Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

As previous posters have said its not what you've done, accomplished, or how smart you are. At the end of the day you are a number with metrics and that's how they choose. Now how they choose those metrics is totally up to your manager and that trumps any sensible logic for choosing.

In some cases its if your director/avp likes you.

Surplus can be murky territory if your in a high performance group. Convention is disruptive highperformers are targeted meaning those that challenge status quo. And think outside the box. It's true whether you have genius ideas - if your're working for someone who doesn't understand you and likes to stay below the radar, be careful.

If you want to keep your job and you love att, you'll need to balance your passion with your need to keeping working for T. The upside is there are companies who love disruptive out of the box thinkers. Google has a whole group dedicated to them and only making things that survive their disruptive process.

No. It doesn't matter what you do to develop yourself at AT&T. They will surplus you no matter what when they need to slash headcount.

End of day, the rankings are based on if your boss likes you, nothing remotely to do with merit.

We had a group of 22, I always thought that I wold be the 1st to go, instead the ones cut were the smartest of all, not sure what to make out that, may be our supervisor felt threaten by them, there are only 11 of us left BTW

No amount of training you take will keep you from being surplused. If Randall wants you gone, you will be gone. If the dude won't even save his own older brother, he won't keep any of us around. Your best bet is to already be working in one of the areas that is emerging or perform a sεxual favor for someone in HR who can get you another position.

answer: No. If they want you gone, you are gone. Heck my boss is interviewing a person on the day I get notified of surplus, so if I am surplussed I am getting HR involved. I've already taken a record of it.

Frankly some of the 2020 training, especially Harvard Business is hours of torture by boredom. There are days I would like to the idiot who thinks web based training was a great idea. It is not. Also web based training is not the same as "remote learning" or virtual classroom, which provides real learning but is more expensive. If you are extrovert, you will hate being subjected to WF2020 web based training classes. Next issue with WF2020 is the real training. Ask if AT&T is willing to give you 4 to 6 weeks to complete the real training at the end of the web training rainbow? If no, well there you go because that last bit cost money, and that last bit prevents you from getting 100%.

If you went to college at all, click-click, test-test, done-done. Not a big deal and probably no relevance to chopping block protection. However, if you're not meeting the bogey, they can downgrade your employee rating for the next round of cuts.

2020 Pivot should be the least worry in this forum.

Every hiring manager who I've spoken to giggles a little bit when I ask if they take capabilities evolution training in to consideration when making a candidate selection. These are managers, area managers, and directors who themselves have gone through the training and understand how useless it is.

The 2020 pivot is misunderstood by many.

First of all, in and of itself, it will not save your job. If you're in a position that is going to be eliminated. It's going to be eliminated and no amount of training will change that.

However, if you're in a group that will be downsized (not eliminated) the progress you've made towards your 2020 goal is one of several things that is supposed to be taken into account when making determinations on who stays and who goes.

It is also supposed to help you be able to move to new jobs. One of the things hiring managers see when looking at candidates who applied is a flag indicating "significant progress towards 2020 goal." Significant progress is defined as 50% or more of your training completed. Theoretically that tells a hiring manager that you're more interested/ invested in your future at At&t.

Everyone in my group finished the training and as said below it meant absolutely nothing. 21 have their notices for the 60 days ending December 3 including 4 management people who are in total shock.

Sadly the Pivot requirement is nothing more than a distraction to keep people quiet when departments are downsized ( rightsized as VP's call it).

The company HR and Union will do nothing to help and as stated in other posts, protect yourself and if the hit is coming and your in the path look around for another job if possible. Once the hit happens there will be many people looking and the possibility of getting any job is low.

Don't think your invaluable because your supervisor tells you so.

Look at the courses they want. How many people need degrees in computer science. How many does ATT need?

The only thing most should do is take advantage of the training to enhance their resume for another job either in or out of ATT.

My comment is not the type you are soliciting, but I feel compelled to put my two cents worth in. While I do not agree with you that the training is "garbage", I have completed several courses, I do feel that this whole 2020 pivot thing is nothing more than a distraction for most of us. If you are a union member it will not save your job. You are just a number. There are going to be no new jobs to "pivot" to. The company wants to reduce union membership as much as possible. And if you are union, you can almost rule out promotion to management these days. They are being cut as well. BUT, if I was a manager I certainly would be doing everything I could, company training and otherwise, to enhance my skills.

Bless your heart! Do you really think that skills pivot training had any relevance at all? All they tell you is: you've been surplussed & you have 60 days to find a job, however, we will help you--(please don't drink (that) Kool-Aid). They give you no reason. It's not what you know, but who you know. If only all that information was provided. It would be staggering!!! Best of luck to you.