‘Stay firm, but be on the lookout’

To be or not to be — Hamlet’s dilemma is that of the average Satyam employee’s today.

Much as senior company officials and some HR experts advise them against taking any rash action, such as resigning, the buzz may be of caution and love lost.

“Since the corporate governance issue cropped up in December, I have been hunting for a job elsewhere, even if the pay is about 10% less than what I am currently drawing. In Satyam, there is a lot of uncertainty at present. But quitting without another job offer on hand would be wrong,” said a programmer at the Bangalore office.

“I am looking out for jobs side by side. But quitting at this juncture without having another job is not something I or my colleagues are going to do. We will aggressively keep hunting for jobs,” said another.

A recruitment expert said resumes of Satyam employees, especially of those at lower levels, have been doing the rounds of the job market since the Maytas issue surfaced.
But even the experts are divided on the issue.

T Muralidharan, CMD of Hyderabad-based talent management company, TMI Group, said employees should have faith in their competence and ability. “Employees, especially those at the higher levels, have built relations with clients, so it is best to strengthen those relations. Employees are not at all at fault in this episode.”

However, Rajesh AR, vice-president of Bangalore-based TeamLease Services, said employees should weigh and explore other job options, even if it means lesser pay, in view of the uncertainty surrounding the company.