The outsourced generation.

(From The Slovak Spectator)

IBM, AT&T, and Dell are just a few examples of the foreign companies that have chosen to locate parts of their business in Slovakia. Taking advantage of the young, well-educated workforce to be found in the country, foreign companies have thrived. With the crisis putting pressure on multinationals to save money, many more companies are choosing to outsource whole departments to Slovakia.

Working in the outsourcing industry brings an opportunity to gain or improve language skills, come into contact with a different corporate culture, as well as the chance to add the name of a prominent company to CVs. On the other hand, people working in Slovak units are frequently part of a large team and remote from the decision-making management. They are afraid that foreign companies arrive in order to boost their profits and that if Slovakia stops delivering them profits they will move on to another country.

"It broadens your mind," said Michaela Vokalova, a young call centre manager. "It's goodait puts foreigners in touch with Slovakia and challenges stereotypes."

Lukas Kander, another communications manager, shared Vokalova's positive attitude. "It's very good for Slovaks to have foreign companies," he said. "The market is better because you have more choice of employers. It brings healthy competition into the job market. I worked for a Slovak company and my wages were less reliable."

Factors such as reliability and professionalism appear to be major attractions for young Slovaks, as well as the acquisition of language skills, particularly English.

"But I used to speak better," Vokalova noted. "Now I'm losing it [English skills]. Now I only speak about the same thing continuously and my English isn't getting wider -- it's narrowing."