Thread regarding Cisco Systems Inc. layoffs

There's one trick to survive. Become self-employed. Look around you. Tesla, Google, Microsoft, Amazon to name a handful. Layoffs and more layoffs is the only recipe they know. A project doesn't work as expected? Drop the entire team of course!

Totally agree on Cisco managers point.. Looking at most of their contribution, I can confidently say if these mangers are eliminated there is zero impact. In fact it will be a positive turn around for the company.

Cisco has great products but the leaders are selfish without any vision.

"Do you now see what’s wrong with this picture, and why Cisco is going down the tube?"

You just described every publicly traded corporation in America. Political games & bs alliances are valued in America... not real work, skills, or certifications

and if you want to break things down further... superficial charm, lack of empathy, and the ability to wear many masks is really valued in corporate america

At Cisco, managing people is lot easier than doing actual work and dealing with bully customers and account teams.

Employees see becoming a Cisco manager as getting a secured job with the least stress.

Do most agree? How do managers see their jobs - more money, better job security, retirement job, etc.?

...IC do the work and deliver.

ICs are why Cisco's software has been garbage for over 30 years and most of its development budget goes to trying to fix bugs, and no, I'm not suggesting the management is any better.

…managers focus on strategic relationships and always survive layoffs

Managers don’t work with customers or any deliveries, IC do. Managers play political games, while IC do the work and deliver. While IC doing the real work, and increasing skills with certifications etc., managers do none of it, keep their job, and have plenty of time to focus on strategic relationships, BS and alliances. And end up keeping their jobs.

Do you now see what’s wrong with this picture, and why Cisco is going down the tube?
Hope ELT wakes up and gets this straight. No customer work, out the door Mr Manager or Director.

Cisco is a relationship based company. Individual contributors focus on skills & meaningless certifications... managers focus on strategic relationships and always survive layoffs

Regarding survival secret for manager level. There are no survival issue for managers, its only happen on engineer level. Cisco adopt the same strategy from "Japan self defense force". In normal day keep the leaders, in war time these sergeant will train private. I believe Japanese sergeants are well trained and highly self disciplined.
Thus we can see many directors have less than 2 reports or no reports. Managers have less than 4 reports or no reports, no projects too. They all well survived again and again ...
Please ask yourself can you out talk any of these leaders ? If not please sit down take a deep breath, calm down and practice your interview.

Ask the hoards of useless 1st line and 2nd line managers in SBG their secret to survive. I can give you a few names if you want to DM them directly. They will reply immediately because they are probably not double anything

A stealth layoff at Cisco is when like 12 people just disappear. No announcement, no meeting, no communication... maybe it's to keep employee morale high?

I've had meetings where a 7 people just didn't show up. Turns out that was a stealth layoff. No acknowledgment the people ever disappeared.

A secret to survival in America is to avoid employment at these tech companies. You are simply trash they will throw away. Do not think you are important to them. An engineer, in managements eyes, is someone you wind up and turn loose to compete with the other little engineers. They sit back and sort the wheat from the chaff and watch the show. Then, when times are tough burn the wheat too. Tell them they have a lot of marketable skills and don't let the door hit you in the backside on the way out. Oh BTW, we have placement and mental health services too. Have you considered having a stroke? Learn a trade that AI cannot replace and start your own company before you end up divorced and homeless. Never purchase anything you cannot pay for. Talk to someone that lived through the depression.

I have been eating rice and beans for the past 19yrs. Welcome to Cisco, today's menu is: rice and beans.

What does “stealth” mean? They’ll be asked to resign/managed out?

Such is the reality of tech anymore. The 90s subsidized tech bo-m is not the case anymore.

I joined less than 3 years ago and I can’t wait to get out.

And we have a bunch of mental health workshops at Cisco. Your mental health is important to us.

You managed not to bother reading any of the years worth of threads saying essentially the same thing and asking questions answered a hundred times over. Cisco should have a Director position for you.

@@rbv+1ssdLuTa - just because you may get LRd you suggest rice and beans. Drama much ? Go find another job even if low paying

Anyone that doesn't know this company has been treading on thin ice has been living under a rock for the last decade. If you've spent that time gaming, fine dining, attending liberal fundraisers, whatever - this is your wake up call. That 25 grand you're planning on spending to go on trips and buy that new Tesla - well, forget it - the Cisco days of wine, roses stock splits and free T-shirts is gone and has been gone, and will never come back. If you live in the area, sell that condo in Sunnyvale and gt ready to live in Stockton. Trade that old tesla in for a toyota tu-d roller and enjoy rice and beans - it's on the menu.

LRs are always stealth - ONLY those impacted get a call and know, rest will never find out who are on LR list unless one disclosed. Such is the hush-hush nature of process at Cisco for labor reduction.

Nothing can be done, period. Even if you take PTO, go on extended vacation, or unpaid time off, you’ll be informed first day back at work. It can only be delayed until you’re back at work.

So plan for LR and have a proper attitude of being ready and prepared. It’s only a job. F*CK IT and move on. Good luck 👍

Funny that you work in one of the tech layoff capitals in the US. This is the tech mantra: Never know if you have a job. Regardless, layoffs happen all the time. Living in fear is a personal choice. Why do YOU let a company do this to you? There is no reason for it. I believe you put yourself into a position to be dependent on that income instead of living more modestly. The best place to ever be is a F You! position. It means you could care less if they keep you employed.

So, since you are not in a position to give your own 1-finger salute, you have left yourself in a dependent situation. Do everything you can now to get the situation changed. There are tons of jobs out there that are far more stable. You can be an excellent performer, work only 40 hours per week, reduced stress and much better environment. But, it comes at a cost. You will most likely make less money. Until you get to that FU position, you are always going to live in fear.

It's almost every quarter for the last 10 years. If you don't want to worry, find somewhere else ASAP.

Brown skin helps

The unfortunate reality is that layoffs will be a regular occurrence at Cisco until they company finds a new driver of business growth.

If that reality is too stressful - as it is for most people - I'd suggest you find a growing company who needs more resources than it already has as opposed to Cisco, who will constantly be looking to lower their costs.

If a LR happens next week, the impacted have already been identified and likely long ago.
I suggest looking for and applying to your next role if you think you'll be caught up in any LR. Be proactive. Get your network and resume together in advance. If nothing happens, great!