Thread regarding AT&T Inc. layoffs

Intern's view

What is like working for AT&t?,- Lack of communication at all levels, Having nearly all your input discounted because it's not how things are done there... Then sitting in on meetings where your supervisor regurgitates almost verbatim the input you gave just days ago, This was the most toxic work experience I've ever had... and I used to work for the federal government. Let that sink in for a minute.

-Do a better job of screening LDP intern projects. There were very few interns who had appropriately challenging projects, most were either ridiculously boring or hopelessly impossible.

-Ensure the right manager is appointed over interns. There was at least one who cared more about using her intern as a scapegoat/punching bag than teaching him anything useful about the company, one of the managers Had not ideas what a pivot table was.. WOW!!!

Our compensation package is non-competitive. Increase base salary offers by at least $15K. You can keep kidding yourselves by claiming your non-monetary perks make up for low salary but the fact remains that you're enticing mostly those that are risk/change averse and are looking for a "safe" place to do only enough not to get fired. This obviously presents a systemic problem given the transitionary phase your company is in.

There's an obvious bottleneck at each management level and you're loosing top talent to competition. Again, those that stay were either lucky enough to have an advocate who promoted them directly, or they are risk/change averse, last but not least, AT&T's excessive outsourcing practices, root cause of low employee morale

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| 1042 views | | 6 replies (last February 2, 2016) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+FJcz7kv

6 replies (most recent on top)

I worked in ATO as an engineer at the management level and you described AT&T perfectly. Like, I'm seriously wondering if I worked with you.

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Post ID: @1alc+FJcz7kv

I'm in ATO as well, at least until the next reorg when they update the name with some new buzzword. I learned years ago that saving the company a few million here and there with simple fixes is rewarded the same as just collecting a pay check. I would have left by now if it wasn't for the pension; but I'm starting to think I'll get the ax before the magical 30 years of service, because it has become SOP to fire people just before the retirement benefits get juicy. At this point, I'm just hoping to last long enough for the next round of buyouts in a few years.

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Post ID: @1fym+FJcz7kv

Yep...this is how it goes even at middle management. And I'm relatively young as well. I work in the ATO org and I can't tell you how many times I've been given verbal and non verbal cues to just keep my head down, don't make too much a fuss (innovate) even when the initiatives accounted for 10x my salary in potential savings.

I've never felt more rewarded for dumbing down and going along to get along. My last MPP was surprisingly good, but I feel like my management seems weirdly invested in keeping things as they are- even with all the surplus turmoil. What do we have to lose by doing things we've never done before, that don't take money to even implement ....its like the twilight zone.

And I don't really understand it. And I know this isn't even normal....

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Post ID: @1isq+FJcz7kv

That is working at AT&T in a nutshell. Excellent summarization.

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Post ID: @1khf+FJcz7kv

Sounds about right.

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Post ID: @ogq+FJcz7kv

Just out of curiosity, were you a technical intern or a management/administrative intern. I know our technical salaries are a joke, I'd be curious if non-technical salaries are non-competitive too.

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Post ID: @xxl+FJcz7kv

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