As someone who is not impacted in this LR, I look at how badly this one has been handled and how diligent and professional colleagues are being treated, actually I feel like I am impacted. This will go down in history as a major turning point in Cisco's history.
Our IP is also our people not just our software, hardware or amazing Asics!! Chuck wake up and realise this is no way to create loyalty, commitment and passion within a company. People deal - Joke!!
In regards to the last two posts, I'd agree.
When I was "impacted" (UK based) I couldn't fault my manager - she did deviate from the script a bit and explained that it was beyond her control. She seemed sincere, but the American "director" who happened to be in the country and at the meeting (hmmmmm) seemed totally indifferent to my impending exit.
When it came to the last day, I arrived quite late (5pm) because I was coming to the office from quite some distance away. The first HR drone almost refused to speak to me and give their sh--ty exit meeting, changing their mind when I made it clear that I was going to drop the Cisco laptop/badge on their desk and walk out, I'm not coming back. Such a nice way to treat a soon-to-be ex employee who made a special effort to come to your office.
This LR was handled very differently than those of the past. You'd think that the more often Cisco does this, the better they'd get at it, right? Learn from the mistakes of the past and do them better next time. Pull out the playbook from last time and follow it again with the improvements from what you did wrong last time.
Nope. Not Cisco. Let's do a worse job this year. @kmvo, yes, the managers are all told to read from the script that HR provided. It's to protect Cisco in case the manager says something wrong and the employee decides to sue. The lawyers have made sure that the script protects Cisco with no regards to the employee's feelings.
When they did the "workforce reduction" back in '11, they changed the automated message system when calling the GTRC/HR. They put the "If you've been impacted by the WFR, press 8 to be directed to HR" followed by the standard prompts. This year, nothing. When you get to HR, they don't even have specially trained people ready to help you. Back in '11, they had signs up directing impacted people to the room where the company for outplacement services was located. This year, they weren't even in the room that was in the info packet or on the HR Intranet LR resource page. Any signs to tell us they were in a different room? No. Did the Lobby Ambassador know where they were? No. Did the LA even know who the group was and if they were on site? No. If you called HR to ask where they where, did anyone know? Hell no. The people you reach when you call HR are not even at a Cisco site, nor do they work for Cisco. They work for Xerox!
I found it funny how they wanted to use my Cisco phone number & email address to contact me about issues I had to open. Duh! Once I'm terminated 30-days after getting my notice, I won't have access to that number or email address. You can't send me stuff after my termination date to my Cisco contact info, you have to use my personal number or email. Your manager can't send the web letter for your bonus package to anything but your Cisco ID. Guess what, the letter was made available AFTER the US employees were terminated and had returned their laptops. If you were lucky and had a good manager, s/he might print it for you, then scan it to PDF and email that to your personal email address. I was one of the lucky ones. (Thanks, Boss. If you're reading this, I appreciate it.)
I had to laugh after getting my notice. I got to celebrate a milestone service anniversary 2 days after I was told I was being let go. The email was the automated notice with the standard boiler plate message about how great it was to work at Cisco and how my years of dedicated service were valuable and being rewarded with a cheap gift. Thanks Cisco. Couldn't someone have gone through the list of LR'd people and removed them from the automated notification and sent a notice that was worded a little more thoughtfully?
I was in the uk.. affected by the latest round after 15 years of giving countless out of hours to building ideas and PPT business reviews at short notice, travel away from my family and general full on commitment.. . my 'exit session' was under 15 minutes long and my manager was reading a lot of what was said from a script she'd been given.. pathetic .. People deal..haha!
But at least if ever I need to cheer myself up I just have to remember Edwin and co on stage during the European session at GSX... what a shower of sh*te .. he really does have the charisma of a muppet..and not one the funny ones like Kermit ..Kermit is a way better presenter and a lot more authentic .. felt sorry for Phil Smith in the opening drumming section ..he's a good guy and his face said it all.. 'beam me up' and get me out of here!!
As for who's left.. for the most part people that are wedded to the flexible hours or don't have the confidence to take their skills elsewhere.. most people who'd been promoted over grade 10 have been sh*t canned leaving the manageable masses and a handful of scarred middle managers to sit and say 'awesome guys' at regular intervals while they try and work out what Cisco mean when they keep saying they're a software company now... too funny !
Chambers stayed too long, pushed away too many potential successors and finally appointed a weak clone to succeed him - total f..k up!
@JQ9sPRE-nez: I am in the same boat, in G11 and stuck but deserves better than G11 probably because I undersold my skills. Need to leave Cisco on first better opportunity.
Yep...agree...Left Cisco sometime back, but believe the company has more useless people....I was a G11, got a Senior Dr. role at another big and interesting player in SV...What does it tell you? Either I did not sell my skills to Cisco properly when I was hired or I was intentionally pushed down.
I know I did a decent act for the first. But could not manage Cisco politics at all. But I learnt a lot about myself and found an opportunity where there is less politics and I am being paid 3X or 200% more than what I made at Cisco. Now it should give an idea how bad it is inside Cisco.
BTW, the company I am with now is FACEBOOK. Nothing to hide. I sold my skills and people saw value, not if I can manage politics.
+1 with @JQ9sPRE. Good and dedicated folks who believed in Cisco and are aspired to build, support and drive for Cisco were let go while people that does not do work and just play politics stayed. The last LR just made Cisco weaker; Keeping Cisco more bloated with the wrong folks.