It is astonishing how many nasty people work an Nike in positions of Director and beyond. I work in an area at Nike where people will take credit for other people's work and often do it right in front of such people; they do not even mention other people's efforts. I work with people at my level yet they act as though they are of a higher position simply because they have been together longer. They are disrespectful and it so disgusting watching them kiss up to upper management. They, seriously, do almost nothing all day long except criticize others. They never come up with any ideas of their own but will claim your ideas as their own and if something is not perfect, they spend significant amount of time discussing events and other people in derogatory fashion. They truly represent everything I never want to become. Things are so stressful and disgusting that I am actually praying to get laid off. I could just pretend that none of this bothers me and stick around for 8 to 9 more years before I retire, but I just cannot do that. I am actually sad about how confident I am that I will not be laid off. Isn't that messed up? Anyway, hopefully the company I am talking to at the moment about an available position will materialize and I can just walk way even if it means no bonus or stock options. I am willing to work for an additional 15 years else where before I retire than staying at Nike for just 8 then retire. Sad...truly sad how bad Nike's culture is these days. The answer to the question I started this thread with is an resounding no!
17 replies (most recent on top)
Of course it fixes everything! Just like the last 10 reorgs did
LOL Donahoe has tens of millions of reasons to not give a sh** about what any one posting on here cares about.
@1snt+16ra0fbm sounds like he is John Donahoe monitoring this site.
Hey JD, do you mind?
@2aqi, OK. The rest of us are current employees dealing with bad stuff. We are not here for amusement either. If you have moved on, then you would not be here making stupid comments.
Good luck everyone...and give yourselves a pat on the back for surviving the "reign of terror" in the Product Engines that was headed by exec that came off the Board, into NIKE retail and then in charge of the product engines. For a few years, we lost our minds and then we lost our souls. Product lines got edited and cut, resources were pushed onto fashion and lab styles with little volume and lots of markdowns, sports, sports products and sport focused employees were annihilated by this regime. Public dress-downs in product reviews, dismissive comments, performance ratings by executive edict, inner circle cronyism and rewards for sycophants. Few were spared the venom and wrath–even Chief Creative and CEO were publicly slandered by this belligerent leader. If you had many years at the brand, you were labeled old-school, useless and non-promotable. If you cut your teeth at the Gap or Banana, somehow you were golden and deemed one of the few that "got it." Some real GOT bloodshed. 4th floor cowed by the tactics of this exec bc the sales were climbing, until they weren't. Fortunately, product, post 2017 got mostly back on track. But the bruises, scars and human collateral take longer to heal.
@foo+16ra0fbm
we are no longer part of Nike empire but it is sad and amusing to see all the c-ap that
is going on this site because many of you did not see that there life on the other side.
Also, one word of wisdom for you my friends!
Knowing what is going on everywhere will be POWER for you down the future.
So I am here. Spending little time for my amusement and enrichment. I am selfish.
"I left a couple years ago and I’ve never looked back."
So many x-Nike employees here, obsessed with this board, claiming they are "happier." If u moved on, then u wouldn't be here posting..... I definitely DON'T stalk my old employer via forums, I dont even think about them. THAT is never looking back.
if you want to know about past names in athletic business is
Reebok
Etonic
Starter
Avia
ProKeds
Keds
Pony
Kangaroo
Kswiss
Fila dead and somewhat back
Ellese
Etonic
adidas one time dead in the late eighties
Puma dead for awhile but back
Asics it died but hear from few people that they are back
Converse king then dead then somewhat alive then dead and alive and Nike bought it
Above are the name that just pops in my head but it is a lot more
Doubt there will be much change to the culture, general vibe...
If you want to change that, you need to also change the upper managerial crust.. none of the executive team are being laid off, so the same old BS will be fed down the food chain.
One example: You’ll read a lot of negative comments on these boards about HR, and yet no change at the top. MM, the same miserable, arrogant, heartless person remains in the role. Great!
@kqx - well as they have already posted much of the new VP squad, I can confirm your rumor is completely untrue.
I can list 50 white VPs... they have already confirmed a handful of senior director-to-VP promotions, again mostly white.
Diversity truly is critical, obviously, but I think we need to focus on diversity as more than just hiring more people of color. For Nike to be the strongest brand globally, it needs to be run by a global team at all levels of the org.
We’ll see how the next 2-4 months play out, but wishing you all the best.
@kqx sounds like a troll to me - total rumor, and a dangerous (racist) one at that.
If this rumor appealed to you, please take some time to self reflect on why a conspiracy like this would be the logical choice, vs (for example) considering how most VPs from underrepresented groups may have had to have been very high achievers in order to get to where they are today (and thus more likely to have been retained vs white counterparts who maybe didn’t have to work so hard). Do better.
As a side note, 77.1% of VPs were white as of 2019 (https://purpose.nike.com/fy19-representation-and-pay), so the probability of those who have been let go being mostly white makes sense.
Do I hear lawsuit for reverse racism down the line?
But then Nike can afford it
It will be long line of lawsuits that Nike had in their history and disappear
I don't think it will fix the old Nike culture but will establish a new culture, good or bad, depending on what kind of leader JD is and the people who make up the ELT/SLT/MT/LT. I hope they can get some semblance of the old culture but not counting on it, especially when the old timers have left or are laid off. Further, I don't expect they'll get all of the bad apples out but hopefully the most toxic...I know of a few that have already been laid off that were very toxic.
As far as going somewhere else and retiring later. When I left Nike, I found a job making about 10% more+ better benefits then Nike, but it also wasn't the middle of a pandemic. In any case, I would suggest that you might find either equal or better pay.
I agree with the poster who said it doesn't matter the color of you skin but the ability you have to be a proper leader. Diversity brings in a multitude of different thought and as we have all seen since probably 2008, Nike's leadership has stagnated. I don't think JD is going to layoff all white VP's...that would be nonsensical for a multitude of reasons but to name a few 1) reverse discrimination lawsuit, 2) there are some wonderful leaders at Nike who happen to be white and the knowledge they obtain isn't replaceable.
I am hoping that JD puts in the proper processes in place so that Nike doesn't get back to more layoffs, e.g., finance/hr/manage vetting to increase HC. Rethinking interview processes. I think the panels are effective, but the manager's "buddies" shouldn't make up the panel. Maybe have a rolling, blind pool of people a manager can select from when creating a panel of interviewers from across the company. Obviously you would want a few SME's but having one or two people who have no knowledge of the players seems fair.
Good luck, Nike friends.
@kqx, I really do not know how valid that is or is not. I 100% support diversity in all its forms. It is not that I want all white VPs gone just because they are white. I simply want to see VPs, Sr. Directors and Directors who know what they are doing, care about people, and do the right thing for Nike employees, which is not happening with the current crops of “leaders.” If serving the employees is beneath you, then leadership is beyond you. Your skin color, to me, is irrelevant and no I am not white.
Anyway, it is a shot show out there at Nike and I have zero faith that sh– is going to get better; not in the area where I work. The old boys club is still alive and kicking; thanks MP - just f—ing retire already; you have done more damage than can be repaired.
This could be rumor or fact. But 2 different people that has knowledge of Nike has told JD is laying off
all WHITE VP and 500 managers. So that Nike become ethnically more diverse and meet the number that is considered minorities are represented fairly.
They are taking that BLM to the extreme.
But then isn't that reverse racism?
Could not have said it better! Folks, it is suffocating working at Nike for the sheer number of bad people. I want to be clear that I also met two incredibly wonderful and supportive people whom I will cherish forever - they became friends. However, daily work and interacting with all the phonies at Nike - tech and business - is unbearable. The nastiest people of all are at....f—, I am not going to violate the rules though I want to name 10 people so bad here.....anyway, what goes around comes around, a–holes!
I left a couple years ago and I’ve never looked back. When you walk away into something new you can begin to realize how bad it is. It’s like an abusive relationship you put up with