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Can you bribe a multinational company (MNC) in India to get a job? According to media reports and surveys, you certainly can. “After government jobs, MNC jobs are the most valued,” says Mumbai-based HR consultant D. Singh. “So it isn’t surprising that there should be a rate card there too.”
Bribery for jobs starts from the very top. You can get a cabinet minister’s berth if you bring in enough for the party coffers. You can get a particular police posting if you pay the rate. Even beggars have to shell out a fee for being allowed to operate from a street junction of choice.
The 2008 Bribe Payers Index from Transparency International (TI) puts India at No. 19 among 22 countries surveyed. The three behind it were Mexico, China and Russia. Singh speculates that bribery and corruption will be higher in emerging economies because the citizens lack a sense of security. The only way to guard against a rainy day is to build your own nest egg.
What the West has done is legalise certain forms of bribery. For instance, donations to political parties and candidates are all on the books. You can hire lobbyists to influence, say, Washington; foreign countries have done so.
In India, too, there have been some moves in this direction. Tatkal telephones got you an MTNL connection for an extra buck. Tatkal railway tickets are still a big business. But when options increase — airlines are offering a flight for a little more than the train ticket — such legalised bribery has to come to an end.
Bribery is concerned not so much with the integrity of a nation but the shortage of a particular item. In the TI list mentioned earlier, Canada was number one (along with Belgium). Yet a recent poll by Harris / Decima has found that 88 per cent of people believe “special efforts” are required to get the attention of hiring managers. Some are innovative; for others it’s a bottle of wine or Scotch. Canada.com quotes Piers Steel, a professor of human resources at the University of Calgary: “We don’t think people are going to let themselves be influenced by petty bribes in a decision affecting someone’s entire life. But yes, they are.”
So should you pay a bribe to get a job? First, the word bribe requires definition. At one time, recommending your relatives for a job in the company you work for was considered nepotism. Today, in the US, it is considered good HR practice.
Take another example. It is okay, of course, to submit a CV in a hard copy, though an email is preferred. What about a CV on a pen drive? Nobody returns pen drives. What about a CV on an electronic photo album? And if you want to explore the limits, what about a CV on a tablet?
When it comes to the workplace certain things become acceptable over time. As organisations professionalise, they set internal norms and put structures in place. It is possible for someone to get an unfair promotion. But you can’t always source it to a bribe. Perhaps he is a friend of the personnel manager and that friendship means something to the organisation in an age when nepotism is recommended.
If you are talking about an entry-level job most companies use the Internet as a screening process. You can’t bribe a computer, though you can try to beat the software programme. And very senior jobs have compensation committees and external directors to vet the process.
All this applies to large companies. In smaller companies, you will be hired by the CEO over a cup of tea. Bribe him with a biscuit.
DRAWING A LINE: LEGAL BRIBES?
Bribing someone usually isn't a nice thing to do. However, there are certain situations in which bribes can benefit both parties. You shouldn't hesitate to benignly bribe someone when the situation calls for it.
Offer a taxi driver a larger tip if they get you to your destination quickly.
Bribe a restaurant host with a tip to get seated quickly.
Tempt contractors with food and drink if they stay late to get the job finished.
Giving gifts to your mailman may win you preferential treatment, such as making sure deliveries that don't fit in your mail box are left somewhere safe when you're not home.
