Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

Been like that for decades

Mcelfresh says there are too many layers between him and the customer, I doubt they will be successful in flattening this. that means an AM may have 30 employees to manage, too cumbersome. ATT is a giant beauracarcy

At say 200,000 employees and 1 supervisor per 16 people, that equals 12,500 1st levels .......... so if every 2nd level at 5 yards times 16 people which is 80 employees per 2nd level divided into 200,000 people gives us 2500 second levels ... so there you go, though I truly dont believe that a 1st level has that many guys to watch anymore so .............

Project Managers across all disciplines (all the projects are failing.. how many types has TV service end and get renamed to something else?)

Incredibly hard working and talented sales teams (UNION sales reps) who drive penetration into saturated markets successfully and while navigating complex multiple legacy and next gen ordering systems.

Software Engineers and Solutions Architects who design, build and implement complex software solutions (Told not to spend any money and run drop instead of new cable or fiber)

Network Technical Support Managers ("Process, Quality, Data Analytics" = the people who got it wrong and the interpretation of the data is why the company is going down hill"

Network and Advanced Technical Support = is being outsourced , Consulting Engineers = contractors, etc.)

Managers, Area Managers and Directors supervising and leading thankless L0 employees (Union and NMNU) who think they know everything ( When will L1 L2 L3 get it right and actually lead? its been a cr*p shoot for a LONG time. )

Everyone above L0 must know that where the company is heading is a direct result from the processes and planning of everyone above L0. L0 just do the execution of the plan that L1+ say to do to produce the results that were expected. No results for a long time and L0 employees have been doing what has been told from above.

The right plan and the right leadership is not there. Chasing numbers to expect results has been a failing system since its been implemented.

@1szr+14wOmmvw–"To me what is sad ? That the only critical people in the company are the union grunts that actually do all the work. The rest are just parasites passing up numbers off of the production generated by the ground force. Put that in your pipe and smoke it!!"

Correction - Union grunts perform all of the MANUAL LABOR. The rest (see below) is up to the real company assets.

Project Managers across all disciplines
Incredibly hard working and talented sales teams who drive penetration into saturated markets successfully and while navigating complex multiple legacy and next gen ordering systems
Software Engineers and Solutions Architects who design, build and implement complex software solutions
Network Technical Support Managers (Process, Quality, Data Analytics, Network and Advanced Technical Support, Consulting Engineers, etc.)
Managers, Area Managers and Directors supervising and leading thankless L0 employees (Union and NMNU) who think they know everything

"managers doing nothing"

Which organization? I need to apply to one of those jobs you mentioned. I'm a manager and there is a lot of work to do

I am starting to think they keep so many managers so they can use them as bargaining tools to the union and have them work so the union doesn't strike. I really cannot think why they keep so many managers doing nothing.

• ...”the only critical people in the company are the union grunts that actually do all the work”

This is such a narrow minded and ridiculous statement, and you see variations of it frequently here. I am non bargained for. Some call it “management”. I prefer non bargained for, as many mouth breathing simpletons cannot seem to grasp that there are plenty of non union folks, or “management” that don’t manage people, that perform critical job functions. Many of these folks support critical programs around key company initiatives. Without them, things slow down and or stop. Cuts in and around these groups have been significant over the last few years, to where the impact has already been significant. Leadership keeps talking about the need to speed things up out one side of their mouth, while slashing headcount in these groups. Those that are left are completely overwhelmed with unrealistic workloads. Hopefully they may finally start looking and cutting more at L3 and above. How many Directors do we need with no direct reports? Do we really need Associate, Senior, and Executive VP’s? Really?

Pres, then >>VP, Dir, Mgr, IC. 8-12 direct reports each thats it. 100k employees needed. reduction of 50% could occur without issue

They follow Verizon managing style, state area managers that cover 250 miles worth of cities over techs, splicers and such. No local managers. Thats the direction AT&T is eventually going. Example. Robstown near Corpus Christi Tx. Manager handles all South Texas I&R to the Rio Grande Valley. As long as most Training is online and equipment is shipped to garages and the occasional once or twice visit to garages to go over new things. L1 L2 managers are not needed. Especially in non metro areas that have no fiber overlays, its just maintain till end of life of telephony.
Anyone who wants to know where AT&T is going, Look at Verizons wireline group. They are about 10 years ahead of where we are going in downsizing.

To me what is sad ? That the only critical people in the company are the union grunts that actually do all the work. The rest are just parasites passing up numbers off of the production generated by the ground force. Put that in your pipe and smoke it !

To start, we don’t need two CEOs. Surplus one guy and you cut out an entire layer.

Secondly, we didn’t need Bill Morrow coming in to tell us these issues. It’s just now Elliott is forcing Randy & Son to deal with it before they push them off the train.

It is. And it ain't at L2 where all of the cutting in the last few years has been done either.