The corporate culture at Avnet is very political, and it is hard to get things done if you don't know the right people, and rub them the right way. There is a confusing latticework of hierarchy, diluting the title of VP more than I have ever seen at any company. Most people are also afraid to take managerial promotions as they believe they will be the first to be cut in the next round of layoffs. Unfortunately layoffs are a very common occurrence there, and it has become somewhat of a morbid joke around senior staff who count who has been there longer by who has 'survived the most layoffs.' This leads to a rather low employee morale.
Avnet TS has also suffered from being considered the lesser piece of a large company, and there is a lot of tension between TS and EM. Mobility between the two is often very difficult, and is a great way to burn bridges.
Learning is not highly fostered here. New hire training is yet another morbid joke around the offices. Most people say that you learn Avnet through a firehose, as the formal training either does not actually exist, or if you take it, it rarely benefits you. A lot of trainers are getting laid off so that the company can move toward online training. All of the training you get is basically a "sink or swim" type of test. If you learn things on your own with no instruction, this is the place for you.
A lot of people are brought on as contractors, with the promise of full time in their near future. As well-meaning as these promises are, 80% of the time, it's false advertising. Contractors are brought on to lessen the visual impact of layoffs which are imminent. If they end a contract early, they don't have to pay severance or count you as a "laid off employee." I've met a lot of great people who were contractors who simply never made it to full time, after they were promised that transition by management. If you are considering a contract-to-hire position, this should not be on the top of your list.
Everyone knows about the ridiculous spending that happens at the top, but no one mentions it to anyone too high up, as most people want to keep their jobs. Maverick spending is rampant, and a lot of unnecessary business dinners with SVPs only really should not be billed to the company, but they are. A lot of unnecessary trips are also billed to the company, but to be fair, this kind of behavior is hardly limited to this company
