Who has been successful in getting hired internally after being surplussed?
23 replies (most recent on top)
I know that in the past a surplused person was looked at as having a stigma attached to them. However that is changing due to the scope of the downsizing. I know when I was surplused I had a AM that wanted me and in fact tried to get me for a vacant position that had come up recently. That is when he found out they were about to go through the same thing. He had wondered why it was taking so long to get a requisition put in and had been given bs reasons. That group was going down 2 mgrs and having one leave meant they would have to go down one.
If I could land a job internally, I’ll have to move. Moving for AT&T seems risky. With no relocation money and all of the stuff I’d have to move, I’ll be shelling out some serious cash. On top of that I’d end up Increasing my mortgage payment. Doing all of that plus learn a new position just to get surplussed isn’t very attractive.
I survived 2 surpluses. First in 2005 second in 2013 both while in IT. I was able to find a job both times. Second time was the most difficult. I applied for 115 internal jobs. I did have about 10 interviews. Finally I snagged a job in Supply Chain. The problem I see now in management is that #1 they base surplus on location, are you outside the main hubs? If yes, you may have already seen a surplus letter. Rumor is next round will be based on your card swipes and how often working from home. Look for more layoffs coming. Sad these are not based on performance. These decisions are coming from Upper management. Middle management can only pass on some rules, but have been blind sided. We are losing a lot of knowledge. It is sad.
I found another position when I was surplussed in 2008 and am still with the company after this latest round. I work in IT.
no
I had 1 “interview” during my 60 day ‘find a job’ period. 5 minutes in, I knew it was nothing more than a courtesy. Got a call from a Director to schedule an interview on one of the other internal positions I applied for (this was a couple of days before I was off payroll). He called me back the next day and said his VP told him to hire another person (that happened to be in my same boat), so that interview never took place. While things have been tough after T, I do sleep at night and my health is exponentially better. No more Sunday action plan fire drills for the VP or endless cycles of coaching people ‘up or out’.
Anyone let go in the last 12 months knows there are few jobs to even apply for. Also, there are lots of folks looking internally. Did the pilot and flight attendant positions get filled yet?
"Middle mgmt knows how many are going to be let go. If you are going to have to go down 10% why take on more bodies?"
This!
You are basically shuffling people so why even bother since your are going to outsource anyway.
Senior management wants to get benefits and pensions off the books. The work is still there they are just going to outsource it so they can pay down the "debt".
I will be cancelling my services soon so hopefully I won't be helping paying down the "debt"
I was surplussed just a number of years ago. It was at such a time where there were a larger numbers of jobs that I could qualify for.
Out of some 100+ jobs I applied for, I only got maybe 5 interviews.
1 - This job I was a 100% match for. If fact, it was the job I ultimately got, although it took nearly 45 days to get into the position. I got the formal offer on the very last day on payroll. It worked out.
2nd - I was in tight with a group of people at one time, those people were in super tight with a VP level. He made a call on my behalf and got a call like 30 minutes later. Sadly, that didn't go so far.
3rd- Another good match interview. I never heard back from them, that position may have been cancelled
4th-A close friend was friends with the hiring manager. That was my fall back position
5th-Can't recall this one.
The story here, it is a numbers game. If you apply enough, you might survive. Naturally there needs to be jobs available.
Right now, if you are in ATO, there are only a handful of jobs that might be something you could qualify for.
It's called using the " new guy chip". A "pocket ace" is when you have at least one
or more low performing employees you can give up and not hurt your numbers.
Being blocked is something that needs to be looked at. Seen folks deemed critical and end up getting surplused 6 months later and the new job has been filled. Also seen folks jump to new positions and end up getting surplused there. Not sure what the answer is because in both the person affected blamed the company.
@ fop , @aoc - yup, i have seen it. the next surplus they will tell the manager "cut the person that is least effective to your group." when you join a new group and you don't have a chance to get up to speed it's quite obvious. moreover, it seems like once you get surplussed the first time it might explain why some start getting surplussed several times after that. still there are some that do go to a new group and everything works out. it is like a lottery here - you cannot really move your career in the direction you want to go all the time. even if there is a position you want to interview for, you may be blocked, and you may not even be safe in the new position.
seems like the people that do get picked up get saved during the last week or two of the surplus, and not necessarily through career path but by word of mouth through your managers.
@ fop --- "you take on more bodies so the new person can be surplussed the next round when you are forced to make cuts to save your own people that have been with you awhile" Ding! Ding! We have a winner. This is 100% correct. It does not matter how good you are, with all of the reorganizations and movement of AM's etc...as soon as you are the "new guy" in an established work group, with an AM you don't know...you're as good as gone. Not fair, but that's the way it goes. It's just easier to dump someone that you have not known very long.
I was surplused for the second time in Dec of 2016. I found a new job internally and have survived several more rounds in my new group. Don't give up hope, it does happen, although rarely and things are worse now than when it happened to me. The first time I was surplused (2013?), I got a lot of calls from managers looking for my skills that found me on the surplus list. I left Tech Dev with the last one, and think that was a good move. I still cringe everytime the rumbling starts, and feel like it's only a matter of time before my name is called again. I'm not as hopeful about the next time, but, I will still try as long as I can to find another spot, if/when that time comes. Best of luck to everyone. It's not easy.
Out of 45 ET"s laid off in my group over the last 2 years some took SIPP positions and many bumped other techs. None(including me) found jobs internally through the website. HR told us that most jobs are pulled off the website "to give to surplused people" What a joke!!
@wkr, fair point but I have a different take. I doubt that most Managers look down on the Surplussed, but I’m thinking they may not wish to incur ‘The Wrath’ of the higher ups by taking back what they painstakingly attempted to cast out! If a manager wants to fill a spot, drafting internally is the way they would go....the surplussed person may have better creds, but also a sign attached that says, “Don’t Touch.” And that would be unfortunate.
you take on more bodies so the new person can be surplussed the next round when you are forced to make cuts to save your own people that have been with you awhile
From what I have seen in the past job requisitions are pulled depending on the area being cut. Most departments are not willing to take someone with no experience or background. I.E. taking a clerical type Mgr to supervise a outside crew. Plus as big as this seems to be no one is willing to take people knowing their headcount targets. Middle mgmt knows how many are going to be let go. If you are going to have to go down 10% why take on more bodies?
The truth is that the hiring manager knows you are in surplus and they look down on that.
No one vi know that was off payroll 2/12. Didn't even get an interview . Being real..their goal is to lay you off.
I was surplused in Feb 2018 and took a downgrade to stay on.
out of dozens of people I've known who were surplussed over the last 4 years, only know of 1 person who found something internally.
from the replies I guess you got your answer.
no