Unfortunately over the last few years, things are changing. Managers and senior management are leaving left and right. Their replacements are often quick placement instead of correct placement if they are even replaced. There is a lot of leadership talent in non- manager rolls begging for the opportunity to prove they cane do the task, but are never afforded the opportunity. Instead, you end up with unqualified managers and with no leadership skills who are good at managing up, and terrible leading those below. This has lead to huge moral problems in the company. That along with review process where they force a bell curve which means you’re competing with everyone else in the company to just get a meets expectations. The curve is as follows, forced to each manager whether their team is 3 or 30 headcount:
0-5%. - 1 and immediate termination
10% - 2 and performance improvement plan or separation package
60% -3 and you get to keep your job until the next culling
20% - 4 increased bonus (140%)
5% - 5 greater increased bonus (200%)
These will probably change before the end of FY19 but we won’t be informed until near the end of the fiscal year. Like in 2018 we were tolds 2s were safe, until you got a 2 and given a PIP impossible to meet (like obtain a college degree in 3 months).
It feels like we don’t matter anymore. We’re just another line item in some sheet.
And forget getting raises! I have my PM title but I don’t even do PM work anymore. I’ve consumed roles from 3 other people who have left the company and haven’t made a penny more for th added time and effort. Having both early morning 5:30am and late night 8:00pm meetings. I get a cost of living increase once a year, but due to increased insurance each year, my net increases are in the $40 a month range.
Long story short, your happiness here can be directly related to the quality of your Manager. I’ve had amazing managers, 2 who left the company for other opportunities because they couldn’t handle their managers. One I lost due to a re-.org because my department had lost so many leaders in 6 months and the reporting structure got severely messed up. It still is messed up with poor communication and no leadership/direction.
