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DXC Tech asks staff to profile their skills

Employees worried it's a loop-your-own-noose initiative

DXC Technologies employees fear a company request to profile their skills on a new management portal will be used by top brass to elbow them out of the door in the next round of compulsory redundancies.

Staff were given two week deadline to complete their “individual profile” on the Saba Cloud, a new “skills management system”, by 17 November and were reminded again this week to make sure it is done.

According to a memo from DXC UK and Ireland head, Nick Wilson, staff have a "great opportunity to showcase your skills and capabilities". The tool will be used to match internal skills with opportunities, he added.

"A holistic and robust skills profile is also expected to support our competitive advantage by allowing us to place the right person, in the right position, and with the right skill set to deliver on our commitments."

Most tech services businesses do sketch our their skills internally to ascertain if they match with projects customers want to run. But the concern from DXCers comes after several redundancy schemes were initiated in 2017, the first coming six weeks after the company was created, and then again in July.

A voluntary redundancy programme was rolled out last month and if DXC doesn't get the requisite number of jumpers to meet cost savings targets, it will start to force workers out of the door, insiders told The Register.

An email about the Saba Cloud was previously sent to staff several weeks ago by DXC global veep Joe Doherty. In it he described the DXC Technology Skills Taxonomy as an "exciting" development that "align with with our new organisation’s harmonisation efforts".

"Learning and reselling are fundamental to any profession, but its the lifeblood of information technology. Your participation in this activity shows your commitment to DXC and to your growth and development."

The "skills management process" applies to front line customer facing staff (Delivery) and those in business development and portfolio management (Build) roles. "It is imperative that we have 100 per cent participation in this activity," said Doherty, in his missive.

"Metrics and reporting from the Skills Management system provide important insights into DXC's capability... This can then be linked to reskilling, development paths and career planning," he said.

Or not. One DXC employee told us that he and some of his fellow colleagues were "suspicious" of the company's motives. DXC is on track to cut $1bn in costs this year by offshoring roles to lower cost wage locations, consolidating real estate and automation.

At the bottom of Doherty's email, he added a "legal disclaimer" which seemingly indicates management had anticipated some concerns from staff and unions about the employee profiling.

"For those countries that require consultation with works councils or other employee representatives, this is not intended to provide country-specific complete information and in no way reflects that final decisions have been made at a country level.

"With respect to such countries, final decisions are subject to prior consultation with works councils and other employee representatives, as required, and in compliance with local laws."

The firm declined to comment.

It would be nice to have one week – just one week – when DXC does not disgrace itself by gracing the pages of El Reg with yet another gaffe. Same time next week? Maybe sooner. ®

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