Is this what I used to know of? Too early to decide?

I've recently joined Cisco based out of one of the APJC countries after experiencing several US tech companies all based out of AsiaPac.

I actually worked at Cisco for a few years about 20 years ago, and I loved it. People were very nice and friendly, all were teamwork-minded.

But I've been feeling so shocked to find that culture, people, org of Cisco have changed this much.

Even on day 1 or day 2, my manager never sent welcome/intro email to everyone in the team. When he finally introduced me to everyone via email one month later, I received no "Hi" or "welcome" message from anyone in the team. NONE. Not that I was expecting or anything, but I used to receive a few warm "Hi" or "welcome" message from some team members at my previous US companies.

Even after several months passed now, working on some projects that I've been transitioned to me from my manager, and I asked some questions for a few project members, but no one answers at all. Even if I sent them heads-up emails, they still never respond.

Something like this happened here or there in the past several months. I realize that people here are very unresponsive or very nonchalant to other people. It made me feel like not responding is their rule or policy. I see some people are unresponsive or slow at other US companies I worked at, but not this much.

There are also people who have been working here for more than 20 years and have no work experience in other companies. They think they themselves are all that, but they are not. Compared with my ex-co-workers at my previous companies who are very professional and knowledgeable in project management or any other field, people here with over 20-year tenure know very so little about anything, yet acting so proud of having a long tenure here, sticking to hold his/her current position. In the job market wise, I often wonder if they are capable enough to work at other companies.

I've never felt this isolated, nor do I know if anyone else is feeling the same way, but if I stay here longer, I’m afraid that I’ll get more and more behind the time and in due course, I won’t be able to work at other companies, I’m starting to worry...

Is this a company for someone who has very motivated, career-minded, and has enough experiences in various projects and customer facing like me?

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Those long-tenured employees, 10 years, 20
years or more, often brag about how long they've been working here wherever they can boast about it, but each time they say it, I just feel so sad about them. Are they thinking they have acquired anything useful that they can use at other companies?

Those people in the whole job market wise, well... That's why they're going to have to cling to stay here.

I worked at several technology firms, but here is the most boring job, the most childish organization, the least tech company I've ever seen, as a matter of fact.

It's a company for the newly grads or people who don't enough work experience.

Not good for people with solid work career. Nothing new here to learn/acquire.

It's easy to blame covid for everything, but it has nothing to do with it actually. It's simply the company culture.

OP, your story sounds very unusual to me, but then again, I'm a US-based worker.

Even so, my prior team was 50% based in the US and 50% based in India, although there were a few exceptions like a guy in the UK and a guy in Jerusalem. We used to be pretty evenly split between SJC, CA and RTP, NC for the US team, but now it's much more heavily skewed towards RTP only now.

That team was pretty good about welcoming new India based team members. There were no "team calls" due to the time zone differences, but we did have a weekly team meeting and one person from India would attend and they rotated the person so that we'd get to talk to everyone from India sooner or later. But we definitely communicated and responded via email, and now Webex.

My new team is more US based, although we are the "support" team for another team that is more globally located with one or two staff in a lot of countries/time zones. When someone joins our team or the team we support, the manager welcomes them immediately along with a comment for someone to add the new person to the ACLs or AD groups to grant them access, and there are immediate replies of welcome, replies that the new person has been added to this ACL, that AD group, or some team mailing list or Webex space.

Most of our team conversations have moved to Webex team spaces, so it's very apparent when someone is being ignored and someone will reply.

It sounds like you need to switch to a new team, or leave Cisco altogether, because that team as described is toxic.

I'm sorry to hear it. I guess it depends what team you're on. No welcomes and no email replies is completely unacceptable. I've been w/ Cisco for 22 years and all the teams I've worked with have been friendly, professional and caring w/ one another.

This is what happens when you lock down and isolate people for years. And reduce or LR/ER some of the best people in the company. We should have evolved vs. removing arms and legs and hope the body will still live. Believe most people are just mentally worn out. At some point you stop caring so much.

blame covid19

Are there no regular team meetings? Is there no team space for you and your team members? This is odd, and it isn't right. Did you talk to your manager about it?

Well then let me be the first to say, welcome to Cisco!

That’s my initial thought when I first join. It’s kinda a dream to be in the organization. But as time pass, I started to feel you are just alone and there and absolutely no support at all. Your manager will constantly be switching and no ones bother abt you at all. Your mental well being get affected and start to think what is this organization is doing to be the best organization to work for. Nothing!

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Is this what I used to know of? Too early to decide?

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