Thread: AT&T CEO Says Hard To Find Skilled U.S. Workers

I don't believe a word. There are enough educated people in America to fill these jobs. I think their problem is they are not paying enough to attract potential workers. This isn't INDIA!!!


AT&T CEO says hard to find skilled U.S. workers

Wed Mar 26, 9:39 PM ET



SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - The head of the top U.S. phone company AT&T Inc (T.N) said on Wednesday it was having trouble finding enough skilled workers to fill all the 5,000 customer service jobs it promised to return to the United States from India.

"We're having trouble finding the numbers that we need with the skills that are required to do these jobs," AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson told a business group in San Antonio, where the company's headquarters is located.

So far, only around 1,400 jobs have been returned to the United States of 5,000, a target it set in 2006, the company said, adding that it maintains the target.

Stephenson said he is especially distressed that in some U.S. communities and among certain groups, the high school dropout rate is as high as 50 percent.

"If I had a business that half the product we turned out was defective or you couldn't put into the marketplace, I would shut that business down," he said.

Gone are the days when AT&T and other U.S. companies had to hire locally, he said.

"We're able to do new product engineering in Bangalore as easily as we're able to do it in Austin, Texas," he said, referring to the Indian city where many international companies have "outsourced" technical and customer support workers.

"I know you don't like hearing that, but that's the way it is," he said.

Stephenson said neither he nor most Americans liked the situation, and the solution was a stronger U.S. focus on education and keeping jobs. Business needed to help, such as AT&T's repatriation of service positions and education grants, he added.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080327/tc_ ... rkforce_dc

Related link.

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-105830-hard.html+fill+jobs

These jobs he is speaking of that are returning are not because of their patrotic duty, but the backlash from customers.

Those jobs are crappy jobs... Low pay.. High stress.. This is why they are hard to fill. It is an entry level job with the AT&T or at least it used to be. Take that job and in a couple years move to a tech position. No so anymore.. with all the down sizing and layoff and contracting out.. there is no where to go.. plus all the talk of off-shoring.. who would want to be in a position like that.. so they do not get the quality as used to.

The head of the top U.S. phone company AT&T Inc (T.N) said on Wednesday it was having trouble finding enough skilled workers to fill all the 5,000 customer service jobs it promised to return to the United States from India.

"We're having trouble finding the numbers that we need with the skills that are required to do these jobs," AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson told a business group in San Antonio, where the company's headquarters is located.

So far, only around 1,400 jobs have been returned to the United States of 5,000, a target it set in 2006, the company said, adding that it maintains the target.

How much skills do you need to do customer service? I'd rather speak to someone with English instead of someone you can't understand in India. The foreign people I have spoken with lately working for Dell, AT&T and other big corporations, do not appear to possess too many skills either, so what's the big deal.

Why don't we have those H1-B visas filled by Europeans, surely they have skills we need or is it that ONLY 3rd world has them? Please explain this to me.

Originally Posted by CCUSA

I don't believe a word. There are enough educated people in America to fill these jobs. I think their problem is they are not paying enough to attrack potential workers. This isn't INDIA!!!


AT&T CEO says hard to find skilled U.S. workers

Wed Mar 26, 9:39 PM ET



SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - The head of the top U.S. phone company AT&T Inc (T.N) said on Wednesday it was having trouble finding enough skilled workers to fill all the 5,000 customer service jobs it promised to return to the United States from India.

"We're having trouble finding the numbers that we need with the skills that are required to do these jobs," AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson told a business group in San Antonio, where the company's headquarters is located.

So far, only around 1,400 jobs have been returned to the United States of 5,000, a target it set in 2006, the company said, adding that it maintains the target.

Stephenson said he is especially distressed that in some U.S. communities and among certain groups, the high school dropout rate is as high as 50 percent.

"If I had a business that half the product we turned out was defective or you couldn't put into the marketplace, I would shut that business down," he said.

Gone are the days when AT&T and other U.S. companies had to hire locally, he said.

"We're able to do new product engineering in Bangalore as easily as we're able to do it in Austin, Texas," he said, referring to the Indian city where many international companies have "outsourced" technical and customer support workers.

"I know you don't like hearing that, but that's the way it is," he said.

Stephenson said neither he nor most Americans liked the situation, and the solution was a stronger U.S. focus on education and keeping jobs. Business needed to help, such as AT&T's repatriation of service positions and education grants, he added.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080327/tc_ ... rkforce_dc

Hey, Mr. Stephenson - I've got an idea for you: Maybe people don't want to work for you, you jerk!

As to the content of the matter...

Sure, 'well Duh!' - is my answer to your predicament Mr Stephenson.
Most Americans won't line up for crappy jobs which lock themselves into a poverty level of existence. At the same time, since you have shown a propensity for outsourcing and off-shoring, next time you do some, start with your own job first - jerk.

Thank you for reminding me NEVER to use, buy, or suggest an AT&T product again...ever.

If anybody has AT&T service for anything, I'd like to suggest that maybe now is a good time to dump it. Try to find a decent local provider instead.

skippy wrote:

The foreign people I have spoken with lately working for Dell, AT&T and other big corporations, do not appear to possess too many skills either, so what's the big deal.

Skills aren't the issue, it's wages and benefits.

Originally Posted by Skippy

The head of the top U.S. phone company AT&T Inc (T.N) said on Wednesday it was having trouble finding enough skilled workers to fill all the 5,000 customer service jobs it promised to return to the United States from India.

"We're having trouble finding the numbers that we need with the skills that are required to do these jobs," AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson told a business group in San Antonio, where the company's headquarters is located.

So far, only around 1,400 jobs have been returned to the United States of 5,000, a target it set in 2006, the company said, adding that it maintains the target.

How much skills do you need to do customer service? I'd rather speak to someone with English instead of someone you can't understand in India. The foreign people I have spoken with lately working for Dell, AT&T and other big corporations, do not appear to possess too many skills either, so what's the big deal.

You would be surprised.. it takes "skill" to deal with irate customers 8 hours a day every day.. these are crappy thankless jobs..