Thread regarding Cisco Systems Inc. layoffs

Only $85k?! No wonder TAC support reps are so awful.

Good luck OP, I would rather quit in a good way and come back after 6-8 months at G8 for a way higher salary.

Yes, new hires are coming in at 85k in TAC with benefits such as paying for home internet up to $100, so if you are below that, you are significantly underpaid. Also at Cisco, no such thing as recognizing high performers, it's about visibility (i.e a*s kissing, create/participate in social events, etc).

...Perhaps you need to look in the mirror and realize you have terrible self marketing skills. You make a low wage because thats what you agreed too. Dont hate new hires that are more capable of selling their skills. You make what you deserve.

That's not necessarily the case. Cisco likes to pay at the median for your pay grade and getting above the median puts a target on your back. But, when the job market gets competitive and it takes more money to attract new employees, they get hired at a higher wage and Cisco is very slow to bring people with seniority up to the point new hires are coming in at.

Another thing affecting pay and promotions is not necessarily "performance", but visibility. Developers who make some high vis changes or implement some highly needed feature get the recognition and promotions, but the other people on the team who do the day-to-day grunt work of keeping the business running while those few developers work on that high vis stuff get no recognition, and hence little-to-no raise or promotion. Sometimes the people working on some high vis stuff couldn't have gotten it done without building on the work of the rest of the team, but they're the ones who get the recognition. And the sad thing is, it takes them leaving and being replaced to get the wages for that role back up to where it should be instead of just paying the departing person the wages they're worth and Cisco has to absorb the wasted loss of productivity while that person is gone: someone has to do that work, manager has to have meetings to justify replacing the person, write a req, get it approved, sift through resumes, conduct interviews, the team has to participate in interviews, on-board the new person and get their laptop setup, setup new accounts and grant permissions, etc. and then wait on the new person to come up to speed, when all of that lost productivity could have been avoided just by giving a pay raise to the person who left.

I've seen high-performers get a promotion followed by a layoff. The higher salary makes you a target.

I've seen way more low performs not getting promoted for a long time and still not leaving on their own eventually followed by a layoff. Low performance makes you a bigger target.

How much was the pay?

Oh yeah… we are now so desperate that we offer grade 10 to people who cannot tie their shoe laces. Some of the new hires might have unique skills in the software world as we are a software company ;), but not in my team. Either way well played by them, I can just say the next time our beloved leadership wants us to go the extra mile they can look at the new guy who is higher in grade to take some cap stuff or babysit a customer on site.
My conclusions are drawn and I will look to escape and do the same move at an external company, I sincerely hope you this as a positive point and look elsewhere as well rather then risk your mental health with envy.
It’s not worth it

I've seen high-performers get a promotion followed by a layoff. The higher salary makes you a target.

My pro tip has big code load for the TAC. Big salaryman has negotiate for role.

Dont hate new hires that are more capable of selling their skills.

That is not the reason why new hires have typically higher salaries than those who stay long at the company.

Pro tip, apply for those positions.

It’s how I got a 50% increase in pay. What’s stopping you?

You agreed to take the job.

You agreed to the negotiated wage.

The issue is your negotiation skills (or lack of).

Don't fault others for their abilities to sell their skills more than you, even if you indeed may be more skilled.

It is an art, an important one to learn, especially if just of average ability if choosing to work in technology.

Generating a bu11sh!t image of dressing and looking a certain way, being able to be social and outgoing, and having a popular image in technology, is indeed somewhat inherently nauseating, but will definitely pad your paycheck, promotion cycle, and bonuses.

Well, at least it used to, say a decade ago, at Cisco.

Put up with lots of fake chit-chat and partnering at Cisco; spent lots of time at dinner meetings fake laughing with people that were not genuine.

Well crud I guess I became one of them myself during my run. The falseness did pay off, which I guess is good, now older and semi-retired.

Would I do it again? If the money reward was part of it; yes.

All the world's a stage and we are merely players.

Hey OP. You lost respect for your manager because new hires are making more money than you? Perhaps you need to look in the mirror and realize you have terrible self marketing skills. You make a low wage because thats what you agreed too. Dont hate new hires that are more capable of selling their skills.

You make what you deserve.

OP, quit and then come back after 6 months. You will be hired at a higher pay.

This is the same story at my telecom company (I'm sure you can guess which one since there are only two big ones from Europe) as a designer, developer, coder, tester. Even after 20+ years, I still make around $120K. And they don't even give a raise every year. At least 10 of the years, they didn't give us a salary increase. When I ask my manger, no one really does anything cause they have a budget and they want to keep their job. NO manager will bring your case to HR or higher ups. They don't really care about you. They just want to make sure they meet their deliveries by pushing you to work late nights and weekends. There are always those one or two people who want to make themselves look like a super-star. Well, let them. Don't get jealous, just be glad they are doing the work and you aren't. They are only going to get $500 -$1000 increase in their salary even if that. Remember, stress is what drives down your health. And we are getting older and need to look out for our health. Money comes and money goes. What matters is how you live your life even with a $1000 or $10000 less. I miss the old days where work was from 9 to 5. Now a days, with international meetings, it starts at 7 AM and doesn't end till midnight and weekends. And for 120K, it really isn't worth it.

This is a well-known behavior among Cisco managers in TAC, Sales, BU, and other departments. It's even worse when your boss is an Indian, as my last one called me greedy when I asked for a salary increase during our 1-1meeting.

As I said on the other post, Cisco is a great place for old folks like me, work on legacy boring stuff. TC 200k. I am happy because no stress but no future in career. Ok for 50year old engineer. For young or talent, Cisco is a toxic place for them because TC is too low. Therefore we need to hire more H1 to abuse them. So if your smart and young, start an exit plan asap.

I can feel your pain. yes the pay really sucks. The management always keeps telling you that they will look into it. I don't understand why they so much more to new hires and cannot increase for existing employees, always some excuse or the other. This week was also my last week at Cisco. Good to come out and join another good company. It not only gives a good jump but also you learn new technology and skills.