‘I’m hired as a backend developer, not an event performer’: Techie slams plan to impress clients with office dance

A backend developer has sparked a heated debate on workplace boundaries after refusing to participate in a “fun engagement segment” during an upcoming client visit. After being asked senior management to perform a solo dance or join a corporate fashion walk to help “impress the clients,” the employee stood their ground. Despite a personal love for Bollywood dance, they politely declined both requests, arguing that their value lies in their technical expertise rather than their ability to provide a “corporate display.”The techie questioned the managers’ mindset for planning fun entertainment during the client visit. (Representative image). (Unsplash)“Refused to dance and do a fashion walk during client visit – was I wrong?” a Reddit user wrote. The individual explained that they were asked for both when the management decided to plan a “fun engagement segment”, besides the standard agenda of presentations, discussions, product demos, and networking, to “impress the client”.Also Read: ‘Job in Kenya better than working in Bangalore, Mumbai’: Techie’s take on Indian IT culture sparks discussion“I like dancing. I do Bollywood, I enjoy it a lot — but that’s personal. I dance because I enjoy it, not because I want to entertain clients in a corporate setting. I politely refused. Then I was asked if I could at least participate in the fashion walk segment. I refused that too.”Why did the techie refuse?“My thought process: I’m hired as a backend developer, not an event performer. Client visits are professional engagements. Optional should mean optional. I don’t like the idea of being a puppet to ‘impress’ someone. If I want to dance, I’ll dance at a party, wedding, or with friends — not as a corporate display item,” the techie continued.The individual added, “I don’t judge anyone who’s participating if they’re comfortable, that’s great. But I don’t like the idea of performing just to create an impression. Is refusing such activities seen negatively in Indian workplaces? Where do you draw the line between ‘team spirit’ and personal boundaries?”Social media shows support for the techie:An individual posted, “Lol. I’ve been in the industry for 16 years and have never seen such absurd client engagement activities. Those in management positions at your company must be a real piece of work. How is a dance/fashion walk going to impress the clients? It isn’t anything they haven’t seen before.” Another added, “Seriously, how does management even think about it? Zero self-respect.”Also Read: Indian techie with 2 years’ experience regrets quick job jumps: ‘Only 13 LPA base salary’A third commented, “This is some cringe s**t.” A fourth wrote, “You are absolutely correct. It should only be optional, but they always put pressure.”(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)