US techie describes 'ghost-like' interactions with Indian colleagues: ‘No face, no voice'

Hindustan Times

3 hours ago

An American man shared his confusion over so-called 'odd behaviours' displayed by his Indian colleagues while they work remotely for a US-based tech company. In a Reddit post on the r/IndianWorkplace, the anonymous user sought to understand if cultural differences could explain what he found unusual in his Indian coworkers.
The man highlighted specific behaviours that stood out to him every time his team interacted with the Indian workers, including them keeping their cameras off during Zoom video calls and rarely participating in small talk during meetings. 'In fact, I have never seen two of their faces, on video or a photo,' he wrote. 'I hate to say this, but it feels at times like we are working with ghosts, no face, no voice. Their profile picture are the default initials.'
He noted that although the company encourages participation, the Indian employees often stay silent even when directly asked about projects. 'Very few questions are asked… Is asking for clarification or questions viewed as someone not being knowledgeable in their role? American work culture encourages asking questions,' he said.
The post drew a flood of responses from Indian users, many of whom acknowledged that the described behaviour reflects differences in workplace culture. "Indian workplaces are Darwinian; the person who asks too many questions can be seen as someone who is questioning authority and lacks knowledge," said one of them.
Others explained that camera-off culture is common due to shared home spaces or discomfort with being on video. "Most of us are either shy or uncomfortable turning on the camera (some people might get conscious of their appearance). I used to be like this. If not turning on cameras is creating problems or disrupting company culture, it should be communicated and discouraged politely. However, if given a choice, I am pretty sure most would choose not to turn on the camera," an Indian user explained.