Why you shold not join IBM India?

I know the moment you are reading the title, if you are an employee you will be nodding your head, and if you are planning to join it will be a eye opener for you. I have stayed in this company for nearly 40 months and thats a good amount of time to give a feedback if not neutral. If i will start writing i know i need a series to finish this off, but let me brief for today and will explain in detail. Thank god i am not in there anymore but still it hunt me in my dream.

Ok lets do the de-section of my experience starting from my interview to my exit (i never felt the elation of leaving a company as i had) which should normally be little awkward and emotional
considering the fact you wont get to come to the campus, meet your old friends and all that. Ok its hopefully Sep 2006 i had this interview. The manager, remember HR don't negotiate in IBM, its the manager. He told me several benifits of joining IBM which can be "trade off" of joining less than what i was getting earlier. lets mention it in bullet points

During Joining - Aug 2006
a) IBM provides unlimited training without any commitment or contract.
b) There is a concept of Unlimited Sick leave, can take as much as you can in certain health ground.
c) You can change the projects if not fitting to your profile or interest.
d) IBM will pay a Fixed+Variable>Current salary, though i asked him to put the variable part into the fixed part and he said the system doesn't allow us to do that. (IBM fixed sal was less than my that time current fixed salary)

During Exit - Jan 2010
a) IBM stopped free training. On need basis.
b) I don't know how many will fall into this category.
c) You need to complete 18 months in a project for you to legally eligible to switch to other project. Even after completion the source PM and destination PM should agree to make this movement possible. Might screw your appraisal (They call it as PBC) if you have shown ur caliber and source PM is not interested in leaving you.
d)My fixed remain fixed for 3 full term PBC and one partial PBC. 2 years i was told "I was getting more than the market standard". For someone who joined less than the earlier one, you can sense the desperation. The moment i heard the excuse i thought of slapping, and slap very hard (sorry there is no PM, its PeM who does the appraisal, might be a person who is no way related to you). When i show my agitation as usual the "bloody corporate lingo" comes into play. You should do this, that, to come to the limelight. I thought am i here to work for 9-5 or bloddy in a race to take the initiative.

This is the validation of what i was told and what has happened. Now come to the point why you should not join? IBM is NOT a company where you expect much of money. Yes if you are desperate for a change it could be used as a stop over or for them who cooked there resume little bit here and there for them as well. In case you have planned to join IBM and manage to squeeze IBM while joining, now rest assured after that its IBM turn. During my later days i was so restless of leaving the org. Each day i swipe in it feels like i am cheated in broad daylight. There is no one to address your issue. There is no point in shout as well. Unless you tell or spill those bad moments i am sure it would keep me hunting. Thanks to the technology that provide a nice platform to do so. OK. I know my shout can never go through there deaf ears. So during my last days was almost indifferent to whats happening around. Stopped attending the meeting, never care who says whatever. Tried to create my own rule without paying much of damn. But deep inside me the desperation was having a toll on me. Now when i look back i blame IBM for the negativism it added to my attitude. I was a free person all across, never change the company for money, nor for policy, but not with IBM where i have stayed for the longest. So all these experience comes with a price and pain, so use it judiciously.

Before i publish the series in detail two points the HR might not tell you while joining

1) when your performance is reviewed, at the end you have to accept with comments. There is no DECLINE option. His\her review is final.
2) Good for the married lady having school going kid, can settle there. I doubt whether they wish to grow, god save the asses of the pour souls working for them. Cheap Labor? Is that the reason why IBM does the "Women Drive" who are in a break in there career. To start afresh with kids going to school and can use the free time at IBM. Don't know though. Just guess.

Cheers
Ex-IBMer

Must read - Part 2 - Why you should join IBM India?