I'm afraid that after these cuts, IBM will regret cutting some of those people, or will eventually have to pay more for necessary replacements. How careful really are they not to RA the wrong people? Damage is easily done but hard to fix.
6 replies (most recent on top)
The Powers are oblivious to the mission, more so than I’ve ever seen. Most SLMs assessments of critical assets are completely ignored.
I think regret requires a conscience, so no
Simple. How many low cost H1B1 visas for the same cost of an older experienced engineer ?
Even cheaper, offshore to a help line person that can barely spell IBM.
It wouldn't be the first time:
- Cut until things break
- Kneejerk react and overhire (including hiring some lame ducks)
- Realize you are overstaffed
- Back to step 1
The regret gene is completely missing. They had zero regrets about cutting GTS. They are actually looking forward to the end of TSA! Ironically, the company still doesn’t fully realize some of the IC they sent over to Kyndryl, and some of the exposure they are now facing.
From an executive's perspective, most employees are interchangeable and expendable. Once you divide up your employees by position, band and PBC rating, a second line manager or above would find it hard to tell the difference between two employees...especially on a spreadsheet, which is where RA decisions are often made. To their eyes, one employee is as good as another.
Do the wrong people get RA'd? Sure, it happens all the time. That's considered a process or policy failure to be adjusted next quarter. A poster in another thread got it right...IBM's focus is on free cash flow. If the business is damaged somehow because the wrong people got cut, then that's considered collateral damage to be repaired later on.
The only problem with this line of thinking is that IBM has been desperate for free cash flow for over 30 years...that's how long they have been shrinking the business through RAs. Trying to cut your way to prosperity doesn't work, but that hasn't stopped management from trying.