Thread regarding AT&T Inc. layoffs

DTV people are not the problem. ATT purchased the company with plans to outsource employees to contract positions. the outside DTV employees are contractors. Sadly the DTV employees thought ATT would expand and create more stability. All ATT wants is a wireless company and the move to eliminate any wireline work including work where it requires a company person to do the job. Mobility is moving to all contractors for the cell work and very limited MTSO staff for CO type work.

DTV people as well as the rest of us are being put into the same bucket to be dumped.

Great post, I think you got it all

Listen, DTV people have not fared any better, just in case the ridiculous rhetoric of "it's all idiot DTVers" keep floating out there. I have watched my talented and performing dept. diminish to only three remaining people. We just got a new manager that is based out of state. My owned and operated call center is down about 35% in employees. The once vibrant and engaged culture is dead. The annual Family Fun Day is gone, so good luck getting anyone to go to a company picnic when they cannot invite their families, not even a spouse. I'm angry. I'm angry with Mike White, who shamelessly sold the good people of DTV out for a golden handshake. I'm angry that we now operate in a culture of fear, distrust, and zero communication. DTV was not in financial trouble before AT&T came courting. Flat in new sales, perhaps, but far from operating in the red. Now we get BS "Pathway 20/20" and "pivot your skills or you won't have a job" from AT&T. Hours and hours of listening/watching lectures on cloud computing is not "award-winning training" for today's workforce and will do nothing to save anyone's job. Unless you are level 3 or above management, "networking" with AT&T (read: a-- kissing people who might prove helpful in this "pivot") folks is impossible for most O&O DTV employees. Work/life balance is complete BS with AT&T. Meanwhile, more and more call center work is being outsourced to vendors domestically and internationally. I find it laughable that we are expected to believe anything that Stephenson or Stankey say. They use a lot of words to say next to nothing. Are AT&T board members brain dead? One thing has been made crystal clear to those of us that loved working for a employee-friendly company like DIRECTV (not DirecTV...branding is everything you know!): AT&T cares little about it's employees and despite ole Randy saying customers are #1, that is not try when it comes down to quality control when outsourcing the customer service business to vendors and overseas. I'm done "Transforming Your Skills". Show me the money or the door, AT&T,.

The only happy AT&T employee is a former AT&T employee. :-)

I'm in management and managed multiple states. The direction of the company is not good and as other have stated here, the senior executives are lying to the board just to keep their high bonuses. The effort is to lower the cost buy moving a lot of jobs overseas where the pay levels are much much lower.

Contract people do not get retirement or medical. Plan to see more jobs disappear as the date moves to 2020. the big secret is to lower non management jobs to minimal levels. Some think lass than 40k nationwide. Management levels less. Most if not all call centers will be outsourced or overseas. Wireless cell and video services will be via contract employees or contractors. DTV uses contractors to do installs and there is no real effort to change. Some people thought it would be moved to company installers. Big surprise, why train and pay people who cost more.

The company is also moving its cloud services to non company people. Connected car and OnStar services are now in Canada in an commercial data center with Zero ATT employees.

The servers in Texas have been moved to a data center in Missouri also not owned by ATT. No employees in that data center also.

Ok so lets see how many think they are safe. And yes I have 41 years and have been told end of year will be my last. Gratefully eligible to get retirement

it is hilarious. Imagine only wanting, hiring and retaining people who think you... Never ever seen it done, it's preposterous actually..wouldn't you agree??? LOL..

That's funny, all of us thinking just like our dumb boss? That is hilarious !!!

I agree with upper management liking group think and really cleaning house w/ those who are a perceived threat. I've seen it 5 times in the last 4-5 months. And these weren't antagonistic or even rude people. They just had great ideas that went against the grain. As one guy was leaving - abracadabra - lol - his team started using his work product. And they're still using it as of two weeks ago. Luckily karma steps in to right some of these egregious wrongs.

But I could write a book on some of the shenanigans I've been seeing with how certain people were/are targeted. But maybe it's for the best, if you cleanse the company and end up with people who all think alike, the stupidity is more exposed.

Management is horrible. It seems as only the most fraudulent managers are praised and promoted. Regional management plays favorites. If you voice your opinion and is not liked by management they will find a way to x you out. Actually helping the account teams is not even an option anymore like when I first started. If it doesn't make it to ICB, its not happening. We are told daily that we are replaceable if we don't perform. Many don't know exactly what their role is, Offload Managers gossip about direct reports to other reps. Bonus goes down annually but more work is given so now we work 3 times as hard for the same money. Have to add additional features to customers accounts in order to maintain decent numbers. Quotas are to high so reps are forced to do things to customers that are not moral. To sum it up the retail sales department is HORRIBLE!!!, if you can jump ship, don't thin twice!

21 hours ago by Hugh Gerection | Post ID: @IvuwYHx-2ife

Millennials will have to move out of their parents house first and figure out how to live on their own.

DirecTV panic will set in at the highest levels. Has it dawned on anyone that Millennials don't even watch TV? They get all their info from the Internet, YouTube and Netflix. These are your growth customers? at&t bought a lemon and that lemon is not going to give juice. Consumers are sick of huge phone bills, now that everyone is buying their own phone why sign up and pay huge taxes with at&t? Cord cutters and savy consumers will show at&t who the boss is.......

@2sim- that's pretty horrible. I imagine the powers that be like to see the hecklers in the crowd. I'm sure they find your retort amusing. It distracts from the fact that Randall sets the tone. And he really is the problem. Thanks for discouraging other leaders from coming here and speaking up.

@2nwg - I didn't post to cite my accomplishments but to reveal what I've witnessed at my level in my position. As others have mentioned there's a lot of us middle to senior management that have our hands tied by those who have theirs tied. Randall is the puppet master whether we all like it or not. As long as you're an employee of AT&T you'll be made to dance.

1xne- OP's ship starting sinking about 25 years ago. What a loser! No accomplishments except a big paycheck and a fat pension. Hoot! hoot!

Cont... Thx Randall you are the gift that keeps on giving..

I'd argue that employee disengagement is more expensive than that same employee leaving. A disengaged employee is dangerous not only are they more prone to mistakes, error in judgement and rubbing off their issues on others (and external customers) - they also aren't in the headspace to innovate or do new things. It's a heavy price to pay coming and going.

When employees perceive corporate policies or individual treatment as unfair or hypocritical, not only are they less inclined to perform tasks optimally, they distance themselves from the organization. In the worst cases, they reject it and leave it altogether. Trust is difficult to gain and easy to lose in this company.

@Ihqt - I think OP is saying that the ship is sinking and instead of continuing to play on in the band as if nothing is happening (which actually DID happen on the Titanic - In real life) - I got the message that if you're being targeted for surplus, position yourself, get your severance and whatever else is due to you and move on.

That is the BEST advice at ATT right now under this present leadership, I honestly believe that. Stephenson has created such a mess in the culture he created and continues to perpetuates, there really is only the above left to do. And this is sad because I'm an optimist.

1nyk - So we in OP a frustrated pretend leader who's wasted 25 years and his best advice is milk the job for the money and benefits and a retirement package. Better advice for motivated talent is to work at doing what you love. The advice given to the mediocrities just perpetuates the malaise at AT&T. Yes, it's hard to be change-maker and to do-the-right-thing, but that's what leadership is all about, isn't it?

Azi - actually OP is what's redeeming about Att. There are leaders who I believe have hands and are increasingly frustrated tied (like OP)and there are others-who I reported to at the director level who quote said "stay under the radar, keep your mouth closed and do ur work".

As mentioned when you're in the BS artistry business there's no time to champion real change, innovation and failing fast. It's just about treading water and protecting status quo- this should enrage an investor and board members. Because the ship has holes. But the band continues to play.

And unfortunately every big and failed power play move is paid for with jobs, T-Mobile, Iusacell etc. and possibly yahoo. I do believe yahoo has some juice left, that asset can be leveraged and even resuscitated (including tumblr and and all the other stuff Meyer bought) - butRandy isn't the one.

Thanks for the response on your management level, I do understand. I myself have 30+ years and working towards retirement hoping for an incentive. I am hanging on for not much longer, getting what I can.

Sorry I'm not willing to disclose my level of management but I supervise well over 1000 people. To the person that suggested I am just take from the company that wasn't true my entire career but has been for at least the past year since Randall decided it would be in our best interest to acquire DTV.

What I can say that I've learned, through the ridiculous number of org shifts and changes which seem to require an hour call to deal with, is that it is clear to me that there is no basis for movement in the company that is tied to merit. It's who you know and who you blow. Frankly, I'm hoping for a surplus of my department. The lack of communication and reversal of all that we were told going into things is enough for me to see that I don't wish to work for these "leaders" and this company. It's really upsetting, as I had such high hopes and really told others that this AT&T acquisition of our wonderful DIRECTV would be a good thing. Man, do I have egg on my face....

Azi, your reply makes no sense.

The OP is part of the problem at AT&T. All me me me, grab grab, grab Pretends to be a leader but is just another leach

That was a Great Post.....that sums it up what a Bad direction The company has taken! I'm reluctant to

Tell people I work for this company....do to how they treat their customers and employees.

You Matter.....that's a Joke! Ship is sinking Fast, I hope I can get my vest and get off before it does!

This is interesting (to read a higher level leadership view) I've said it time and time again here and elsewhere that I see Stephenson as nothing more than a fast talking snake oil salesman. But I could never figure out if it was because he was misled and refuses to dig below the surface (based on the used car salesman culture he's "accidentally" created.) or if the dishonesty is something he actively participates in.

In fairness, I think it's a little of both perhaps started by this bells and whistle shiny object culture he never intended to create and well to keep the appearance up, you've gotta sell more used cars, pretend to position the company for things it's not ready or capable of.

Maybe boards will evolve and start to become more active in questioning strategy and even the culture that can destroy even the best lofty intentions.

It's been time for him to resign, but I'm sure he's got one more used car to sell.

Would you mind sharing what level of management you reached? Interesting commentary you made.