With IT layoff announcements coming this week, employees are getting more nervous and many people are on edge. The time window is certainly shorter for this round of layoffs than the previous one, but waiting to hear if you're going to be fired is unpleasant in any time frame. Employees are conducting themselves well - I've witnessed only a couple of people acting out negatively. Many are frustrated with the process, and a few are angry. But practically all are supportive of each other and acting professionally. It's impressive to watch people handling this so well.
Similarly, I've seen only a small amount of questionable management behavior. One senior manager sent a long note to his group that said nothing helpful and added no value. He essentially excused himself for not sending a note sooner and then reassured people that management is working hard ensure that people get laid off on schedule. Of course he added the obligatory "this is hard for me too" line. A friend of mine often uses a saying that I think applies here: "if you have nothing to say, say nothing."
With very few exceptions managers have been conducting themselves well throughout the process. This is a job they don't like but that still has to get done. I'm seeing a lot of compassion and better sensitivity across the management chain. Some managers are visibly upset about having to give hard messages to their employees. The process in general is working well, which I'm not sure is a good indicator. Do we want to get better at firing people? Either way, I'll say again that I think it's being handled about as well as it could be.
Some managers may be trying too hard. There are a few messages being shared that really aren't helpful, despite the good intent. Some keep reminding us that "layoffs are only impacting ~10% of the organization, which means that 90% of us are going to keep our jobs." That's absolutely true. But 100% of the people are worried about losing their jobs. That message seems obvious and redundant, and feels like spin to try and makes us feel better, which actually makes us feel worse. For the one or two managers who may be reading this, my advice is to stay away from the platitudes. The best way to help is to follow the IT advice of informing your people as soon as possible and with compassion.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Feeds
Intel Perspective Posts
Comments
Blog Archive
Other Interesting Blogs
About Me
- Intel IT Guy
- I'm an IT guy at Intel. I've been there a while, and have also worked in sales and marketing, eBusiness, and a couple of other groups that no longer exist.
25 comments:
"The best way to help is to follow the IT advice of informing your people as soon as possible and with compassion."
Yeah. It's MUCH easier to take a bullet when the shooter is compassonate.
Yes, yet another Intel layoff or as they call it "Redeployment"! Intel has really fallen off the IT map -- IT is there business and yet they are laying off good qualified employees, 88% of one group in Intel Folsom. They are slow to market, and want to work on products that are already out there.
They need to start looking at top management and make changes there. They are laying off employees who have dedicated their lives to Intel.
No wonder AMD is growing in their business and Intel stock is going nowhere.
This is the week all the Intel IT employees are being informed of their fate, at long last. Good or bad it is a tremendous relief to finally have something happen. It looks to me as if Intel IT is providing almost half of the remaining 2000 head count reductions for this year that Otellini mentioned in his post earnings webcast yesterday. It is so hard to understand why this "action", as they are so fond of euphemizing the term layoff, is necessary. They announced historically high earnings yesterday. This is a total mismatch. An acquaintance of mine who got the bad news that she is in the "pool" yesterday was in tears as she walked down the hall today. She said, "I feel betrayed." She has been. She is an excellent employee, very highly skilled. She is also a single mother. Luckily, the package she will get will probably cover her for long enough to find a new job. This is the caliber of person that is getting hit this time.
I had my 1:1 with my manager today. I was incredibly lucky--I truly mean that. As much as I resent the way this has been handled, I feel all the more privileged to still be employed by Intel. Somehow my manager was able to represent my skills such that I survived. One thing I don't want to see any more of is insensitive people acting upset that they didn't get redeployed. Ha ha, very funny. I saw a lot of that today. That is such an insult to the excellent workers who didn't want to get redeployed, but did.
Any questions/answers to the proverbial question, "Why weren't IT managers fired?"
I'm sorry, it's only affecting 10% of us, how many times are they going to use that line. I left Intel and I'm quite happy that I did, but this is at least the third round of layoffs and each time it's 10%.
Because there isn't enough attrition they have to keep doing 10% rounds, but in the end it's been more like 20% over all.
So here's an interesting development that we mushrooms low down on the food chain apparently had no need to know. It looks as if Voluntary Separation Packages (VSP) are being offered to a select group of U.S. grade 10 or above managers. It doesn't appear to have been offered to all. The three people who have accepted it that I know of are all the very best of the best. They have also been at Intel more than 20 years. They are well paid. Apparently there is planned obsolescence built into a job at Intel in the U.S.A. You have to keep moving up to survive annual focal review, but if you move up too high you are too expensive, and therefore you must go, no matter how good you are.
"Redeployment" is a fancy way to avoid increasing unemployment insurance premiums. Intel's not giving redeployment out of compassion, they're doing it because it positively affects the bottom line.
I left intel it 6 months ago after one of the "only 10%" waves, and have been happier than i ever was at intel. For those still at Intel, I sure hope that there's an articulate strategy that JJ is staggering and stumbling towards!
I wish I knew there was some accountability within management for all the overhiring that happened to get the company to a point where all of these layoffs were necessary. I've personally not seen any, and doubt there was much. Especially given the fact that most employees work very hard for the company (lots of hours and stress that takes away from life outside of work), it's definity a tough time particularly when you hear at the same time "best Q3 ever". I feel for everyone who's had to endure the not knowing and those that now know they need to find a new job.
It seems like the term "Disgruntled Intel veteran" has become somewhat redundant. Ironically, these are the same people who have nice cars, expensive homes, second homes, a lot of disposable income. When a redeployment hits their group, they act as if Intel owes them something for their loyalty. These folks should just appreciate what Intel has provided and realize that loyalty and reward is a two-way street - Intel appreciates their years of service and hopefully these veteran employees return the appreciation. I, too, am an Intel veteran who have gone through a few redeployments. If it ever affects me directly, I would just say, "Thanks for the ride." As Sammy Sosa would say, "Baseball (Intel) has been very very good to me."
It was a bad week here in Folsom. At least heard 10 names who worked with me got the bad news. Few of them were vulnerable. However, feel very sad about it. The other side of capitalism is pretty ugly when it hits someone you care. I hope these friends of mine find some job soon.
Regarding the poster who refers to the increasing number of "Disgruntled Intel veterans":
Someone who has committed a significant portion of their life and career to one company is naturally going to be extremely disappointed to find that his/her efforts, even though earning a handsome income in most cases, is no longer wanted. Especially in this world of false economy where hiring companies look almost exclusively to younger/less expensive workers.
The main problem with what Intel is doing within IT now though is not primarily one of employee mis-management as it is one of continually changing business emphasis resulting in "electric shock" changes in direction, skillsets and staffing.
Businesses change direction for all manner of reasons and employees redirected/dimissed as a result are going to feel betrayed. Primarily because, prior to biz failure, employees are usually prodded to work even harder to try to put it together. When that doesn't work they feel inadaquate and are further demoralized by the resulting firings.
Even so, most employees can rationalize the difference between a purposeful business change and a series of non-directional staffing purges. It is for this reason you see more "Disgruntled Intel veterans". Especially when other openings are far and few between.
Intel has long diserviced both itself and its employees by constant overhiring and contraction. It's managers have not been generally able to accurately predict their headcount (or they've spent time turfbuilding), and the managers of the managers have been pushed/pulled by Wall Street's emphasis on stock price/earnings. By being so short-focused the senior management of Intel was able to satisfy the investment people (years ago but not recently) at a terrible cost to their employees.
Because Intel has most always been the recipient of a decent reputation it has had a waiting list of qualified people to replace those who left. But it has ignored, and apparently continues to ignore, the transparent cost to the veterans who have made Intel a successful business.
I once interviewed an NCG who, after being wined and dined, declined our offer. In addition, he wrote Andy Grove a six-page detailed letter of his reasons (none of which reflected on the interview itself). Andy's reaction was one of absolute astonishment. He could not believe anyone would refuse employment at such a premier company.
It told me Andy, among others, was seriously out of touch with the rank and file. This was very surprising to an employee who had always believed Andy received his reputation on his ability to relate to the worker-bee.
Andy's gone and so apparently, has the culture he cultivated. The resulting environment is predictable.
".. Ironically, these are the same people who have nice cars, expensive homes, second homes, a lot of disposable income.."
Speak for yourself pal. Anyone who joined Intel in the past 10 years hasn't made much of a fortune on stock options. I know a lot of average Joe's who have been redeployed and certainly don't have multi-million dollar parachutes. Quite the contrary with the T-Comp system Intel has fallen behind the market, especially for those with IT skills. I'd estimate that only 10-20% of IC's are making their fair market value. Unless you are a 15+ year employee the share options are an empty promise.
Until our CIO creates something close to a vision or business strategy for his organization it will continue to be the whipping boy of the corporation.
IT appears to be nothing more than a painful overhead for Intel, with no forward looking plans to add business value or offer anything in terms of competitive advantage.
Cost saving and redeployment are no places to focus the volume of resources assigned to these efforts today. Until we get back to being an IT organization instead of a bunch of bean counters and HR representatives we can expect to see our numbers continue to decline each year.
I found out last week that I am getting laid off. At first I was pissed because I have been rated as the highest performer category consistently each year and the project that they said was getting cut - I wasn't even working on. But I decided that it is a good thing to use this as an exuse to get out of this disfuntional organization with a little severance and take my talents elsewhere. What a relief...
I got whacked last October after 19 years. I know I was a valuable employee and it was NOT about skills and those who think it is should get with the program. It is alllll about money. It makes me sick to hear everyone's desperation at losing their job and then others saying that long term employees act like Intel owes them something. Well, when you spend 1/2 your life working for a company, day night and weekends, then now look back and can't even remember your kids childhood, Intel had a lot to do with that. So my message to you all after being gone for one year, one VERY HAPPY year, is take care of yourself and your family and don't miss a beat because they are all you have. Intel doesn't give a shit about you, really....get serious!!!!
If you have been redeployed please remember to do a spell check on your resume.
the only competitive advantage IT can bring is low cost. we'll need to get rid of about 3000-4000 more people to do that. If intel IT was ran right, it would have had about 2250 employees to begin with.
JJ isn't to blame for fixing the problem, he's to blame for creating it.
....or is he? he only needed the US overhead long enough to train malaysia, costa rica, and india. sure hope they're ready ;)
You all who get the severance package are quite lucky. We virtual office employees get NOTHING. Go JJ, go.
Intel still has a lot of fat, specially in middle management. All they do is brown nose and exaggerate their accomplishments. Long gone are the days that managers managed 10 to 15 heads. Finally, Hold Sr. Managers accountable if they screw up.
Off topic,
So Intel settles with Transmeta on a patent infringement case and Intel stock tanks 4% while Transmeta stock triples.
Would any of our past engineering contributors care to comment? You may be the lifeblood of Intel but it seems you're taking transfusions of innovative ideas from bodies outside of Intel. Anything else we should know about?
"I got whacked last October after 19 years. I know I was a valuable employee and it was NOT about skills and those who think it is should get with the program. It is alllll about money."
Hasn't it ever occurred to people that if an Intel employee stays that long, management is LESS inclined to compensate his loyalty by reasoning, "If he hasn't quit by now, he will never quit, regardless of how he we treat him" This may play a role during Focals.
"when you spend 1/2 your life working for a company, day night and weekends, then now look back and can't even remember your kids childhood, Intel had a lot to do with that."
Not to sound blunt, but you have nobody to blame but yourself for this. Just like how a company can fire you at any time and for any reason, you are also free to quit any time and for any reason. Like Intel IT has said, you can work your ass off and remain in the 80% during Focals and get the standard pay raise each year. So, you have to ask yourself it the extra effort is ever worth it.
Now that the bloodletting is subsiding what are we left with? I know a handful of IT folks let go - friends and acquaintances of mine - that indeed had excellent skills as measured by what they did for our team and our stakeholders, not to mention the rest of the Intel values they embodied after roughly 10 years here. Those of us that remain on the team are left scratching our heads, wondering who is going to do their work. Remember, Intel - If you think experts are expensive, wait until you see what amateurs cost you.
What is the impact on the management at Intel? Aren't they responsible for the stuff that is going on? On a sports team, the coaching staff will be held responsible.
Where is the accountability from the management? See the post by TechVet at http://intellion.blogspot.com.
From what I have been reading on your posts, you seem to be a manager at Intel. What's your take on this?
Have been hearing that we have one more target for 2010. This one, again is based on IT budget as a fraction of revenue.
The surprise element here is - At least JJ is saying that he will achieve it with no redeployment! Have we not heard it before? I think, the axe is going to fall again. I work in SAP area. Feel secure at this time. Not so sure about future. Is it time to bail out? Would like to hear from other fellow travelers.
I was layoff after 15 years with Intel. I was one of the 1000 managers. We are just numbers.
Intel is no longer a great place or company to work for.
It has caused broken families and many social issues
Post a Comment