How much of the decision is on the employee's direct manager? I'm going to assume that the pay plays a part in it but some of the decision must be based on how well somebody is performing their role and how essential they are to their team and/or project. Can anybody clarify this, please?
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It is typically done first by looking at classes of jobs. Which job classifications feel bloated and heavy? Often times, cuts come down as a percentage. For example, you need to cut headcount by 10%. So go do it. Then employees are ranked from top performers to low performers and lines are drawn while consideration is given to workplace diversity mix. Often times, there are portfolio job considerations made. For example, cut R & D by 5% but cut marketing by 15%. Having done this multiple times at HP (former employee), I believe it is as fair of a process as humanely possible. I agree with previous comments, don't quit. Let them fire you with a severance package.
In the 2019-2020 reorg in my group, my direct manager had no authority over the decision. He was sacked out by his boss.
My then boss eventually was able to find somthning else in another org, but was definitelly not consulted, as other people from our team were layed off.
Right, but those upper level managers hand it to HR and HR hands it to the first level managers to execution. I am not saying it's happening now but it has happened in the past and I had conversation with the first level managers and they were clear - they and their manager had zero say. Yes, I assume the ranking was considered.
It may be true that your direct manager has no say, if it is decided to eliminate an entire function, close a site, or move a function to a different site and the whole team is let go.
However, even if that is the case, that isn't coming from HR - it's coming from someone higher up in your org.
"direct manager has zero say" - not true. All direct managers have a say. That is what being a manager is.
Looks like your manager is pulling the wool over your eyes.
They have been and will be layoffs where the direct manager has zero say. For a couple, even the second level manager had no say and it came out of HR.
While i cant speak for all parts of HP, the bit about managers needing to stack rank their employees every quarter, as a broad practice, is completely untrue.
Other posters are correct. Senior management will determine #s, those will get distributed with more granularity across orgs/teams by lower level leadership as it moves down the org, but individual managers will generally need to make the decisions on who will be impacted based on the targets they are given.
Managers submit a list every quarter of their direct reports in a certain order that in event a WFR is needed for budget reasons, any number of WFR`s can be issued to cut the budget until a certain $$$ number is met. This method has been used for layoffs going back years, by issuing a list every quarter it lessens the emotional stress on a manager to constantly prepare and tell someone thjust got got fired.
Managers definitely play a role. Usually upper management determines a headcount reduction for organizations, and then it’s up to the individual managers to identify who specifically of that headcount to whack. If you are “deemed” as unneeded, even if you believe that you have proven your worth, you’re out.
And unfortunately, many ex-HP employees have found that “good ‘ole boy” politics play into layoff decisions. Those good buddies of managers tend to be retained over others. HP is just ruthless when it comes to layoffs and who specifically to cut.
The manager plays a big part on who goes and who stays. I find that pay does not play as big of the part as an employee doing a job that no one else does. If you know how to troubleshoot a piece of equipment or software then you will stay. That even goes for CW's that know more than HP employees when it comes to having unique knowledge that the manager relies on. The big indicator is that the manager knows about that talent and has put it to use on a daily basis.