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| Written By Rick
Ellis, Tuesday, December 26th, 2006 I used to work at a television station owned by one of the big networks. At one point, they decided to outsource the majority of their station IT operations to India, which might have saved the network money, but was a nightmare for everyone else. Previously, if you needed a change in an email distribution list, it only required a quick email or call to the station IT guy, who took care of it in a couple of minutes. Under the new plan, it required a couple of calls to India, where you needed to give a detailed explanation of precisely what you needed, along with all sorts of background information on the station and why you were making the request. The process used to drive me absolutely bonkers, because you ultimately had no track record with the help desk. A local guy knew you, knew your needs and could figure out the easiest and most efficient solution. Calling India, you were speaking with someone who had no clue about the town where you were working, much less anything specific about your needs. While I have had bad experiences with outsourcing, I also realize that it makes perfect sense in certain situations. Particularly on things such as office work, which can easily be done by someone not working on the same continent. Powerpoint presentations don't require a lot of cultural context, which might be the reason that the firm Office Tigers has thrived. The company targets high-level law firms and other businesses, providing both 24/7 service and a work force that is eager to please. The new Sundance Channel limited series "Office Tigers" provides a glimpse of that outsourcing world from the perspective of the Indian employees and it's an ultimately fascinating look at their lives. By any measure, working for Office Tiger is an intense experience. Founded by two Goldman Sachs employees who were unhappy with the firms office support staff, Office Tiger is the prototypical work environment for the 21st Century. The hours are long, the work is hard and you are in fact encouraged to put off a personal life in order to advance in the company. 34-year-old American Joe Siegelman is one of the two cofounders of Office Tigers, and he lives life in a way that is sparse and focused on building the company. He wryly admits that he's lived in a hotel room for six years, doesn't own a car and works as many hours as he can possibly tolerate. He openly exhorts his employees to show the same single-minded focus. He's shown grilling male employees on why they aren't wearing a tie as he moves from one conference room to another. He jumps on desks to provide inspirational speeches and expects his employees to deliver an increasing amount of work and business. Most of the employees of Office Tiger seem to eager to follow his lead. Chennai, India is not an especially hopeful place to be if you're looking for a professional career, and Office Tiger offers good pay and the opportunity to build a skill set that is worth its weight in gold. The downside, as many employees illustrate in the show, is that families, friends and loved ones pay the price. It's not uncommon to work 14 hour plus days, and one supervisor says that he has worked numerous 20-hour days to stay ahead. It's a high-pressure environment that makes that 1980's nightmare stories about Japanese productivity seem laughable by comparison. "Office Tigers" has some rough spots, but it does give viewers a sense of what they global business competition looks like. While outsourcing firms do use cost as a selling point, this series shows that it's also about an insane work ethic and a drive that is staggering to watch. Having watched the entire series, I'm left with a mixed range of emotions about Office Tigers and its employees. I admire what they've accomplished and what they are capable of doing in the future. I admire the strong work ethic and the employees drive to get ahead. But I also can't imagine a scenario in which American employees would exhibit such focus in order to get ahead. I find that prospect depressing. But despite my misgivings about the American work force, every high school student in America should be forced to watch this series. Screen the show and add these words of warning. "If you want to be a success in your future careers, you should ignore everyone else in this room. They are not your competition. Your future is tied directly into how well you can compete against workers employed in cities and towns you've never even heard of before. You need to be smarter and more focused. Or be willing to work 20-hour days to stay ahead. This is your future." "Office Tigers" premieres on the Sundance Channel on Tuesday, December 26th, 2006. |
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