#culture

If this town hall is representative of how the Mass Markets organization is run, it’s a real $hit $how over there.

Do we have a communications team? Do they help the senior leaders with their messaging? Sure seems like the answer is no. Employee messaging is terrible - inconsistent, inauthentic, and lacks humanity. What’s happening here?

Structure w/out trust just feels like punishment.
The people you are chasing will still hide, just now from a desk.
The rest of us lose flexibility that actually helped us deliver.
Thats why this feels like optics- not strategy.

I get it, times are tough here at AT&T. You might live really far away from a hub and now you have to drive for hours to get here. Maybe you are even sleeping in the parking lot over night. I feel for you. But for the love of God, if you are going to be hotboxing cigs for hours in your car, keep some fresh clothes in a bag and think about using the showers on the first floor. No one should have to smell you all day long.

Impossible to find anything on Zero. Any site keeps spinning for minutes. The much vaunted and showcase implementation of AI enabled agent zero has never worked for me... Keep getting gateway error any time I try to use it. What a joke... Emblematic of the state of technology at the company. Lots of noise and rah rah BS followed by no delivery.

It was nice until it wasn't and seeing once great company sinking fast bcs of Stankey and his stupid decisions that ruined the culture is awful... one recommendation, if you could, try working elsewhere, ATT will su-k your soul and dreams.

Chevron will continue to decline as long as the current crop of executive leaders are at the helm. They are simply out of ideas. The stock price has been moving sideways for years despite buybacks, cost cutting, acquisitions and divestitures, and layoffs. Our reserves impress nobody. Our projects still run over budget and over schedule. Exxon is eating our lunch.

The executives are desperate and all they can think to do is desperately flail at changing the window dressings and offshoring more work to cut costs, quality be damned and forget about increasing reserves or investing in exploration. They talk about AI hoping to ride some of that wave in the market but it’s just lip service at this point.

They forgot we’re an oil and gas company and now all of us peons have to pay the price for their lack of competent leadership and dereliction of duty. It’s going to get worse before it gets better - and it’s never going back to what it was. If you’ve got more than 5 years left in your career and have a decent alternative employment opportunity I’d highly recommend taking it.

Curious as most of the DEI related pages on Viva Engage were purged.

Hope all Dell workers and previous Dell workers have a wonderful XMAS. In 2026 you want to rid yourself of Dell and ensure you sell any Dell stock you might own...

For the avoidance of doubt:

• “CVS” refers exclusively to Connected Vehicle Services, a division responsible for vehicle connectivity systems, diagnostics, software interoperability, and associated service delivery.
• Discussions or references to external pharmacy entities (including retail pharmacy terminology) are *not applicable in this context and should not be used in professional communication, documentation, or reporting.

Yes, it’s confusing. No, we won’t change the name.

Recently, there has been an increase in informal commentary including eye‑rolling, sarcasm, impulsive sighing, repeated references to color associations (notably orange hues), and metaphorical language around unexpected operational incidents.

To maintain clarity of communication and alignment with organizational values, employees are encouraged to refrain from directing questions to unrelated external entities and projectiles (e.g., inquiries about over‑the‑air "balloons" or pharmacy analogies regarding connectivity issues). This is to ensure our products are released by 2030 as part of our vision to increase diversification economically, socially, and culturally through Model e.

I have not seen a single picture of our new CEO wearing anything with a Verizon logo. Have you?

I thought things would change with new ownership. I was wrong.

I’m exhausted from hearing the same promises over and over again about backfilling positions that never actually get filled. We’re overloaded, the work keeps piling up, and every month we’re told help is coming, but it never does. Add in the empty promotion talk, and it’s getting harder to stay quiet.

..about your career.

I think there was a previous post but where are our EC and SLT? We have a couple of weeks to year end but no rallying cry, even though it will not halt the demise. No interest in any big deals. No interest in any small deals. No interest in any client interaction to help close deals. No idea about what is going on. Our CEO, Chief Revenue Officer, Chief Marketing Officer and our Head of Sales strategy are AWOL and too busy creating slides that say nothing and continue the BS. Our COO is too busy making up numbers. Maybe everyone should simply stop for the year as well?

1. Stop volunteering extra work. Just provide what’s asked—no more, no less.
2. Stop trying to do the right thing, even if leadership preach “honesty, integrity and accountability.” Use phrases like: “Happy to support the chosen direction”.
3. Don’t speak up DIRECTLY against leaders’ choices. Instead summaries discussions like “Per our discussion, option A was chosen despite X, Y, Z risks. Please let me know if there’s any misunderstandings on my part.”
4. ALWAYS be civil. Don’t try to prove someone wrong or expect leadership to acknowledge your voice.
5. The five “Don’ts”:
   • Don’t become the lone moral hero
   • Don’t assume logic will win
   • Don’t over-explain bad news
   • Don’t expect stated company values to protect you
   • Don’t put your name on things that is not your own work or idea. If your boss changes your content - remove your name.

Hi all. Been reading this forum while interviewing with Aramco and obviously the situation doesn’t look very promising. But I wanted to ask anyway even if to confirm my negative bias.
I’m in my early 30s, married, no kids. I live and work in Europe earning low 6 digits. I very quickly got to a place where further career progression is very difficult and even if achieved would mean a salary increase incomparable with the increase in hours and responsibilities. I don’t want to say the exact area just in case Aramco HR reads this forum.
The offer is in the 200-300k range. Net it will more than double my salary most likely. I’ll also spend a lot less because I live in probably the most expensive city in Europe where rent is crazy. Most people in the team (including the line manager) are either American or European. The plan would be to stay for a few years, save aggressively and come back to Europe. I know that life is Saudi is strange but I’m sure I’ll be able to survive a few years reading books, playing PS5 and travelling to Europe for holidays a few times a year. I understand that it’s possible for family to visit which would make things easier for me. I also think that in my area Aramco would look pretty good on the resume, and there’s actually an area in which I can grow professionally in Aramco simply because it’s part of the job.

Is this a realistic view given my goal and current position, or am I missing something?

I keep seeing these comments blaming being laid off and the sorry state of the company on DEI. That wasn’t the case in my experience. In my case there were good ol’ boy networks that took care of their own. You didn’t need to be white or to be a man to be part of the network but it helped. Some individuals were so good at playing this game that they were part of more than one network. They managed to be part of whatever network was ascendant.

Diversity and inclusion was just pretend where I was. Almost everything was just pretend. It would be comical like a parody if it weren’t for the consequences.

With nearly 100,000 employees in many locations, it’s possible that others had a different experience than mine.

Target tech and product is cooked.

If fidelky thinks he’s going to get anything out his tech team, he’s stoned out of his mind. (I spelled his name wrong - it’s not worth the time spelling it right)

This is the most reactionary/pedestrian group of senior leaders ever assembled. And if you add to that the layer of DEI VPs over the last 8 years, you will get leaders who monitor sprint metrics while the place burns down around them.

Glad that I landed a new job outside Target -staying at target is worse than getting laid off. It’s a complete clown show funded by a bunch of ignorant stock holders and board. good luck all - use Christmas to reassess your career.

Just watched Cory Doctorow with Jon Stewart on the ensh**ification of tech and it reminded me so much of 2U and its "pivots" over the years. Doctorow explained that pivot is actually doublespeak for panic. Now how do we pivot?

"Constant restructuring and layoffs, forced return to office without enough desks for everyone, management decisions, lack of transparency, HR is completely disorganized, horrible health insurance, complete disregard for DEI."

"After committing financial su----e by acquiring a non-profit for a whopping $800 million dollars, the company managed to destroy it's culture by favoring edX employees over original staff. That's when the company began it's descent into chaos. More bad decisions by the so-called leadership, constant restructuring with mass layoffs. To top it all off, blatant lies by the CEO about their ridiculous bonuses, right before declaring bankruptcy. The company was privatized, only to go through more restructuring. It's only a matter of time until 2U is sold to the highest bidder."

Gremlins that instead of fostering an environment of positive growth in such a way that you WANT to be here and others from the outside WANT to be part of Citi……

You have gremlin MDs that rely on desperate people that NEED to be here. These are people who are easy to bully, manipulate and whip into servitude and long hours and sacrifice of personal time.

You can’t do that to those that are not desperate. I’ve seen quite a few already financially sound people on solid ground take a look around and “Yeah, no, this is not happening, there’s nothing here of any substance” and leave.

This in itself speaks volumes. The constant pumping out of notice after notice of “tough decisions” , “tough growth”, “hard messages”, “difficult changes” etc… is enough to deter anyone from hiring on to Citi. How do you draw in AND retain truly top talent from the outside given this environment. Sure, Citi can draw in the top talent but retaining them is another thing.

Incredible what Ricoh sticks on the fridge. Sandwiched between Lexmark and Xerox... so very press release worthy. So very useless.
https://www.ricoh.com/info/2025/1215_1

Whatever happened to her getting investigated for the stock price?

Guess she has better counsel than Martha Stewart

Optum/UHC jobs exist less to create real value and more to sustain systems, hierarchies, and the appearance of productivity.
People often sense—quietly and uncomfortably—that their work doesn’t truly help customers or society, even while it consumes their time and energy. This disconnect creates fatigue, cynicism, and a low-grade moral injury, especially when work centers on compliance, internal processes, or managing perceptions rather than solving real problems. The deeper issue isn’t effort or competence, but being asked to spend a life maintaining structures instead of meaning—while the work that actually keeps society functioning is undervalued and strained.

It’s easy to hide behind numbers. KPIs that look good on paper but don't actually reflect the reality of what's going on in the trenches. Too often, leadership leans on these metrics as a shield, allowing them to feel comfortable while the real work gets done by those on the ground.
But here’s the thing: When you consistently fail to show up with functioning processes, when you let your team flounder with outdated knowledge, you can’t keep blaming the ones at the bottom who are scrambling to make it work. The KPIs are a band-aid. They’re a crutch, not a solution.
The disconnect is real. The people at the top are too far removed from the daily grind to understand the struggle. And those at the bottom, the ones keeping things together with duct tape and sheer willpower, are expected to just keep pushing through.
It’s time for a reality check. If the metrics are misaligned and the systems are broken, it’s not the "little men" who need to be cleaned out. It’s the leadership. Leadership that isn’t in touch with reality, that doesn’t recognize when they’re out of their depth, and that refuses to take responsibility for the company’s actual performance.
When the people doing the heavy lifting are ignored or undervalued, you’re just setting everyone up to fail. KPIs should guide you to success, not allow you to point fingers while the real work gets buried under more red tape.
Leadership: Your KPIs are broken. Fix the process or risk losing the people who are still trying to make it work.
#Leadership #KPIs #WorkplaceCulture #Accountability

After months of secrecy, the first thing we can expect from Ram is transparency. HA HA. Fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me!

The only excuse is that they are saving money for bonuses, otherwise, what a joke.

I tried to get a meeting with him to discuss my business at Apollo and was told "the earliest he has available is three weeks out". Yet the guy post on LinkedIn everyday where he is attending some bs HR boondoggle, receiving some paid for award as the best HR guy. Why don't we do a survey inside about HR. I think HR is one of the most unresponsive, arrogant group of employees who actually think they run the business. In fact, Matthew told one of my colleagues he could our CEOs job. What a joke!

Seems to be a Dell thing. Wow!

Signs that you are being gaslit. Every item below happened to me. Finally left a few years ago because I got sick of the abuse, the bait-and-switch, burn-out, and out right theft of my work. Don’t let this happen to you.

1. Expectations that keep changing
   ↳ Goals get reset halfway
   ↳ Promotions dangled, then vanish
   ↳ Yesterday’s "great job" becomes today's "not enough"

2. Work that feels meaningless
   ↳ Endless decks no one reads
   ↳ Projects with no impact
   ↳ Work hard, feel… empty

3. Leaders who disappear when it matters
   ↳ Present for wins, silent during chaos
   ↳ Emotional distance dressed as "professionalism"
   ↳ Absent in moments that count

4. No space for real conversations
   ↳ Feedback feels like formality
   ↳ Honest talks are risky
   ↳ Everyone smiles. No one speaks truth.

5. Invisible efforts, visible mistakes
   ↳ Wins are "team effort"
   ↳ Mistakes? That’s on you
   ↳ Your hard work becomes someone else's highlight.

6. Leaders who fear strong voices
   ↳ Challenge is mistaken for conflict
   ↳ Assertiveness punished as “tone”
   ↳ Quiet compliance gets rewarded

7. Promises made in hiring... quietly broken later
   ↳ Career growth, autonomy, flexibility
   ↳ Turns out: deadlines, control, and burnout
   ↳ No one explains the switch

8. Recognition becomes transactional
   ↳ One-size-fits-none awards
   ↳ “Thank you” only in slides
   ↳ Praise wrapped in KPIs

9. Wellness preached, burnout rewarded
   ↳ Meditation app, but no boundaries
   ↳ Rest is guilted
   ↳ Stillness is seen as slacking

10. No one asks: ‘What do you need?’
    ↳ Assumptions > curiosity
    ↳ Fix the task, not the tension
    ↳ Support feels like a script

Great people don’t leave because they’re weak.
They leave because they’re wise.
They leave when staying means self-betrayal.

The last thread on the first page of this board was made 7 days ago, last post 6 days ago. Every other health insurer’s page? The last thread on the first page was made weeks or months ago. That’s because Optum is on purpose stressing you out and making you sick so they can pocket the money you should be paid and your only outlet, aside from vices or violence, is this board. And, they have been doing this for a very long time, thanks to their armies of lawyers. I mean, how far removed from humanity are these people; money is that important to you that nothing else matters? Cash rules everything around you? Dollar dollar bill y’all…

How does employee satisfaction compare at these three companies. I managed to take a peak at the GM thread, and there aren't many posts compared to Ford's. Could it be there's less to complain about? I always thought it was worse there.

The U.S. Absence Center of Excellence.

Just LOL. No duvet days for those poor chumps.

I've realized doing excellent work at Citi is frankly an outdated concept. Why exhaust yourself when the real promotion checklist involves laughing at the boss's jokes and volunteering for the flashy, pointless projects? Simply ensure you're the last person they see leaving each night. Productivity is secondary to perfecting the appearance of it.

They've asked me to fully train a new person on my team. I can't help but feel like this is a bad sign for my own job here. I'm showing him the essentials, but I'm definitely keeping some key details to myself. It's a strange and uncomfortable position to be put in.

I've been here for years, and the last couple have been rough. I've had three different managers in a short time, and each one seems less prepared than the last. It really makes me question how they're choosing people for these positions now. The whole process seems very much broken.

It feels like Exxon isn't the same place anymore. Everyone I talk to just expects the next change to make things worse. There's no real hope for things improving, just this constant worry about what's coming. It's really difficult to stay positive in this atmosphere.

You have to see this job as just a paycheck, nothing more. Your real purpose needs to be completely outside of this place. It's a losing battle to hope the culture here will ever improve, trust me. Don't let their daily nonsense steal your peace.

Doesn’t matter if you’re in STS, CRM, CSS, RPS, etc the whole system is built to benefit the top and treat everyone else as disposable.

Leadership knows exactly how toxic it’s gotten but they just don’t care. As long as the stock price stays high and they keep getting richer, nothing else matters to them

Bumping from @43w+1k9ze46kn for being 100% on point.