SE can very well remain as a SE throughout her career accomplishing great technical things and prepared to exit the industry as a Senior Software Engineer or maximum a Technical Architect
The
second one is easier said than done because that encompasses a cultural shift.
We should attack the mentality that becoming a Manager is a 'promotion'. Teams
should have a truly flat structure. A group of senior SE's shall be managed by
a Junior Manager and the SE's pay packet shall be bigger than their Manager
depending on the SE's experience and expertise level. People who have the
technical caliber should be protected for large, complex technical engagements
whereas people that show brilliance in managing projects/people should be
handed-out a career in the management . Just like a Doctor or a Lawyer does, a
SE starts and ends her career as an SE. A Manager starts and ends her career as
a Manager.
I
understand there will be cross-cutting requirements like 'We need a great PM
who understands BI/DW' because experience has taught us that people who are
knowledgeable in the domain go on to become great Managers. Here the catch is 'great' Manager and 'understands' BI/DW. We don't need a BI/DW expert to become the PM,
all that we require is a great PM who 'knows' a bit of BI/DW
In
the medical field, India is becoming a consulting power house, it attracts
people from all over the world just to consult our doctors. New terms like
'Medical Tourism' is gaining ground. What did the trick here? Because Doctors treated it truly their profession. The number of Doctors who went onto manage different things like the operation of a hospital is very less. Hope the same happens for IT consulting
too
