Snowball Effect Hits Aviva's Offshoring Plans
Richard Edwards
1 Comment
No company has trumpeted the benefits of offshoring as enthusiastically as Aviva, but the company’s future plans are beginning to look unclear following the resignation of Patrick Snowball, the head of the company’s UK business, and the man responsible for Aviva’s pledge to shift over 7,800 job overseas by the end of this year.
When Aviva’s plans were unveiled in September 2006, Snowball told reporters: “We only have three costs – people, technology and buildings. As you use more technology, you need fewer people and buildings.”
He referred to those who opposed their labour expansion in India as ‘luddites’ in a BBC interview, but since the plans were announced Snowball’s ambitions have been beset by problems.
As reported by ELP earlier this year, Norwich Union, who are part of the Aviva Group, moved 150 call centre jobs back to the UK following complaints from customers and despite the company’s claim these were merely a “tweaking exercise”, Snowball’s departure has further clouded the waters.
Snowball resigned after turning down another senior management job under incoming chief executive Andrew Moss – a man he had gone head-to-head with for the top position.
Unsurprisingly his departure hasn’t been mourned by the trade unions that bitterly opposes Aviva's plans. Andy Case, the national Amicus officer for Aviva said: “We believe that Patrick Snowball has been over-zealous with job cuts and has over-sold the benefits of offshoring.
“We hope his successor will renew positive employee engagement and review their offshoring strategy.''
They, and countless Aviva employees, are now waiting to see how likely this is.
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Reader Comments (1)
It is bad enough knowing that you have lost your job without having to rub noses in it and that is exactly what Mr snowball did.
On top of that the feeling of racial intolerance, which was never apparent prior to this and this was not just employees whom were being made redundant, but many NU workers.The cost of this has been more than just employee loyalty, knowing that you are being replaced by an cheaper and less effect solution was discraceful and to be insulted verbally there after, was just dispicable.
I am pretty sure Mr Snowball would sell his own grandmother (if she was still alive) given half the chance.
I personelly hope it all goes tits up and they realise that cheap is not always best and i am pretty sure if you go to Wipro's web site you will see more than 1 error, even the countries and cities are misplaced or even moved, they can not gettheir own web site right,and if this is anything to go by this is the standard of work NU can now look forward too.
Good business practice is always a benefit to any company and well done to companies that have seen errors in their business decisions, no one in the UK wants low standards of service and poor practice.
The saying is that the customer is always right how comes he got it so wrong?
It was not that long ago, an internal report suggested that NU were below par in most aspects of their business.
Internally there is a definant rumour that Mr Snowball did not resign through choice but too save his face... he never got the vote of confidence which his successer got so rather than take defeat gracefully he left in preferance,I would have thought being ex military, he would have stood his ground rather than run a mile.
Good bye Mr Snowball and good luck to the next unfortunate company and employees.I would start preparing you desks now!!