#engagement

E. W. Scripps CEO Adam Symson is defending recent layoffs and newsroom restructuring, citing early positive signs in viewing hours and engagement. He highlighted a 23 percent increase in total viewing hours on 24-hour online streams and an additional ten minutes of viewing time per viewer. Four initial markets reportedly saw nearly 70 percent average growth in viewing hours after eight weeks. Symson acknowledged these gains stem from small initial audiences but indicated growing engagement. The company faces significant debt and is continuing operational changes.

Cincinnati, Ohio

https://thedesk.net/2026/10/scripps-ceo-defends-layoffs-newsroom-restructuring/

Suzan McD sent word through Amplify today that engagement scores (CES) are up and everything at the firm is great. Penny sent the monthly update saying assets are flowing out at an alarming rate and we need to get a handle on it. And then, my colleague shared with me that 300 associates in Practice Management have been displaced. To be clear, there are open roles and people can interview for them. But Marketing is also going through a re-org. Our team isn’t doing so great with our new Indian Digital partner. We’ve rescheduled multiple times for power outages and the language barrier has created delays because of misunderstandings.

I don’t think engagement has increased. It feels like an infomercial (ELT propaganda). I wonder what’s going on in other areas.

If the engagement surveys are truly "anonymous" how do they know who has done them and who hasn't?

As stated previously, senior/executive leadership care more about participation rate than actual scores. They believe low scores with a 100% participation is actually an indicator of high engagement since it means workers still believe their voices are being heard. It’s obvious nobody has been listening to us for a few years now and the participation rate has been dropping as a result. Make it PLUMMET.

This week you will probably start receiving emails from leadership at all levels asking you to complete the engagement survey. These emails aren’t sent if initial participation rates are high. Senior/executive leadership realize what low participation means and it reflects poorly on them if participation is low. Ignore these emails and don’t take the survey.

Just go an email that Mondelez is having another employee survey. Funny how it starts on October 5th? It would have been quite fun to see if it dropped before that.

What do you think will get people’s attention more? Really low engagement scores, or a really low participation rate? I’m thinking a really low participation rate. Execs seem to care more about that than actual survey results.

For positions who were laid off (not VSP) there’s over a 3 week period we’re still employed. Are people attending meetings and continuing to participate as usual during this period? Curious how others are handling expectations around work and meetings during the transition including supervision calls?

Is anyone going in person to the technology all hands going to ask the tough questions?

But then they ask the next question, which you dread, So who are you working for? And you say Cengage. The not so polite people say what? Wait, how do you spell that? And then I found my trick is I say it's like a C and then the word engage. And then the lethal third question comes, So what do you do at Cengage? And then typically, I don't know about you, but for me, I was always struggling a little bit.

So what I want to do today with a very specific purpose is give us collective understanding of not only what we do, but why Cengage is an awesome company and why we deserve to win in the battle for the hearts and the minds of our customers.

We have an engagement survey and I can only implore you fill it out. I really do not care what you say.

Meaning it doesn't have to be like, Oh yeah, everything is great and like, but engage with it and like, say what's wrong, say what's right and engage your help with each other and help each other also not only in the survey, but also in the day-to-day, like interact with the product group, interact with the marketing group and make sure that we have a highest level of engagement because that really is a prerequisite for our productivity and our success.

For those who love to see all these complaints and pity that fly around this forum, this is your chance to make a change. Go to your proxy site and vote as you wish. If there are enough of you, you’ll have your way. If you are too lazy to even click on a button on your phone screen, then quit complaining.

I want people’s opinions on this. The UW Campaign is in October, and the committee is pulling in the ERGs for engagement. They claim the focus is on the people—not Imperial. But let’s be honest: every single thing we do still gets stamped with Imperial’s name, and employees onsite have zero motivation left. I don’t see how we’re supposed to “engage” anyone under these conditions.

Culture always starts at the top.

Winning companies build cultures of trust, accountability, and innovation.

Losing companies build cultures of fear, bureaucracy, and compliance.

When employees spend more time talking about RTO, presence reports, FTW letters, and layoffs than customers, growth, or innovation, you’ve stopped building a winning culture. You’ve instead built a culture of survival.

If employees are disengaged, anxious, and constantly wondering what’s coming next, that’s not an employee problem. Leadership shapes culture, and culture shapes results.

You can’t track your way to engagement, you can’t mandate trust, and you can’t build a winning company with a culture of losing.

People are asking good questions!

Let’s hear it

John is hosting a Dallas ONLY (sorry non HQ people) open mic today. Highest rated question from the chat I will stand up and ask.

So uhhhh…are we not going to talk about this? Results were atrocious. We think anything is going to happen or a lot of hand waving and being told we should appreciate our jobs?

who decides on the date?

Can't wait to get to work tomorrow. Such a fulfilling job where I feel valued. It is great knowing my work is part of the future plan and I am contributing to the overall success of VZ. I'm so excited that I won't be able to sleep tonight. Set the Foundation!!! Love your company!

Employer: We are begging you please complete survey.

Me: 🖕

Can’t believe we’re doing this again.

Those of you who aren't in a production based role and aren't being tracked 24/7 do you keep yourself active on teams even when you have nothing to do?

Looking at the number of likes there is a high visit rates

Sorry lads

Congrats to those who got promoted. Truly.

But can we talk about the process for a second?

No heads up that an upleveled role even existed. No transparency. No conversation. Just a notification that a handful of people, all of whom, by the way, meet the same criteria as the rest of us, got bumped up.

The rest of us found out the same way you find out about most things around here. After the fact.

Leadership loves to talk about engagement and culture. Here’s a free tip: this is exactly how you ki-l both.

We’re watching. We’re paying attention. And we’re drawing our own conclusions.

SG, the WFH champion, is moving onto Wal Mart. Is it because something will be coming down soon? Bonuses usually coming at the end of March...is that not happening? Merit increase this year? How about the engagement survey that usually surfaces in April/May. Will that be put on hold? More layoffs? OR was she just able to take an opportunity with a better company that offers a fully remote role?

We’re seeing a significant decline in leadership engagement, which is directly impacting our ability to meet deadlines and maintain client satisfaction. The current culture has led to widespread morale issues. No one cares anymore.

In a day of social media, only 21 likes on the Intranet page for the townhall is quite embarrassing

Per MH: "Treat it like a 20-minute Wellness Week. In other words, just focus on that thing like nothing else and make sure that you give us the feedback we wanna hear from you."

Nothing says "wellness" like forced tasks and giving them the feedback they want to hear. Plus everything will stay the same or be worse.

Morale is trash. Collaboration did not magically appear. Engagement is still imaginary.

That one remote day wasn’t a “perk.” It was the only day people could handle doctor follow-ups and real-life admin that only exists during business hours. Apparently that was too much autonomy.

Now we’re all back, paying for snacks and sodas that aren’t even stocked, drying our hands on air because there are no paper towels, and playing musical chairs with conference rooms because no one books them. Had to kick someone out of a room for my own meeting. Peak teamwork.

Nothing says “we value our people” like taking away flexibility, providing fewer basics, and expecting gratitude. I feel so engaged. I feel so motivated. I feel absolutely compelled to give more than the bare minimum.

If productivity drops, good. If people disengage, expected. If turnover spikes, deserved.

You wanted butts in seats. Congrats.
You got bodies. You lost trust.

I read a Forbes article on employee happiness and company performance, and it feels very relevant right now.

The research is clear that companies with higher employee happiness consistently perform better over time. Not just culturally, but financially. Engagement, innovation, productivity, retention, and customer experience all improve when people feel supported, trusted, and connected to the work.

Right now, it’s hard to ignore that employee morale at Nike feels low. At the same time, the stock price reflects broader challenges and uncertainty. Those two things are often more connected than we want to admit.

The article reinforces that compensation and perks aren’t the main drivers. Leadership trust, clarity, purpose, growth, and how decisions are communicated matter far more. This feels like an important moment for EH and TH to seriously reflect on how employee experience is being navigated and how it’s landing across the organization.

Nike has always been strongest when people believed in where we were going and felt proud of how we got there. Rebuilding morale isn’t just about culture, it’s about long-term performance.

For anyone interested, here’s the article:
https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/2024/10/04/happiness-at-work-the-new-competitive-advantage/

And even has HR coming in to get a pulse on things yet gets defensive on a team call right before the holidays today to address the feedback. This leader is very disconnected from his actual team, CANNOT make a decision without consulting SLOD for BAU business matters, and spends all his time being a site leader when the time should be spent understanding his new role , engaging his team and for the love of everything training his green people leaders. Kennedy is a great leader pretty surprised he hasn’t caught on to this about his direct. Call today was odd he had with our team defensive when asked for feedback. Then don’t ask! Merry Christmas ya’ll.

how many times will LC say AI. Drinking game!

Rawool Fernandass announced with great enthusiasm “My leadership is uniquely leaning itself toward strategic penetration as we fully embrace a deep engagement with our organization’s Assponential operating framework".

Just checking in.

How are the quiet quitters fairing these days.

Is it still a thing?

I was at 12, granted my attention was not full.

#collaboration

I was wondering if they were going to cook the books on the engagement survey. Either folks were scared that any negative reviews would be traced back to them, or they only took the survey results from Sr. Management. I don't know a single person who gave them a good response. Complete sh-t show.

If your team have H1B visa holders or you notice your business is shifting more functions to India, it's important to stay cautious and alert.

Many companies are now laying off American workers to reduce operational costs, and in some cases, employees may be unfairly labeled as underperformed to save severance.

Remember, as American workers, you have rights—if your business is laying off while still employing H1B visa holders, it raises questions about the necessity of the visas and the company's compliance. Do file a report to Department of Labor and USCIS.

As a proactive step, consider reaching out to your local congressman to advocate for stricter regulations on H1B visas and offshoring practices. Congress has already taken some actions in this direction, but additional support is needed, especially as U.S. job growth is experiencing multi-year lows.
Staying informed and engaged can help protect your rights and ensure fair employment practices.

Was this actually anonymous like oxy said? I’ve heard mixed stories on whether these are actually anonymous or not.

Why are these guys in such a rush to receive all of the negative feedback they’re going to get through this survey? Pushing to have 100% completion in the first week and giving drps to the first teams to do it. I can’t wait to get my free shirts after trashing the company in every question like I do every year since mission one started! Maybe we’ll even get another useless team morale building cookout!