#culture

Am I the only one feeling that the NetIQ has terrible interface design and is terrible to use?

Displacement call 9:15am on a Tuesday after payday for me. Got the IM (inconsistently meets) at end of 2025 for the first time. Had always gotten meets prior and no real reason for the review or what I did wrong. Simple explanation of “we expect more than we used to” brouhaha.. Also got the telltale “you have not met standards
Of using AI in the past month” email even though those supposed standards were only being tracked for my team starting May 1, and I had been using since mid April on a daily basis.
Half my team was eliminated. Well, half my U.S. team was eliminated, most with 15+ years with wf under their belts. Underperforming teammates in India had no layoffs. Writings on the wall folks. No one is safe as management doesn’t, and hasn’t cared for a long time. Pretty soon all work will come out of overseas locations with no quality checks being done. And AI isn’t at a place yet to replace the work of many specialists. CS doesn’t care though, as long as he gets himself and all his banking buds jobs and retirement packages while he still can.
Get out while you can. WF is now, atleast to me, considered the WF Titanic of companies. Sinking ship, not enough life boats for sustainability, and I foresee another audit/check of WF illegal workings, with a spotlight on good ole Uncle Charlie. That’s why he keeps hiring his cronies from past jobs and contacts, right? Feather their nests while he still can.
As soon as I can, I will also be switching banks to one I have faith in. And there will be no ties ever again to WF.

Very odd it’s not in May, think they’re cooking the books with the layoffs to make the numbers look good? New CEO announcement? New RTO policy?

Cengage (and all textbook companies) have a major culture problem. These aren’t serious people. Everyone outside the companies talks about it.

What they deem as productivity measurements are distractions disguised as productivity. Constant Slack check ins by managers with emojis like a parent checking in on their children, the million Slack channels that are created, the utter useless salesforce boxes that have to be checked- and they wonder why they have stagnant growth. Teams Meetings that could be emails where everyone is in the chat sending gifs, getting asked immature d-mb questions and they want you to put your answer in the chat. Absolutely NONE of these items drive growth or productivity. It’s a culture of immaturity that are checking boxes that make them look like they are working and contributing. The hours wasted are immeasurable.

Everyone knew Slack was a massive distraction and doesn’t drive growth or sales 10 years ago. It should be used for acute things, not on the daily. Always behind the curve.

Every week: new awareness mail, new policy, new mandatory training, new dashboard screenshot. Engineers asked for AI acceleration - instead they got Outlook copilots managing Copilot.

I’ve been trying to wait out the correction for the people hired as “leaders” during the pandemic. I’m not sure if it’s just my BU or others were put in roles way beyond their skill set. It’s infuriating for me to have to sit in “coaching” and have my manager explain things they would have learned in the first semester of college, had they gone.

Why is my only opportunity for development wasted listening to someone who is twice my age and trying to explain a simple concept but still needs my guidance? WHY IS THIS PERSON HIGHER RANKED THAN ME?!

I don’t know how much more I can take of this. Will there be a correction for unskilled management?

Don’t think this will last, you will have your good MOW’s and you think you will sit at home sending emails and watching TV. Sooner we will get the AI scheduling program that will not only assign you stores to hit every week,but you will be tracked with GPS again. So to the one’s that think it’s not so bad, will see how you fall in 6 month’s

The mental toll of participating in unethical decisions, and the pressure we're under every single day, is barely manageable. It leaves marks. But my wife could lose her job any day, my two kids are still in school, and I'm drowning in debt. So I endure. So my family can survive. And yes, I've tried to find something else, even switch industries. But it's really, really bad out there.

“Annuals checks to begin soon” Another way to weed out people instead of laying off. I get it’s in the employment contract but I’ve never got this email all the years I’ve worked here.

Sometimes things aren’t the same when your bestie leaves. It is in-fact confusing to be a girl. let’s have some compassion and hold space for leadership during these unprecedented times

I've worked in plenty of healthcare companies, all ugly and rotten. But this place is next level. You'd think someone would figure out that this much stress, micromanagement, and tearing people down doesn't actually improve performance.

Every time leadership reshuffles the org chart, employees do not feel alignment. They feel a wave of anxiety that another round of layoffs is coming. That feeling does not disappear after the new chart is published. It settles into the background and quietly consumes attention, focus, and energy. People start working two jobs. Their actual job, and the job of managing their own fear. On top of that, we are paying a massive tax on context switching. Teams barely get comfortable with new priorities or new leaders or new workflows before leadership announces another reset. It is impossible to build real momentum when you are constantly starting over, constantly reintroducing yourself, constantly trying to remember what the mission was supposed to be this quarter versus last quarter. I would argue that stability is not just nice to have. It is a genuine competitive advantage. But you cannot demand world class creativity and execution from people who are always bracing for impact. What the company actually needs is not another reorg. What we need is a resilient long term plan, a consistent direction, and a culture where people feel safe enough to do their best work. That is how you win, whether you are playing for now or for later.

Let me break down why most of the employees are unhappy. First, forced ranking. Everyone is fighting for survival, taking credit for others' work just to avoid a PIP. Second, false ranking. People on the fast track get top ratings even when they cause major problems. Third, location bias. An expert here gets rated lower than someone in a cheaper country who makes constant errors. Fourth, promoting incompetent people. Industry experts end up reporting to managers who don't understand the work. These problems could be solved, but leadership chooses not to.

I know all the negatives, but I can't think of a single positive.

I have no idea how we're supposed to get anything done.

I am going to keep this simple because I am tired of watching the same thing happen. I have seen people give this job every waking hour, burn themselves out completely, and then blame only themselves when they got let go. They never saw it coming because they believed hard work would be enough. It is not enough. The people who survive here are not the hardest workers. They are the best talkers, the best networkers, the best at being visible in the right moments and invisible in the wrong ones. If you are not one of those people, at least stop giving this place more than a fair day's work. It does not love you back. It will not remember your overtime. Save that energy for yourself.

Everyone has an opinion and a certificate on the wall, but nobody seems to know how to actually run anything anymore. Where is the management that has done the job before and can make a call? Because I am not seeing it. What I see is vague suggestions, meetings that end with no clear decision, and then people just doing whatever they think is right. Give me a real leader over a room full of advisors any day.

Any word on this being reverted? Do they actually care about our attendance? What the heck is going on and why wont they talk to us.

If you were in a war zone, how would you feel about having your division head with you in a fox hole? I would have been happy to have certain previous division heads with me. Not my current one. Would anyone want to be with their current divsion head in a fox hole during a war?

What’s happening there ?

Two of the biggest bootlickers and hardest workers in the office just got the 1-1. Years of dedication without any promotions rewarded with getting laid off like a dog. This is what you get for going above and beyond at Cisco :)

Amid the whole RTO mess and morale being as low as I can remember, we are named one of the best companies for culture in the country. It would be funny if it wasn't so sad. We're 19th, in case you were wondering.

https://www.forbes.com/lists/employers-culture/

Is it a bad sign when the Man you work for does not want you to communicate with your teammates on M.S. teams?

I’m sure there is a plan and it seems the first rule of Dan’s plan is not to talk about Dan’s plan

I’m just guessing but it would make sense if the plan is so unpalatable to existing employees that the leadership cannot be open about it

The current wave of layoffs is doing far more than just thinning out payrolls—it is poisoning the well for those who remain. When a company pivots to mass terminations, it isn't just "restructuring"; it is dismantling the psychological safety and cultural foundation that keeps a business running.
### The Hidden Costs of "Survivor Syndrome"
While leadership focuses on the balance sheet, the "survivors" are left to navigate a toxic landscape. Here is why the post-layoff environment is so damaging:

• The Erosion of Trust: Constant job insecurity ki-ls loyalty. Employees stop thinking about long-term innovation and start focusing on exit strategies.
• Burnout and Burden: Remaining staff are often expected to absorb the workload of their departed colleagues. This "do more with less" mentality leads to rapid burnout and a decline in work quality.
• Demoralized Culture: Watching talented friends and peers escorted out creates a heavy, somber atmosphere. The office transforms from a place of collaboration to a place of anxiety.
• Loss of Institutional Knowledge: Layoffs are a "brain drain." When experienced people leave, they take years of process knowledge and client relationships with them, leaving the existing team feeling lost and unsupported.
  ### The Reality Check

  "You cannot cut your way to growth."
  A company’s greatest asset isn’t its capital—it’s the collective energy and motivation of its people. When you treat employees as disposable line items, you don't just lose headcount; you lose the heart of the organization.

  If companies continue to prioritize short-term stock gains over long-term stability, they will eventually find themselves with a workforce that is physically present but mentally checked out. A demotivated team is a stagnant team. It is time for leadership to recognize that protecting the environment for existing employees is just as vital as managing the budget.
  Is this for a LinkedIn post, or are you looking to send this as a formal internal feedback letter to leadership?

What is the culture like inside Artisan in the different offices?

Milwaukee
Los Angeles
San Francisco

Here's an Interesting article that parallels what is happening in our industry today.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/mark-zuckerberg-is-realizing-that-when-you-treat-your-workers-like-human-garbage-they-might-not-like-you-anymore/ar-AA2369ab?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=6a04bce8f6f34192a3919b59b944e2ea&cvpid=5ea63c8bb12642a98ff3e9b42593777f&ei=36

Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is apparently shocked to discover that when you treat employees like garbage, they stop applauding your “vision.” After years of layoffs, culture rewrites, and “efficiency” crusades, Meta is now learning the obvious: workers don’t develop warm feelings toward leaders who treat them like cost centers with pulse rates.

And the irony? Everything described in that article reads like a template for what BNY employees complain about daily on this forum. The same themes echo: performative culture, leadership detachment, endless “transformation,” and a workforce managed like an inconvenient expense. Employees at both companies describe the same pattern — praise the mission, cut the people, then act confused when morale collapses.

The punchline is simple: whether it’s Silicon Valley or Wall Street, executives keep discovering the same truth. If you treat workers like garbage, they eventually notice — and they talk about it.

Oracle's recent layoffs, affecting thousands, feel jarring despite the company's 22 percent revenue increase. This strong reaction is rooted in psychological dissonance, not the scale or timing of the cuts. Companies frequently use a "we are family" metaphor to build workplace cohesion. Such layoffs then violate this implied trust, leading to a sense of institutional betrayal. The more companies emphasize a family-like culture, the greater the emotional impact of job losses.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/curiosity-code/202604/the-hidden-psychology-of-oracles-layoffs

Just watched the “Highlights” of the convention. Same old bs blah blah blah as every convention. Nothing will change in any significant way. I swear these are the same taking points I heard 30+ years ago 🫩

Perhaps it was already discussed here. Does anyone know if they truly track based on 8 hours in office? Or it can be 6 or 7? Any insight please and thank you.

As SAPPHIRE '26 wraps up, look for merch and rebranding swag being given away. The company is now SAIP! All in on AI.

A yet still weirder acronym than SAP ... so I checked on its meaning:

Systems Acquisition and Implementation Program?
Substance Abuse Intervention Program?

God, I miss J White's marketing genius.

Is it me, or is EJ making absolutely terrible experienced FA hires? I have met a few and most have not brought over significant assets and probably were on their last leg at the firms they came from.

One actually said that they joined EJ because of Moneyguide. Not to service clients better - or for better options to grow a practice - and certainly not the culture. Simply because the firm uses MG.

Another one I met makes odd comments in meetings (totally off topic) and appears to have some personal hygiene issues (the type you smell).

Like, what is happening? Is this just hiring to keep Chubak happy? Or is this the best the K-Mart of wealth management can hire?

I heard some people will always have ratings above VG.
Is it the same as being hipo, or just protected (whatever that means)?
Does that change often? What does one need to do in order to be in that pool?

I used to be so proud of my work ethic. I always stayed late, took on extra, really cared. Now I feel like a total fool. The workload after the layoffs didn't decrease. It increased, because the people left are burned out and the lazy ones are still lazy. So those of us who still try are doing even more. I love what I do, I really do, but I'm so tired. Tired of working my butt off every day for a place that doesn't value me. And here's the thing. I'm probably getting cut in the next few months anyway. So why am I still doing this? Why am I not just coasting like everyone else? I'm starting to think that's the smarter move.

I’ve been shocked by the amount of disdain directed at long-time T. Rowe associates on this board, especially toward IT staff. It’s hard to tell whether this comes from just a few loud voices with axes to grind or a broader sentiment. My experience up until the past year or so has been with nothing but great, hardworking, kind people.
It’s concerning to think that some of the people I work with may hold these same toxic views about their own coworkers. While I can see why management might have incentives to move jobs, I don’t understand why other associates — who aren’t protected from future layoffs — would voice such contempt. It makes me wonder if their presence here is more about stirring trouble than supporting those who are impacted. Perhaps to expedite the exodus by creating conditions where more people depart on their own?

I wake up every day scared that today's the day. I can't concentrate. My work is slipping. Is anyone else feeling this, or is it just me?

any Vteamers want to chime in? Feel free to express your concerns or complaints?

honest and real feedback wanted!

What happened to the "Corrupt DXE..." post? Great post - very informative, detailed, & with references. Some good responses as well.

Did an administrator pull the post? Or, one of the leaders that was called out? My concern is that OP, who was laid off last week, pulled the post out of fear of losing his/her severance.

Heard he's real buttocks hurt over it. Thought he paid enough to get a tix.