May We Export Your Job?

In the Summer of 1999 my then employer Galileo International sent three of us to New Delhi as mentors for a newly graduated class of computer programmers employed by IGT (an Indian company). The Indians had just completed a technical training class given by one of our Denver Colleagues. We would help them with the ins and outs of the actual work that we did in Denver.

Going over was controversial. Several of my colleagues were completely against my going to New Delhi as they felt that American jobs were at risk. I felt that was probably true, but - with or without my going - mentors would be found and the Indian ‘experiment’ would proceed.

So, over we went. The class was intelligent, motivated and smart. We had our ups and downs, some of which was caused by our Denver project managers. They were willing to lead the project and give advice from afar - as long as they did not have to go to India themselves. You know: Poverty, filth, strange food, beggars and sacred cows – the usual! The usual bs – India is a fascinating, progressing country. Yes, it isn’t like the USA.

We left by the end of that year. With Y2K coming Galileo wanted us home in case the lights went out. This was the biggest irony; if there is one place in the world to be when the lights go out, it is New Delhi where power outages are the norm. No one even pauses or remarks about an outage.

We left after a rewarding life and work experience.

Jump to 2005. Galileo, now owned by Cendant, lays off roughly 80 Denver programmers and sends their work to IGT in New Delhi. They also close a Help Desk in Atlanta and send that work to India.

Job well done?.

The Weird Part. Shortly after the layoff IGT advertises in Monster.com – they need computer programmers, based in Denver. So, some of those folks laid off may end up working for the company that ended their careers at Galileo.

PS - Cendant owns an interest in IGT.