When an employee left for whom everyone knew was doing sloppy work and wasn’t really interested in his or her job, it used to go almost unnoticed.
However, when those who have been most passionate about their job start to leave the company, then that speaks volumes about the dysfunction in the work environment in this company.
5 replies (most recent on top)
I’d like to leave but I won’t lie…Nike has me by the financial ballz. While everyone here seems to think the pay is bad at Nike for my role that isn’t true. When I add up my salary, PSP, the ESPP, and a few fringe benefits I’ve discovered I’d have to take a pretty significant pay cut to work elsewhere:
If that isn’t the case for y’all then congrats! But it’s most definitely the case with my job. Yes I’ve looked and applied elsewhere. When I tell other companies what my total cash comp is at Nike they’re always like “Um, yeah, we aren’t paying anywhere near that for this role. Sorry.”
I’m not sure if that makes me lucky or unlucky to work at Nike! I like my pay. I just hate the job. I’ve considered absorbing the pay cut but like most people it’s not exactly easy for me to accept a paycheck that’s 25%+ less. Will probably stick it out until I just can’t any longer. Pretty pathetic isn’t it?
It’s telling how at Nike career advice generally boils down to “just wait it out.”
Good people sit around, waiting it out, enduring the constant politicking and fear mongering because the place (especially SB’s former consumer direct science org) is so horribly mismanaged that it’ll eventually blow over, or at least seem to.
People say Nike is a marketing company masquerading as a shoe company. The culture is so toxic and disingenuous -- straight up lying for sport is a “daily habit” behind the berm -- I tend to believe it.
Know when to hold them and know when to fold them. Yes, just waiting will resolve issues and I have been in situations where I wish I had waited and others where I had to make an internal change myself. My last job and boss were so bad it was affecting my health and ability to either wait or change jobs. So, I walked away.
Been here 20+ years. My mantra: "If you don't like your management, wait. It will change with the next reorg".
There's also this Larry Niven/Jerry Pournelle quote that helped in dark times:
“One of your most ancient writers, a historian named Herodotus, tells of a thief who was to be executed. As he was taken away he made a bargain with the king: in one year he would teach the king's favorite horse to sing hymns. The other prisoners watched the thief singing to the horse and laughed. "You will not succeed," they told him. "No one can." To which the thief replied, "I have a year, and who knows what might happen in that time. The king might die. The horse might die. I might die. And perhaps the horse will learn to sing.”
Not all of Nike is bad, so do not leave the company just because you have a tool for a manager, for example. I found myself in such situation about three times. Hang in there because that will not last. Concentrate on building your network and reputation, apply for jobs, do not get dejected if rejected just keep going. I did and got out every time. Now I am in a place I love and my manager is wonderful. Best of luck even if you want to try elsewhere.