Thread regarding Cisco Systems Inc. layoffs

Where are all the young people the CEO muses, casting a long questioning gaze over the all-hands-meeting. I need young people, smart and scared, easy to pit one against the other. Sort out the best. get rid of the rest. Make up something, anything, just give them a bad review; a fist sign the target is on your back. Hope you were not foolish enough to purchase a home or have a family. A little secret... School teaches you how to be a good little worker. Fall into the trap, walk the trail of worry, divorce, layoff, and rumors of layoffs. Better to be your own boss or a hired g-n. Travel light and never tie yourself down to anything.

Cisco managers excel in managing out team members, and not what these managers are hired for - providing guidance, leadership, mentoring and coaching that indeed makes a difference in productivity and team performance. Well trained Managers, go figure.

The corporate we-pon of choice to downgrade any hard working employee is “Performance”. This is such a relative and subjective term, and is very often misunderstood and misused, mostly against an employee to manage him/her out. And the real irony is most folks think that is true, and lean and support management decision without understanding it’s repercussions. When a manager says, so & so is a bad performer, others isolate that person to only make it harder. This we-pon is what most id--t managers excel, and use it against whenever time and situation demands.

: @1umg+1ufPpo1G

Another reason why these situations are bad because people assume cause, they did something to deserve it,That is not the case here,

He probably got shitcanned for s3xual misconduct.

I know I am old and high salary but luckily I will just retire. I feel the target on my back

Makes sense reading these real stories and we’re all sure there are many more of these.

Managers don’t interact with Customers, nor they assist dealing with issues or help find solutions. Their real fun job is to follow their managers or SVP to manage out employees as needed without regards to good performance or moral values. You pick anyone, and managers can make someone a hero one month, and make the same high performer look like a real id--t and with performance issues the next month. And HR is behind managers to execute their plan, not to support employees though both manager and HR create perceptions that they have the best for employees, and even encourages them to raise concerns so HR can address them. The reality is just the opposite..

Not uncommon at Cisco at all. I have seen managers give the “se of the quarter” award to an SE for work that another engineer did and that other engineer hit the LR list shortly after. Managers there can manipulate the story so that the best engineer on the team looks like the worst and vice versa.

This happened many years, if you considered expensive you out, period.
Doesn't matter how hard your FLM try to save you, its no use.
Unfortunately these type of engineer are good engineers. They replace you with engineer in cheaper area. Eventually it will leads quality issue just like Boeing/Game company ... etc

"A high salary means goodbye from Fran and Chuck"

THIS. It doesn't matter how good you are, how valuable you are, how hard you work--it matters how much you make (and how old you are). They are driving to a number, everything else is BS. This is how most large orgs operate during LR situations. HR does not have your back (never do), and to leadership...you are just a number.

Happens all the time. LR is actually more work for lazy leaders and so this informal managing out is a way to avoid having to make any business case. Seen it frequently when people on the team get new managers/ leaders. As “at will” employees HR will tell you they don’t need a reason to ask you to leave. Similarly the higher up the food chain you go, no documented performance feedback or coaching is required so your direct manager can engineer this pretty easily. Sad.

Just to follow on to the previous. An LR was happening or soon to happen but the SVP could not justify removing my key role and possible age discrimination. so they had to resort, create a non existent performance issue and pressure me to take a package.

Same thing happened to me, however I made the mistake and met with HR. After years of great reviews, feedback, and promotions I had a new SVP.

SVP said there were performance issues and was going to do a PIP or I could take a package and I should meet with HR to get to see what a possible package would look like. I told the SVP i didn’t see any performance issues and none had been communicated.

I decided to meet with HR, at the same time gather info to fight the possible PIP and received great support from other leaders. I met with HR and they presented an actual package with dates to me. Clearly could ticking. Went back to the SVP and said I had this great feedback from others and there are no performance issues. SVP said sorry too late, you met with HR nothing I can do. Morale of the story, HR is not your friend.

That happened to me a number of years ago.

I was told by my SVP that I was going an excellent job and that he had a plum promotion in store for me. Three months later, after a massive reorg, I’m now working for a new boss under the SVP. I get an invite to discuss my “career planning” from the new boss, and walk in to find them SVP, the VP/GM, and the HR director.

I think “Cool, I’m going to get the promotion!”.

After years of excellent reviews I’m told I’m being put on a 30-day performance plan.

I had a new job in 10 days, never signed the PIP, and told the VP and SVP to shove it.

Cisco is a very broken company and has been for years.

The new manager was probably given a reduction target and couldn’t justify/document eliminating the position for the LR, so they had to come up with performance issues and pressure to take a package. “We can do it the easy way or the hard way.”

Wonder how many others are suffering the same fate?

Strangely, a couple of weeks before the LR announcement, a people manager in APJC was informed by their manager to start looking for another position. This person also had excellent performance reviews. This person's manager is new to the organization and joined a few months back. My colleague believes the new manager wants to consolidate control and reduce department cost, as my colleague is a high salaried as noted by @rsw+1ufPpo1G message.

A high salary means goodbye from Fran and Chuck

Must have been from operations, sounds like what they do over there.