Despite the shock of getting axed I find myself questioning the performance review process. I always received very high marks but now I'm surplussed along with a good many of my peers who were equally talented and extremely knowledgeable...nearly entire groups gone! How do you plan to get the work done?
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@4prw except the company solution to you having a hard time communicating with them, is to get rid of you- problem solved! Also, don't discount they are just pretending not to understand you. Off shoring works just fine, since the point is to reduce costs.
I understand that is cheaper to hire Indian workers and I have to say the folks that I have worked with from India for the most part are nice and hard workers. However, it comes at a price as the communication is lacking as not all have a good command of the English language. It is hard to communicate and understand at times and takes a lot more time to explaining and re-explaining and hoping that the what and need is translated effectively. Unfortunately, the result of this collaborative effort have not been that great and we experience issues with reqts, code and a forever ending testing cycles....Which for most of the projects I have worked these past four years with the company never getting deployed.....So if it takes twice as long if not longer than needed to deliver a good product what are we really saving as a company? Not to mentioned the time to market a product and Customer dissatisfaction at never delivering anything on time....I don't think one can put a price on the latter..I am a newbie and millennial and I do not think off shoring works well...There is a lot of frustration on both sides...
We all knew it was coming. Last Monday was a bloodbath. I got the first call as I am on the east coast. To be honest, after having the 'axe' hanging over my head for the 3 years, I feel relieved. At least I know now. Terrifying their employees in numerous ways was just f'd up. Whoever Randy hired to devise their evil corporate psychological tactics to spread such fear, stress, etc. must be void of any human ethics, feelings, morals. Greedy corporate slimeballs. Randall Stephenson must have a huge horseshoe up his rear end to have given the green light to screw up so many deals. Makes me question the Board's mental status. Unless Randy has uncovered each board members 'dirty laundry' and is using it against them. Wouldn't surprise me considering Randy screwed over his business mentor/friend. Randy will most likely jump ship and take his millions and run. Karma is a mofo and Randy will get the full brunt of it. I would not want to be in his shoes when the karmic hammer swings down.
Verizon is following T's reduction plan. Seems to me there is some kind of tag teaming going on. No. I will not work at Verizon. Have several friends that work there and are facing the same demise. Telecom as we know it is gone. Cloud telecom is a joke. Real telecom workers know this. Oh! Your servers were hacked and can't bring them back up? You need dialtone? Well, you will be paying out the wazoo for it. Those of us that know copper, ethernet, will be worth our weight in gold.
I apologize for my rant. Several other good, hardworking people on my team were surplussed along with others on other teams that I worked with on a daily basis. They made working at T tolerable. I am grateful to them for their help when I needed it and blessed to have worked with such great people. And there are some that weren't so fun to deal with. Lol. I will miss my team mates but will not miss the ridiculous processes and procedures. Total overkill.
I'm ready to start a new chapter in my life. To all that were surplussed, I hope that you find work that you are passionate about with a company that values their employees. If you are retiring, go and enjoy it. You earned it. Life is too short to waste anymore time or energy on T.
My new life begins soon. Good luck and best wishes to everyone. Except Randy.
There are many many studies indicating that performance reviews are a complete waste of time and resources. I especially hated when I had bargained for direct reports and had to give them performance reviews. What a complete waste of time.
I was released this round. I've got 22 years, worked my butt off the last 3 years to comply with a lot of efforts. When I heard the rumors just before Thanksgiving I updated my resume and started applying. No hits yet, but I'm keeping that positive attitude, you have to right? The problem with 5 managers up is that they think that AT&T needs to be like Google and Apple when it comes to collaboration. AT&T is NOT. What was the company built on was service and support throughout he company. Not a campus style that wants you to be there 24/7 like Google and Apple. Cmon now. McElfresh needs to get a grip and realize that people that work in one location work with people in separate locations. Might as well get rid of WebEx, Q, and email if you want people to be is these so called "collaboration zones". I know I am ranting, but this guy is bad, look at his record. Look up his history, he only stays in organizations for no more than 2.25 years then he moves on. He is a virus to the company. The board of directors better wake up and start removing these jokes. Ok, I'm done with my rant.
The paper version of your performance does matter in most layoffs, just not in this one, which as -fip says, was based on geo location. They're trying to close out smaller offices, but are laying people off rather than asking them to move for whatever reason. (?!?!?)
So we're seeing some really shocking loss of talent this time around. Also, it's NOT just legacy, despite what Stephenson told the press. I'm seeing useful and helpful people with strong D2 skills getting the ax. Half my group is gone, including strong performers with computer degrees.
We are the cash cow Randall milked to go from lineman to media mogul, telling HBO how to do what they know better, and letting CNN know who their parent company is, so they'd better STFU.
He's decided that the machines on our side are now good enough to run themselves.
Sales and installation can be contracted out. Customer support can be shipped overseas, because, in this "regulatory" environment, where a $600K bribe takes care of such things, customer complaints will only receive the most perfunctory of assistance before being dropped or otherwise lost, until the customer finally gives up, so India Ops is plenty good enough for THAT level of "support."
there is no point! doesn't matter.they make stuff up as they go.
@fgz, depends on your supervisor. Mine gave me a goal to be a “multiplier”. Helping others helped my rating.
Do the minimum. The amount of work and a-- kissing required to get a top rating is NOT WORTH IT! Do a cost-benefit analysis people! Put that extra effort into yourself, your family, upping your skills, or starting a side business. Do not give that to the Death Star- you will not be compensated for it. Time is the only finite resource. Spend it wisely.
@tgp seriously? Screw India!!!!
There is no appreciation for top performers with this corporation. When Randall and company determine that you can be replaced by a contractor or overseas wage slave he will get rid of you.
Sociopaths like Randall see their employees as assets to be used and abused, not as people. When sociopaths like Randall are done with you, they dump you.
It make no sense to kill yourself being a top performer around here.
It’s busy work for the many layers of useless nepotist management.
My manager told me that this lay off round was only based on geo location. Doesn't matter if you're a high performer or the best employee around. So one of my peers asked, then wtf is the point of performance reviews? Or strive to be better. My boss had no answer. Hes as lost as everyone.
I survived this round but ive been looking for job elsewhere outside T.. No luck.
Performance ratings are a farce. How can they expect to foster their precious collaboration when the entire rating and ranking process is predicated on competing against peers for a limited number of top ratings? As a top performer, every colleague I help is just another person who is better positioned to threaten my own rating. Call me selfish, but no thanks!
I think they are counting on the people who are left being so terrified of being let go next, they will work like crazy to get the work done. But you can only push people so far. At some point, people will just say forget it. They are digging their own grave.
India Ops gave performance reviews just as Others. The difference is that we get pay 60% less compared to US workers, now if you own your company which worker would you keep?
jB7 sorry to hear that. I survived this round but we have lost many this round and at the end of 2018 and I wonder how we will be able to make dates and goals in 2019. This place is going down in flames and they need to replace Randall if we are going to survive.