I've been working at Intel for over a year, and I've increasingly felt excluded by my teammates. I am also the most new hire in my team. I'm often left out of projects and team discussions, and whenever I offer to help, I'm met with hostility or behavior that makes me feel isolated. They ridiculed me even in front of team meeetings by demeaning my work, keeping me out of loop and excluding me from team chats. Things have gotten worse since two colleagues returned from leave and started working closely together. I feel like they've created an environment where I'm deliberately excluded from opportunities and collaboration.
It's becoming emotionally exhausting to deal with this kind of workplace politics. Has anyone else experienced something similar? How did you handle it? I started to look for other opportunities but I need to sustain here till I get another one… please help I am so mentally exhausted…
36 replies (most recent on top)
@qc are you confusing op with the people known to bangs tables in meeting?
OP should maintain their current fetal position and continue bleating.
Well Mr smart a-s, educate us a bit more… are you trying to say race/place of birth determines who needs to work at McDonald’s versus Intel?
@234 not if you are white or American born
@1w7 I think that will be a good place for you to work
@OP You're doing the right thing by looking for another role outside. Happened to me too. Didn't matter that I was successful in what i was doing and getting recognized by people that mattered. What I couldn't stand was the cliquish behavior. Felt like I was in high school again. See this as temporary. Do your work, keep doing the right things while you're looking and then leave. Don't be discouraged. Something will eventually turn up. And, you might even take on another role as a stepping stone. It doesn't have to be the next perfect job but something where you will pick up new skills to continue to look for your ideal role. Also good to remember that no matter where you go, there will be people like the ones you're working with now so you also have to figure out how you want to be in that type of environment. Don't let it define you but learn how you want to deal with it for your own peace of mind. Some people go along and play the game. You decide what is right for you.
Mcdonalds allways hiring.
@1d1 This is so true, unfortunately. I left a few months ago largely because of how bad this type of nonsense was getting. People were hoarding knowledge, actively trying to sabotage their coworkers, and it's only getting worse since layoffs are going to continue under the guise of firing people for alleged performance issues.
We were straight up being told to learn new skills to make sure we're valuable enough to be moved to other teams... I think higherups were trying to encourage us to learn more while not realizing (or caring) that it was mostly going to lead to people trying to be the only person that could handle certain tasks. It leads to highly inefficient teams which is the last thing Intel needs right now.
Sorry OP, that's a lousy spot to be in. I'm going to jump on the bandwagon of people encouraging you to apply for new jobs; Intel is a sinking ship and it's going to get worse as teams continue to be slashed as they're automated or outsourced.
OP, you started Intel at the wrong time unfortunately. People at Intel have this thing called "Job Security", meaning they will keep information and skills to themselves. However in the last 3 to 4 years, with the constant layoffs, its become a "Dog Eat Dog" world. The paranoia dial has went up to 11 because no one knows if they will get Layoff in the next quarter or next month.
My advice, which you are already doing today, Look for another job while maintaining your current role. I went through similar scenario last year when i returned to Intel in 2025, very hostile work environment in the Graphics group. Intel Graphics group is a Toxic environment and lots of back stabbing (even sabotaging work which i quickly found out). After my observation, I started looking for a job shortly afterwards and left Intel before Christmas. Best decision of my life, at a better company that pays more and better work environment.
If I have to give something motivational is the following: Your job is to find another job while being paid by Intel. Keep applying & keep interviewing until you land a role that is better than Intel, it will be worth it.
@qc those are the people Intel rewards though…. That seems to be the definition of strong intel leadership skills
Find another job as soon as possible. I have seen political science majors, sociology and psychology majors running engineering projects and they create such hostile environment to let others down to shield their incompetence. Try talking to your manager and document everything.
Well work somewhere else then. Get your resume out and find another job either at intel or somewhere you fit in to your liking. F em then ! Especially if you have crazy wise as--s in your team area. Find another job internally or externally. Your life man and don't let anyone walk all over you. Intel is just a generic workplace and nothing great about it at all,
In all honesty this is no longer funny, I have threatened, debunked and you guys will not stop. Whoever you are, now am pleading to stop. If you have something to say, use your experience. Just stop this
Sorry @OP, we know the Intel system is riddled with bias and unnecessary politics. There is no advice that can be given unfortunately as the new Intel offers no avenue for accountability or solution. Don’t bother escalating it, you will only get a bigger target on your back and be made the problem. Just wait your turn….
Been there, this happened a long time ago to me in the 90's. I transferred internally from one factory to another and was not a FNG to Intel having more than 3yrs experience. I joined a very tight work group that drank together on weekends and time off. This group had a couple of people that would not share their knowledge. In the end I called them out on the BS they were pulling one night after work (no manager involved). I told them I was just trying to blend with the team to make their jobs easier but that wouldn't happen if they continued being hostile and exclusionary. I essentially responded in a very logical way about how their little work-group operated and was costing Intel $$$$$. I would probably have gotten fired today for how I aggressively approached the situation but the boss was part of the group and it would not have looked good at the time to involve that person. In essence I told them we could all shake hands and put the past behind, or play it a different way where everyone gets either written up or fired. Intel was a much different company back then but the tight-knit work groups have existed back to the 70's. I had previous experience with hostile work environments prior to working at Intel so I managed this situation with that knowledge. Good luck.
I don't believe OP isn't not included
s*ck it up buttercup
@qy what does your post have to do with inclusion or the post above?
While most people focus on the inflated market optimism manifested by the artificially bloated share price, internal indications are pretty bleak unfortunately. Intel's culture is more broken today than ever. None of the teams have a clue about what others are doing: especially in the product development side of the operation. There is no common mission for the employees to work towards: just isolated efforts that keep them busy to justify their presence and the salary they are paid regularly. People are simply keeping their heads down and working for a paycheck without any career expectations at all. All you see is long faces while pacing the long and wide corridors. This is a sad existence and is depressing to go through every day. Letting people go has become a much easier decision for leadership, and everyone is dispensable. Managers can no longer advocate for the best performers in their teams as layoff decisions are simply pushed from above purely based on budget and based on very short term thinking as nobody is planning a future at Intel (let the last sentence sink in). It seems internally nobody believes Intel can lead anything anymore in industry: it can only struggle to keep afloat in order not to disappear completely...
Take credit for everyone else’s work, stab people in the back and toss others under the bus once and a while. You'll be management in no time. It's the Intel way.
@jd does Intel have an ethics hotline?
@k6 and if they are not of Asian decent?
If you a foreign born female the American white males of Intel will be more than extra happy to include you. Especially if you are of Asian descent.
Since you are still so young, it is better to find another job. Intel will get worse, not better. With all the layoffs, teammates are playing politics. If you are doing well technically, others will get jealous and will try to kick you out.
You are still lucky that they did not get stabbed in the back. In my org, I got stabbed in the back, and I saw with my own eyes that many managers tell lies and said "Will ki-l you" to people.
Ethics line have them investigate
Welcome to shitTel where you can work like sh-t in order to sell sh-t and a great place to sh-t before a layoff.
you guys exposing yourselves by yourselves yet again
Totally engineered thread.
@a9 yes thats what I am doing just trying to stick another few months while searching for opportunities elsewhere….sometimes they just made me feel so unworthy of constantly pushback from team members specially during this time of year where performance review will be in a few months
You need a new group. 1 yr is still the learning. A rule of thumb is that mastery takes 10000 hrs. Try to find projects and be proactive, but also be looking. Don’t be surprised if you propose something that’s ignored and then gets proposed later.
Don't listen to this horrible advice, trying to present safety improvements to your manager or suggesting your own projects will just give them an excuse to work you overtime for free, then blame you for cost overruns. Beat them at their own game. Every 6 months, send an email recording the bugs that need to be fixed to show a record and don't do anything about it. Let them be the ones to blame for not fixing it and you observe the mess. They'll forget and in 6 months, you send another email referencing the previous email 6 months ago and they will look like the d-mbest co-workers ever.
Survival 101 in a dysfunctional company:
Someone needs to let go on layoff days and tour team makes sure it's you who will be chosen for the next round of layoffs.
Creaate ur own projects. Proppose them to your general manager. Cost savings showing roi are big. Safety improvmwnts as well. Dont expect ur team to help u this is ur own development.
At intel u dont need approval taake on projectsvia submissions safety and quality catches! Stop lookin for approval. Come up w fresh ideas especially cost savings aand propose to ur upper managers. Ur team mates compete w you, ur job outsmart them w better ideas and get managament approval.
Just 1 year? Ur a nebie. Learn be tough and smart the tech world is biz very agressive. Dont cry, handle problems be an aciever. I spent 30 years in semiconductor. No room for weak. I enjoyed the dynamic environment. If u cant handle pressure suggest work in other industry
@OP I’m sorry, that sounds like an awful environment. Their behavior reflects on their character, not yours. Stick it out as long as you have to in order to make sure you do what you need to do. I have heard of people being in situations like that for a year because they needed the experience on their resumes. You can also try talking to your manager. Stay strong.