I’m getting very nervous about the upcoming layoffs. Does anyone know which areas will be hit the hardest?
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I have heard the layoffs in Technology have occurred. I was hit in June of 2017 and the last 3 yrs have seen an entire change to my life. My health took a tanking (likely a wind-down from a few decades of Nike pace) and I have unofficially retired.
It’s a new world of employment at Nike and in many world class companies. I no longer belong by any measure, and do not wish to belong..
I am grateful to have worked for The Swoosh and am grateful to be gone. The shake out will be rough for people, COVID-19 will enhance the lows. You will eventually feel lucky yo be out.
good bye tech! We in innovation and marketing come first.....Just fire them!
I did something similar after a higher up told a room of us that if we weren't where we wanted to be in our careers at Nike then a) it probably wasn't going to happen, and b) start thinking about what it is you want to get out of your time at Nike.
I was already in a very bad headspace, feeling passed over and unvalued. I figured out where I wanted to be in a year, both job-wise and with my life, and realized it was not at Nike nor in Oregon. Over the subsequent year, I became super strategic with the work I took on, and made sure it could translate to something that would help me land my next job. Most importantly, I left on my own terms with zero regrets.
@2nv Well said and I'm sorry for your loss.
Remember, you don't have a choice as to whether or not Nike lets you go, but you DO have a choice over how you choose to deal with the situation. I can promise you this: if you choose to let it consume you and you wallow in uncertainty, fear, and stress...it will not help. There is no upside. It will not help you to keep your job, it will not help you sleep, it will not help your relationships, and it for sure won't provide you any peace of mind. It'll k–l you. So don't let it happen. Be positive. Look ahead. Prepare. Think about what could be next. Change the narrative in your mind. That attitude WILL help. It will prepare you and it will help you stay positive and keep your sanity. You'll be more productive and less self-destructive. This is hardly the end of the world, so don't let yourself think that it is.
To those feeling anxiety, a short story: three years ago my 42 year old brother, who was otherwise perfectly healthy, had a small pain around his stomach. Not really a big deal. But when it didn’t go away after two months and got a little worse his wife made him go see a doctor. That’s when he found out he had stage 3 pancreatic cancer and likely about 6 months to live. Tom fought for 8 months before the disease got him.
What in the h@ll does that have to do with Nike layoffs? Well, when it comes to our relationships, our jobs, our health, and many other things in life, none of us ever have as much control as we’d like to think. Just two days before Tom first went to the doctor we were discussing our retirement portfolios, getting a little anxious as to whether our asset allocation was correct, and what we were going to do when we retired. It all seems so trivial now, and in hindsight so blind that we just assumed there would BE a “retirement”.
The point? Life has likely thrown you some lemons before, and it will throw you some more in the future. You won’t have much control over many of those lemons. The best course of action is to embrace the unknown as best you can, focus as much as you can on TODAY, express gratitude everyday for the many good things you probably DO have in your life, and know that no matter what happens...it won’t be permanent. Any pain, fear, anxiety or worry will be temporary. Or as the saying goes, “This too shall pass”. If you are let go, at some point in the future you’ll think “Yeah, that kinda s—ed”, but you’ll be long over it by then.
As for those layoffs specifically, you were good enough to get hired at Nike. That says a lot by itself, as everyone knows it is difficult to get a job here. If you are let go from Nike take a week or two to mourn while remembering the good times. This is important. Then, make getting a new job your new, temporary job. While the economy isn’t fantastic right now there is ALWAYS a demand for talented people. It’s then a matter of expressing to others why you are uniquely talented and suitable for a specific role. Which you can do. If you couldn’t do that, it’s unlikely you would have been hired here in the first place.
In the interim, if anxiety is interfering with daily activities talk to someone. Or barring that, do what I have done: I have a sticky on my bathroom mirror that forces me to spend two minutes every morning asking myself and thinking about two questions: 1. What do you have to be grateful for?; and 2. What are you going to do today that you’ll be thankful you did a year from now? (Then make sure you do it!) It might be a little bit of a Jedi mind trick, but if you do this consistently for 4 weeks I guarantee you’ll start feeling better...about everything. Do it for a year and you’ll be a completely different person in 12 months.
I am a little worried myself, as it’s a particularly bad time for me to lose a job right now. My wife lost her job in May and she’s 4 months pregnant with our third child. But, we have good friends and family, a roof over our heads (that we may need to downsize if I am let go), food in the pantry, and most important each other. We may have to make some hard decisions and, in a worst case scenario, move in with family for awhile. We’ll get through it through, and I’ll continue to wake up everyday thankful for what I DO have, and for what I’m going to do that day that’ll put me in a better spot a year from now.
Stay strong. We’ll all get through this to reach the other side.
@2wbd, I feel you. That is so stressful. I have been dealing with the same emotions for few weeks now and trying to shield my family from it; however, I am just tired of worrying about something that has not yet happened or about something that I cannot control. With that said, I have taken all the steps I possibly can to face it should it happen. Truly, wishing you the best.
OP my anxiety is through the roof too. I’ve had multiple breakdowns from the thought of losing employment in this current climate.
Hey Riddick, One big difference between Levi’s laying off 5% in Nike is that Levi’s was already lean as a company. Years of low sales already gutted them. Nike is a big bloated beast. Expect a minimum of 10% if not 15%.
The correct answer is no one except the ELT knows. What is Public and has been stated is by the end of July each Division VP under the ELT will be informed. The execution will happen in mid August. However, judging by what Levis just did after 48% drop in profit is a 5% head count reduction in corporate jobs is likely. Mostly redundant positions and people whose functions are going away due to stream lining due to Covid and new formation taking effect in September. The new management does not have ties to the old guard so: Expect several VP types to be offered an enhanced package to leave or take a demotion to an S band. I speculate 10. JD stated they will start at the top and make their way down. Have you noticed how many VP parking slots there are and how many are empty most of the time Sad! Expect at least 20 S bands to be shown the door or given demotions, 50 plus E bands. Cant say how many else. U bands L bands in the hundreds. Beyond that WHQ or EMA Gyms are no longer being used and food and childcare all outsourced for sure. In Digital and Tech ops one platform means a lot of outsourcing. Marketing, Innovation, Product lines way too many VP types reporting to VP. Good luck everyone. Pay off your debt and hope for the best. Use your health insurance while you can. Like all big corporations Nike is a great place as long as you are useful and they are making money not loosing it. Hopefully those of us who go will be given a good package. The force does not care about your stick family or feelings. That being said JD is much better prepared to make the right decisions than Parker.
Nike Technology was fairly well gutted when it was merged with CDT into TechOps. That is not saying there is no fat to trim there- it can be found everywhere. The focus seems to be on reducing product teams.
Given the results of the 2018 cut, those with higher compensation are going to be the most scrutinized. It is a shame to lose the tribal knowledge, but it's all about money. Employees that had been around for over 20 years were let go. We scurried playing Parker's billions and that was the reward. Loyalty to employees is not coming from the top with the new leadership. Nike is beholden to the almighty quarterly results. With that said, it is still, by far, one of the best employers that I have had. But don't forget that you are just a number when it comes down to it.
@OP, I would not waste too much time on fretting on possibilities. You are not likely to find out until you are led to a large papered up conference room. Instead focus on demonstrating value to the company so that you get your seat in the latest round of musical chairs.
Any positions that are category-specific are the most vulnerable, especially in Global and in the Geos. Also vulnerable is middle-management (E-bands especially) since the company is looking to flatten cumbersome reporting structures.
@OP first of all, I want to wish you all the best. Whatever happens, keep your head up because you will be alright.
Now, this is just my best guess and not based on hard facts, but I think that Nike Tech will be the area hit hardest. My reasoning for this is that we have a relatively new CIO and a new CEO. Both, obviously, have tech background and they was to trim the fat, concentrate on a more streamlined platforms and processes and, potentially, outsource to vendors. Again, just my point view.