Marriage of the old and the new

Lest you think that arranged marriages in India do not impact you as an HR manager in London or New York, I’d like to share a story one of our colleagues told us. He couldn’t quite understand when his young assignees from India would come to him with specific requests for unscheduled time-off. They were reluctant to provide details about why they needed the time. He recalled one incident when a programmer had a particularly urgent request and when he pressed him for a reason, the employee said that his mother had arranged an introduction to a bride for him. He had to get back to him hometown to meet her.

Another story where a young Indian employee suggested he might have to change jobs because he needed a position where he could get a green card. The reason? When pressed, he explained that he was returning home for an arranged marriage and needed a green card so he could bring his bride back with him to the U.S.

Imagine the incongruity! These employees are working with the most up-to-date 21st century technology going home to follow 17th century customs.

As usual, we look forward to your feedback, comments–and most of all–stories you might want to share with us and your colleagues.

- Charlene