#culture

The “first of many” associate all-hands left a bad taste in my mouth, for more reasons than I can fully articulate. The shift to the Harbor Point studio was the first jarring departure from the cozy, informal town halls we had grown used to before this latest regime change. The broadcast felt more like a morning news segment than a company conversation - cold, staged, and impersonal. One thing was abundantly clear: the C-suite is not part of “us.” They operate separately, and we’re meant to feel that distance.

What followed were prewritten speeches, read from teleprompters, filled with buzzwords but lacking substance. The central message seemed to be that TRP is poised to capitalize on the next economic opportunity - but what that opportunity actually is remains unclear. And apparently, we’re not meant to ask. If the goal was to model an “AI-first” approach by delivering generated, impersonal messaging, then mission accomplished.

The most disheartening realization, however, was the unmistakable confirmation that the legacy TRP “people-first” culture is gone. I’ve watched this erosion over the past decade, but never has leadership been so transparent in its lack of consideration for employees and clients alike.

We sat through an hour of “new strategy” with barely any discussion about improving outcomes for clients or associates. The AI-focused approach, poorly thought through, centers on doing the same work with fewer people, relying on efficiency gains that feel more aspirational than realistic. Questions raised in Meeting Pulse about costs, risks, and whether our existing infrastructure can even support this strategy were noticeably ignored.

Most striking, though, were the repeated references to our “thriving culture.” The disconnect was hard to miss. The culture is speaking loudly - through Meeting Pulse, through forums like The Layoff - and the message is clear: employees are struggling. We’re dealing with internal friction, outdated technology, and a lack of focus after years of layoffs and reorganizations. Incentives to perform have eroded.

Compensation cycles have been consistently disappointing, with market conditions and outflows cited as justification, even as executive compensation continues to rise. Investments are being funneled into a new headquarters and high-profile marketing partnerships, while associates are quietly laid off and replaced with offshore labor. This isn’t “doing more with less” it’s being asked to do less, with less, and somehow maintain the same standards of quality.

At this point, our ability to deliver meaningful work is being undermined, and the prevailing message from leadership seems to be that we should feel fortunate just to be employed.

Today’s all-hands felt disingenuous and, at times, insulting. But more importantly, it made one thing clear: what leadership values is not aligned with the people doing the work. The culture is speaking, but it stands in direct opposition to the narrative coming from the TRP ivory tower.

The career progression is like this: You work to improve yourself over 25 years in semiconductors. You will become an expert who can resolve all special taks. save money, improve yield and make projects successfull. Everybody is happy, but.....the salary increases over years......Finally they will lay you off because your salary is too high, higher than graduate´s salary. Managment does not understand that what moves the company forward is the technical experties and speed. It is not important anymore, what only matters are cheap incompetent graduates who are asap hired mainly from none technical fields because they are cheaper than graduates from technicial fields. All slows down, projects slow downs or crash, problems remain unresloved, yield is terrible, customers lots..... Well seniors are fired and youner ones cannot cope with it.... Solution? They repeat the same mistakes over and over.....Perhaps the company shall be renamed to "Inferno Hindmalay Semiconductors Technologies GmbH".

They just want the board to be pleased. No one wants AI, we don’t use it except for occasional copilot. NONE of the products use AI in true fashion. It’s all fake

Friday May 1st - Workers International Day - On Strike! Shut down the planet! Get stoned! Peace out!

A recent blog post highlighted the practice of "ghostworking." This involves employees doing the bare minimum required for their jobs. Layoff anxiety and burnout are increasing among American workers. This environment makes ghostworking more appealing to disengaged employees. Empathetic leadership and strong company culture can help counter this trend.

https://hrexecutive.com/is-ghostworking-about-to-reemerge-amid-layoffs/

If you look, you can see what’s going on. Management not really enforcing 5 day RTO. Snacks/eggs not being restocked. Soda/coffee/water machines taking days to refill.
The company is feeling the cost squeeze of offering those things now that they have to save for the new .
So they look away on you coming in 2-3 days, and you look away on all these amenities they lured you back with.

This year’s Great Place to Work survey used a restricted participant list. In my memory, in the last a few years, everyone around me anticipated the survey. Is management trying to avoid honest results? Or the company is trying to save money by reducing the survey sample size?

Why didn't JF use this global event to give DF a proper send off this morning?

I and all of Model e and Skunkworks are disappointed DF wasn't properly recognized. In fact, the only mention of DF was in the chat. Missed opportunity indeed.

I can’t even begin to tell you the amount of people that tell me that they don’t wear Nikes because they run to slim. And each time I just nod my head and say I agree. I do wonder how much more business we’d campfire by making a simple change like making our sizing more inclusive. My own family doesn’t even use my discount because they all have wide shoes and Nike doesn’t fit them😂

There’s low hanging fruit to be had all around, yet we overlook it to try to make these big statements that seemly haven’t landed in recent years.

This regards the very much worries have I about my manager’s manager. My address and phone number the manager has access to. But he must be called out. Never will change. He must go. I do not have the trust for human resources. They will certainty side with him. Please advise.

Can we make actually replying to peers in email or teams a fu--ing job requirement?? What a loser company, I have been here 6m and never seen anything like this at my other companies

…after completing the GES, employees cannot go back and look at the results from previous years surveys. In fact, only Managers can access it…but only after requesting permission to do so.

Story by agoh@businessinsider.com

(1) Skims cofounder Emma Grede says the downsides of working from home don't get enough attention.

(2) She said it's "so crazy" not to draw a link between remote work and growing social issues such as loneliness.

(3) "The key to a long and happy life is your close relationships," she said.

Emma Grede, a founding partner of Skims, says the real cost of working from home isn't being talked about enough.

Speaking on the "Leaders with Francine Lacqua" podcast episode released on Monday, Grede, 43, said that remote work could have broader social consequences that people are overlooking.

"Working from home is career su----e. And we only talk about the upside of working from home," Grede told podcast host Francine Lacqua.

The downsides aren't what people want to hear, but Grede says she believes the effects are already visible in everyday life.

"Think about what's happening in the world. Declining birth rates, declining marriage rates, and the loneliness epidemic. And we think that none of that is linked to the number of people that like, don't see people because they're doing Zoom calls from the living room?" Grede said.

Grede, who is also the CEO of Good American and the first Black female investor to appear on "Shark Tank," said that it's "so crazy" not to make that correlation.

"The key to a long and happy life is your close relationships," she added.

For Grede, being in the room matters from the very start of a career.

"Listen, I did a lot of unpaid internships and I did it while being somebody that didn't have a lot of money. And that was a real struggle for me," Grede said.

Despite that, she said she saw the value of those opportunities.

"It was a huge unlock for me, the ability to go into an organization and get under the hood without having any qualifications or right to really be there. I think that there have to be certain protections on it, but I'd like to lift the lid because there's so much to be learned," she said.

It's not the first time Grede has taken a hard line on workplace expectations. In May 2025, she said she considers it a red flag when job candidates ask about work-life balance during the interview process.

"Work-life balance is your problem. It isn't your employer's responsibility," Grede said.

In an April interview with The Wall Street Journal, Grede also sparked an online debate after describing herself as a "max three-hour mum" on weekends focused on creating "high-impact, core memories" with her kids.

Grede is part of a growing number of CEOs pushing back on remote work.

In May 2023, Elon Musk said he views remote work as "morally wrong," saying it's unfair for some workers to stay home while others must be physically present to do their jobs.

"It's like, really, you're going to work from home and you're going to make everyone else who made your car come work in the factory?" Musk said.

In March, JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon said that working from home simply "doesn't work" for many younger employees, who will benefit from in-person guidance from their colleagues.

"They learn by going on a sales call with you," Dimon said. "They learn by seeing you make a mistake. They learn by how you deal with the mistake."

Since mid-2025, several major companies, including JPMorgan, Amazon, and Google, have implemented return-to-office policies.

;)

I have a dream that one day we will be judged not by a badge swipe, not by a line in a presence report, but by the work we actually do.

I have a dream that we stop pretending five days in an office equals productivity, when we’ve already proven that great work happens from anywhere. That we stop forcing people into seats just to be seen, and start trusting them to deliver.

I have a dream that effort, integrity, and contribution matter more than location. That someone doing exceptional work from home is valued more than someone simply occupying a desk.

I have a dream that we end the illusion that RTO creates culture. Because culture isn’t built by commuting, by sitting in traffic, or by joining video calls from a cubicle. Culture is built by trust, respect, and giving people the flexibility to do their best work.

I have a dream that we recognize what’s actually happening. That people are burned out, that morale is down, and that forcing five days in-office isn’t fixing it, it’s causing it.

I have a dream that we stop measuring presence and start measuring performance. That we reward results, not routines.

I have a dream that the best people aren’t pushed out because they want flexibility, and that we stop pretending five-day RTO is normal when most of the world has already moved on.

Because right now, we’re clinging to a model that’s outdated, expensive, and ineffective.

So I have a dream that we move forward. That we embrace hybrid, embrace remote work, and build a company around outcomes, not optics.

Because work isn’t a place.

And the sooner we accept that, the better off everyone will be.

Like the title says. The current crop is useless. We all love to complain. So who would you want to be leading various businesses and tech? Either internal or external. For internal use the current internal role instead of their names.
IDK what this would do ... I am just dreaming here.

Have medicine for everything imaginable BUT not one cure for anything.....and sell cigarettes nonstop. Purely sad...actually beyond sad. Hmmmmm all about the money much. And still can't survive.

Seems to be no rhyme or reason for who was placed where and the decisions that were made. What the Fu*k?

GN&T has too many incompetent and wasteful people in leadership positions. I don’t think Accenture has the know how or the perseverance to sort this situation out. More than likely, they’ll end up throwing out the baby with the bath water!

I know we are the lowest in the IT hierarchy but maybe there are people working as L1/L2 and would like to share experience? Because honestly it is my first user-facing job where users are the LEAST of the problems lol!

Why are we letting leadership make unilateral decisions without pushback? The push for full-time office work feels unreasonable and out of touch with what many of us actually need to do our jobs well.

It seems like a culture of fear has been created where people don’t feel comfortable speaking up, so whatever is decided just goes unchallenged. Is there a way for us to collectively raise concerns or push back in a constructive way

Former Consultants who strictly consulted and advised on digital transformation are hired into SVP, VP, and SR DR roles (as well as our favorite EVP AK). They know how to suggest but not lead and execute.

No accountability exists from these people, they don’t know how to lead, because they’ve never had to. Repeat this hiring cycle 100x bc consultants love hiring other consultants, and we are now in this state of being industry laggards!!!!!!

Saw someone on LinkedIn posted the best message I’ve seen. No s-b story, no anger, no how bad it’s going to be without them, etc. Instead a message on helping pick others up, laugh, smile, etc. Reflection wasn’t self promoting of all their accomplishments but instead centered around being touched personally by those who reached out.

Can’t remember their name because not a contact but the most real and human way to navigate. The self promoting, company bashing, or s-b story posts are all too common.

This is very different than another tech person post who basically said “I’m so amazing don’t even ask me to waste time writing my achievements on a resume. I’ll just tell them to you if you want to talk.”

So you mean to tell me this dude with a degree mill degree all the way in India cares about US patients and US healthcare?

Most companies say they value their people. Yet fail to create cultures where people actually feel valued.

But here's what actually makes people stay:

✅ Paid Well – Compensation reflects their worth
✅ Heard – Their voice actually matters
✅ Respected – Not just for what they do, but who they are
✅ Challenged – Growth is encouraged, not stifled
✅ Trusted – Micromanagement doesn’t exist
✅ Supported – Through wins and setbacks
✅ Recognized – Effort is seen, not overlooked
✅ Included – A real part of the bigger picture
✅ Developed – Opportunities to learn and grow
✅ Appreciated – Beyond performance metrics
✅ Empowered – Given autonomy, not just tasks
✅ Promoted – Hard work leads somewhere

Retention isn't a strategy. It's an outcome of how you treat people every day.

Ask your team: “What’s one thing we could do better to show we value you?” Then listen.

What’s one thing you’ve done (or seen) that made people choose to stay longer?

Back in 2023 at an FI all hands in SMT, one of the heads of the BU said “Vanguard makes you come in 3 times a day, we’re MUCH better than them”. Roger Stiles also said in the end of 2022 that the approach for one week in office was fair.

I wonder if those gents remember when they said that lol.

Literally WHY?

For the love of God, have we not learned a single lesson about protecting franchises?

Pull the launch. Allocate to sneakerhead shops only. Let’s gain some brand equity back.

To all the negative people over here.. just ask yourself: Is Hans better than Dan?
Answer is obviously No..
Atleast we are not hiring random people for DEI.. I saw former cooks/ gym instructors getting hired under some program. There was mafia in GTS ( some people are still here) .
I liked Hans for keeping everyone comfortable on a sinking ship without doing anything to help the ship..
I would rather be uncomfortable but save the ship.

People are complaining today as if any of this is new, but it isn’t. These same patterns have played out in every generation. Different names, different systems, same cycles. Jobs change, economies shift, uncertainty comes and goes. It happens throughout the lives of every generation. What changes is not the pattern itself, but how aware people are of it, and how they respond when it shows up again.

Follow the narrow path that leads to life.

Let's go back to on Nike catalog and bring back all the classic shoes and reintroduce them and put them on the pot and create all different kind of crazy color way and bring in rap artists and celebritis that has nothing to do with athletics and do a "collabo"!

What? What is that you say?

You already tried that to death and now you burned the whole market, toasted really well?

Oh, I am sorry, I was not tuned in for last 20 years.

EH you are touchy and sensitive these days.

The ceo said for months that layoffs would be complete "by 1Q." Instead layoffs continue well into 2Q and cmo said on kinetic call yesterday that layoffs are a good thing so we don't become bloated like kodak. The foundation has been put down for business as usual.

And until the two march in lockstep, layoffs and bottom-basement morale will continue. Each person needs to decide for themselves whether to continue to work for this set of values or not. While I wish the best of outcomes for everyone, I left in late 2023 because I realized that fear and bullying were evergreen in the leadership teams here. Happy to report there’s great opportunity beyond this organization.

Did anyone notice that OptumInsight only had 5 Super Heroes awarded?

DXC does not spin up a truly new platform in 12–18 months, especially given their engineering capacity, budget constraints, and the leadership churn you’ve been tracking.

But here’s the real story:

OASIS is built on the same underlying lineage as Platform X — but DXC is deliberately avoiding saying that publicly.

Let’s all boycott FLIK - why are we coming here more to line their pockets! Pack a lunch. Let’s all get on board.

Talk about bait and switch. Left the company and left before my billing cycle was up. They are trying to back charge me for the previous bill and saying because I left during the bill cycle I lost my promos what an unfair business practice to bill promos in arrears when they bill in advance!!!!

CarQuest Lifers you know who you are, time is running out time to find a new job…Same for AAP Lifers…..clock is ticking. This company is in shambles and leadership knows it and are just getting that pay check.

I unfortunately was not laid off. Honestly, I would’ve loved to have had 4 to 8 months of severance to get out of this he-l hole.

Unfortunately, I’m stuck behind in a company that’s already dead and doesn’t know it.

The company that Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman created is dead, it’s now filled with a bunch of overpaid mouth breathers, who are politicians more than business people, not the whole company but enough.

Nike’s AI hype is a perfect example. You have a bunch of re--rds running around for three f** years trying to make AI work at Nike and there’s been nothing of measurable value created. The enterprise doesn’t even have a strategy, even though it spent millions of dollars and 100s of resources to do “something” with AI.

Fortunately, the id--ts who decided to go with copilot were all fired or at least most of them. Unfortunately, a new group of id--ts will use AI as some sort of silver bullet to save the company when they have no experience actually doing anything with AI and the company’s problems have nothing to do with AI(at least at the present moment).

It’s just a bunch of people pushing technology they don’t understand, other than it’s a magic word to maintain influence, relevance, and job security.

Don’t get me wrong. Nike was a great company and a great American story. But that company is dead.

So to those of you who got fired, I wish you the best of luck and frankly, I’d rather not be on the Titanic as it sinks.