While other storage companies are focused on expanding their workforce and keeping up with the latest technological advancements, NetApp has been laying off employees. However, NetApp seems to prefer retaining long-term employees who may be resistant to using newer technology and prefer sticking to traditional methods. This raises questions about whether this approach is beneficial for NetApp, especially as it tries to catch up to its competitors. Instead of targeting employees from acquired companies during layoffs, perhaps NetApp should consider letting go of older employees who are more set in their ways and resistant to change. After all, why keep them while letting go of more innovative employees who could help drive NetApp's growth? As a result of these layoffs, talented employees are leaving NetApp for competitors, which could be a cause for concern.
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@6iyh+1lkZk6Dw
This site ate my comment. What I meant to write was:
(1) You are CEO of "YourNameHere" Inc. Act like it!
Don't get complacent, 2-3 years then move on.
Yup. Best two pieces of advice I got:
(1) You are CEO of Inc. Act like it!
(2) Your current job is preparing you for your next job. Gain skills and plan to move on.
and of course
(3) When you no longer need to work, don't. "But my team" or "But my friends" or "But what will I do with myself" are bullsh-t arguments. See #1 above.
Absolutely insane to stay at one company more than a few years. Career su----e when you do finally get laid off. I've been at a few companies for 5 years and it hurt my career far more than it helped. Don't get complacent, 2-3 years then move on.
The idea that external technical directors are required to right the ship is delusional at best. They'd be hired from MS, IBM, or Oracle. Absolute bastions of sales prowess and marketing genius /s
The Sales team at NetApp lacks the ability to effectively market and sell products beyond ONTAP clusters, resulting in unsuccessful acquisitions. This is attributed to various issues such as internal politics, outdated leadership lacking vision for new products and technologies, and recruitment from large companies such as Microsoft that does not necessarily help the situation. To address this, it is suggested to bring in Technical Directors from outside the company and remove Technical Directors who are "resting and vesting" and have solely worked on ONTAP, viewing it as the superior technology and themselves as the only true tech leaders.
Ha - if you were at NetApp for 20-24 years and still have to work, you are totally irresponsible with your money or went through too many divorces. Stock is up 600% since then.
If you remained at any company for 20-24 years, I question your drive and initiative, not to mention imagination. Resting-and-vesting is a thing so letting go of those 20-24 year old seniors is a no-brainer.
Ha - if you were at NetApp for 20-24 years and still have to work, you are totally irresponsible with your money or went through too many divorces. Stock is up 600% since then.
I don't know what you're talking about. I was tossed after 24 years along with many 20+ year co-workers. All experienced technical and product management people. All MTS 6 and grade 39/39a type positions.
I was there for over 20 years and was tossed out the door like it was nothing.
I heard hardly any of the old timers from ontap got impacted
As was already mentioned, anecdotally I know many let go a few weeks ago that had been here for 15-plus years. Sure, it can't be 100% of those, but it sure feels like a substantial number of them.
I'm willing to bet that the most recent RIF is a manifestation of just that; letting go of the old "rest-and-vest" crowd. No hard data, just anecdotes .... LOTS of anecdotes.
ONTAP needs to be shot in the head ... but alas that hope went out the window with MARS.
It is a sad but accurate reality that the company is heavily staffed with long-term employees who are resistant to change. This mindset is ingrained throughout the organization, with a mutual agreement to protect each other from potential layoffs, which is detrimental to the company's success. In terms of talent, one highly skilled employee from an acquired company can be equivalent to ten from the existing staff. Many of the teams are now redundant and could be eliminated by implementing more modern processes and technologies used by the acquired companies. A willingness to embrace new technologies is critical to achieving success, but the old management and their favorite staff is resistant to change and appears to be comfortable in their current mindset.
Ya but most of the bu-t crowd consists of them.