We got some new hires last week and now for some reason I feel like I am required to train my own replacement.
I might be completely off base here and paranoid, but from what I've seen happening at Cisco lately, I feel like I've earned to be paranoid.
Anybody else feels like this?
Wow, that last post was a far off from reality as you can get...
Make your indispensable by working hard and doing good work.
At Cisco this is 100% the worst possible advice you can give to someone. Doing well just gets you promotions and raises when times are good which will make you more expensive when the "limited" reductions occur.
It is much better to be someone who s---s up to your boss and does the bare minimum. Keep yourself out of the bottom 25% AND top 25% percent and you have a job for life at Cisco. Draw attention and you won't make it 3 years.
From the last post: "Employers need to pay for experience and education. They should not get these things for free. It's time that older workers started pushing back."
That's laughable - it's called a severance package. Companies are not obliged to pay 3-5 months severance when they cut you....If you think they are, then you're suffering from "entitlement". Make your indispensable by working hard and doing good work. Pushing back will likely accelerate any decision to cut you.
This goes on everywhere. The underlying assumption is always that experienced employees should train new employees, but why? These days when corporations believe that it is right to shed experienced workers, why should employees with hard earned experience train new employees for free.
Employers need to pay for experience and education. They should not get they things for free. Its time that older workers started pushing back.
It's standard operating procedure. I've seen it in other big companies besides Cisco.
Step 1: There is a hiring freeze at your location but you can hire a few inexperienced people in another country where wages are MUCH lower.
Step 2: You are told to teach the new people how to perform your job. You are told this is so they can take over the boring routine tasks and your time will be freed up to do new and interesting things.
Step 3: You get thrown out because someone else, making a lot less money, has replaced you.
Step 4: You get to do new and interesting things, as promised. They neglected to mention this would be at a different company.
The bean counters, who think we are all interchangeable cogs in the machine, get their bonus for cutting costs. Product quality and productivity deteriorate because the accumulated experience and knowledge disappear. Morale declines because the survivors live in constant fear, always wondering when it will be their turn.
Save your money, build a nest-egg, and ride it out; until they give you the boot.
If the new people are Indian...yes you are probably gone. Teach them nothing.
I doubt you’re off base at all. It’s every day activity these days... we’re all disposable - no loyalty/employee engagement KPI’s exist anymore for senior managers / ‘leaders’ to be measured by. In fact, quite the opposite. A real shame when I compare how people from totally different functions used to work together in the aim of a common goal, for which wasn’t their day job, but which was exciting and good for long term success and competitive advantage for Cisco overall. It was everyday culture and didn’t have to be readily visible upwards for people to excel and enjoy.
Now it is all about everyone protecting their own Job and reason for existence. The new Design Thinking concept is a cover for the loss of natural innovative spirit that we used to have in mounds. I hope this gets turned back around with the EVP leadership changes and BCG work going on, but sadly I daren’t hold my breath...
I got same vibe 2 days ago. Director showed up on webex over video with 'the new guy' that nobody on the team knew about. Since then he has been looking to get brought up to speed. There is something happening soon it seems. Lots of odd behavior happening and secrets. My whole team feels like they are walking on eggshells.
i left sometime back and the salary hike was over 30%
it is usual there. Ever since i joined, there was at least one layoff a year and i emphasize, at least one a year. That place does not care about people, the focus was more on layoffs than work, very sad