Thread regarding Cisco Systems Inc. layoffs

You see, You see, You see. It is just about simple economics. Cisco is not trying to get rid of you because of you're "too old". It is trying to tame costs.

Maybe if you reduce the price of your "screw driver" from G12 to G10, Cisco might buy it.

That you have PEs in software that can’t pass a high school programming class makes this comparison possible. No, they haven’t replaced those skills with systems skills either. Any company that develops systems rather than maintains crap from acquisitions would never accept the “senior” people at Cisco.

If there was one thing we could fix in Cisco, this should be it - this stuff is going on ALL OVER THE COMPANY. I saw one recently promoted SP BU SVP now has pulled all "his guys" up to L13/14 (there are about 16 of them). He would normally be trying to create another level but they've created 2 new levels in the last year already!

Actually, I was wrong, it seems that his boss is bringing in a new level - people mostly from his old gig at Juniper. Of course, since he's also an SVP, most of these people will be VP or directors.

@PUsedxc-1eum no way a grade 6 is schooling a grade 11, you obviously dont work at Cisco, and even if possible, sure that person spends most of the 60 hours they work surfing the web or on snapchat. Let that grade 6 go present to customer or try to explain a complex solution without saying Dude, or some other lame phrase. Promos are almost nonexistent , unless it from a 6-8, becoming a grade 11 or higher is short of miracle, maybe you work in IT, cause it doesnt work this way in the rest of Cisco.

I know of teams with large numbers of grade 12's in the USA - who can barely present and defend their technical designs against smart grade 8's and 10's- that were promoted to that grade by their once Senior Manager who made it to Director, and now he has doubled down on promos as he needs even more grade 12 reports to be able to promote one of his Senior Managers to Director, to manage all the 12's... and give him cause to be a Senior Director.

If there was one thing we could fix in Cisco, this should be it - this stuff is going on ALL OVER THE COMPANY. I saw one recently promoted SP BU SVP now has pulled all "his guys" up to L13/14 (there are about 16 of them). He would normally be trying to create another level but they've created 2 new levels in the last year already!

Agree with @PUsedxc-aqh

When a grade 6 in the team with ~3 years experience is schooling the grade 11 with 17+ years, on fundamentals of modern DC networking... something is wrong. Both of them work 60 hour weeks. But I know who Cisco get better value from.

There's so much dead wood inside Cisco, protected by managers who are completely clueless, or lack the balls to actually manage the poor performers.

I know of teams with large numbers of grade 12's in the USA - who can barely present and defend their technical designs against smart grade 8's and 10's- that were promoted to that grade by their once Senior Manager who made it to Director, and now he has doubled down on promos as he needs even more grade 12 reports to be able to promote one of his Senior Managers to Director, to manage all the 12's... and give him cause to be a Senior Director.

If salary was the issue, why wouldn't they be cutting SVP and C-level salaries?

The only problem is that those G6,7,8 employees want progress to G10,11,12 and they want that progression far faster. If they don’t get grade progression within 12 months they don’t tend to stick around. Loyalty cuts both ways. Cisco’s apparent strategy is not sustainable.

The screwdriver argument does not align with Cisco culture. Layers of protected yes-men fill the halls of a once great company.

Some of what you say could be true but I know of MANY 6, 7 and 8 grade employee that Cisco has let go and 6 months later they are replace with young people at the same grade level, making about the same dollar. Oh and then Cisco is bring the layoff worker back as contractors because the work is not getting done. So there are two sides to every coin.

If a screw driver costs $4 at Walmart and the same screw driver costs $11 at Nordstrom, where would buy your screw driver? (Assume both Walmart & Nordstrom are within 3 miles from your home/work).

You see, You see, You see. It is just about simple economics. Cisco is not trying to get rid of you because of you're "too old". It is trying to tame costs.

Maybe if you reduce the price of your "screw driver" from G12 to G10, Cisco might buy it.

All true. I know of a chap who has been in role for years. The sad fact is that the tasks he does could very easily be done by a lower grade. So he was let go and replaced with a lower grade. Unfortunately the logic is sound. A lot of people at Cisco have been promoted based on tenure. I'm sure they are great at what they are doing, but is that a fair reflection of their grade? Plus it prevents others from being promoted based on talent. Now the chap I mention could really easily have taken feedback and adjusted his work to reflect his higher grade. He wasn't proactive and paid the price. And yes, he was made fully aware of the expectations of his grade. He just chose to fall back on his comfortable role.

Sad but understandable from a company perspective.

we know this, still doesn't change the fact that older workers are the ones shown the door. it might be about costs, but it still reeks of ageism.