Just got off the phone with an oracle SC in IPAAS / IAAS who is looking to leave Oracle. He is not alone, apparently he has had 9 managers in the past year. He got a call asking him to help train up several newly hired college grads in OD. They were asking him what his best advice would be on how to put them to use. His first thought was it was some sort of a joke phone call. No, his heart sank as he realized it was real.
I was tagged for a layoff June 1st 2017. It was unexpected as I was told by my manager that I was critical and I was working a POC on a large deal that got pushed into FY18. My manager was blindsided and lost half his team. Obviously he was not consulted as to who was essential and who was not. So much for the data pillar, its been lumped together with leftovers from big data and is now receiving its sales direction from the same kids in OD that need training... OD is now the HUB and the pillars are the spokes. These kids are leading the call, wow its gone full circle fast.
Its a mad scramble as resumes fly off printers... Also amazing how everyone currently working at Oracle has a very up to date and polished linked in profile. I'm not there anymore, I was snatched up by a start up within a few weeks of getting notice. The tech market is hot. What gets me is that literally everyone I talk to at Oracle is trying to leave.
I really think this boils down to a lack of perceived value for experienced employees. Hiring kids out of college is great, but someone needs to train them. If you layoff the experienced workforce, who is going to train the kids. Usually you need some ramp up time.
I think the idea was to make some cuts, June 1 but the layoff went to deep. It was not driftwood that was cut, it was some top performers and that sent shock-waves through the organization. The people who knew best (the managers) were not consulted. Now the managers are packing their bags too... what value do they have if no one listens to them? As the managers leave, the employees see it as another sign that its time to go. And then you break with tradition and continue layoffs in the midst of a giant reorg and push to a new technology without direction.
Oracle did this after pay cuts, after restructuring the bonus so that its based on 10% of revenue, and a 90% drop in bonus value. Oracle did this when there are plenty of places to go, and the market is up. IBM Oracle and Microsoft are dumping talent at the same time. I think the assumption was if they did it together people would stay put out of fear. As it stands Google, AWS and other startups are picking them up as soon as they hit the street.
What ever plan was put in play at Oracle seems to have backfired in a big way. I don't think I have seen such an exodus since we had a bunch of red sea pedestrians leave Egypt. Correct me if I am wrong, but it sure seems like everyone that can bail is trying to get out. If the plan was to save money on severance packages, kudos... it worked.