IBM had an ingenious strategy for downsizing!!
"Managing people out of the company" was the term they used.
Here's how it happened to me:
November: reviews are completed. employees are given a "score": 1, 2+, 2, or 3. 1="God", 3="Performance Plan"
Managers are limited in how many 1,2+, and 2's they're allowed to award. It's VERY hard to get a 1.
December: managers are quietly informed of a hiring freeze.
Freeze excludes high-level jobs (director, exec, etc.) and hard-to-fill jobs (sales reps for unpopular products, mainframe-related, phone support)
January: products/projects are cancelled. Employees in those areas are given a long list of open IBM jobs, and told they have 1 month.
Jobs are throughout IBM, all over the country.
February: employees panic. They start asking questions, like what happens in 1 month(?), but aren't given clear answers
March: employees discover:
- if employees score is a 2 or 3, they're screwed. IBM Managers don't want to hire 2's or 3's
- even if a manager wants to hire a 2, they have to get director approval. 3's don't stand a chance
- hard-to-fill jobs usually aren't in high rent places like SF, NY, etc.
- good chance you'll be working remotely
April: employees that haven't already quit or transferred discover what happens after the 1 month period lapses:
IBM might find something for you, but it's likely not what you want.
Otherwise, you get a layoff package.
IBM's goals are:
1. you quit. No layoff, no package, no bad press
2. or they fill one of those "lower" jobs. Usually at a lower pay.
3. or, if you were already on a performance plan, it's called a "Resource Action" (aka. termination)
4. Final option: layoff
They're saying that the "single-score" system has changed. Regardless of the scoring system, I'll bet it's still quota-based.
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IBM had an ingenious strategy for downsizing!!
"Managing people out of the company" was the term they used.
Here's how it happened to me:
November: reviews are completed. employees are given a "score": 1, 2+, 2, or 3. 1="God", 3="Performance Plan"
Managers are limited in how many 1,2+, and 2's they're allowed to award. It's VERY hard to get a 1.
December: managers are quietly informed of a hiring freeze.
Freeze excludes high-level jobs (director, exec, etc.) and hard-to-fill jobs (sales reps for unpopular products, mainframe-related, phone support)
January: products/projects are cancelled. Employees in those areas are given a long list of open IBM jobs, and told they have 1 month.
Jobs are throughout IBM, all over the country.
February: employees panic. They start asking questions, like what happens in 1 month(?), but aren't given clear answers
March: employees discover:
- if employees score is a 2 or 3, they're screwed. IBM Managers don't want to hire 2's or 3's
- even if a manager wants to hire a 2, they have to get director approval. 3's don't stand a chance
- hard-to-fill jobs usually aren't in high rent places like SF, NY, etc.
- good chance you'll be working remotely
mid March: employees panic more, start looking outside
April: employees that haven't already quit or transferred discover what happens after the 1 month period lapses:
IBM might find something for you, but it's likely not what you want.
Otherwise, you get a layoff package.
IBM's goals are:
1. you quit. No layoff, no package, no bad press
2. or they fill one of those "lower" jobs. Usually at a lower pay.
3. or, if you were already on a performance plan, it's called a "Resource Action" (aka. termination)
4. Final option: layoff
They're saying that the "single-score" system has changed. Regardless of the scoring system, I'll bet it's still quota-based.