Thread regarding T-Mobile layoffs

Failed Merger

Since the merger with Sprint, T-Mobile has experienced a significant shift in its internal dynamics and corporate values. The once vibrant and innovative culture of T-Mobile, known for its customer-centric approach and disruptive market strategies, has been overshadowed by the influence of Sprint's failing practices. Sprint's leadership, now in key positions within the merged company, seems determined to implement their old strategies, which were on the brink of bankruptcy. This transition has led to the erosion of the financial acumen and values that initially made T-Mobile a leader in the telecommunications industry.

The impact of these changes has created a palpable sense of unrest within the organization, leading to what many employees describe as an internal "civil war." Morale is at an all-time low, as fears of layoffs loom large and confidence in the new leadership dwindles. The company is divided, with long-time T-Mobile employees clashing with those from Sprint over the direction of the business. This division is exacerbated by the new CEO, whose focus seems to be solely on personal bonuses and shareholder value rather than the well-being of the company and its employees. This leadership style is accelerating the decline of what was once a thriving and innovative company, leaving many employees disheartened and disengaged from the new corporate identity that is emerging post-merger.

The change in leadership has also brought about a drastic shift in the company's operational priorities. The emphasis on adopting Sprint's failed model is undermining the customer-first ethos that T-Mobile was renowned for. This strategic pivot not only threatens to alienate the loyal customer base but also risks tarnishing the brand's reputation in the long term. As a result, there is a growing sense of insecurity and dissatisfaction among employees, who feel disconnected from the company’s new direction and are increasingly questioning their future within the organization.

The T-Mobile-Sprint merger has led to significant cultural and operational upheaval within the company. The integration has been marked by a clash of corporate values and a decline in employee morale, driven by leadership decisions that prioritize the failed legacy Sprint model over the innovative and customer-centric approach that defined T-Mobile. Internal strife and fear of job insecurity are reflective of a broader identity crisis, as T-Mobile grapples with retaining its core values while navigating the complex realities of the merger.

If these detrimental changes are not addressed, the company risks further decline. Leadership must recognize the damage being done and take immediate action to reverse course. Without a commitment to restoring the core values that once defined T-Mobile, employee morale will continue to plummet, and the company’s reputation will suffer irreparably. It is imperative for those in power to abandon their self-serving agendas and focus on the long-term health of the company. Failure to do so will likely result in an exodus of talent and a loss of customer trust, ultimately jeopardizing T-Mobile’s future.

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| 2732 views | | 27 replies (last July 8, 2024) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1t8jsljM

27 replies (most recent on top)

I agree work many here that blame Sprint for the downturn of this combined company. I do understand however that it is not the fault of the Sprint IC's. All of the Sprint IC'S I have met are great and have had to endure bullsh-t like we are experiencing now for years. The problems lay at the feet of the national leaders from OP. Seattle, and the board which planned all of this. Even more responsible are the leaders from T-MO that just agreed with whatever crazy plans were laid out that would lower cost in order to continue to enrich themselves. Shame on the leadership of this company!

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Post ID: @hxcg+1t8jsljM

Dude - sprint was messed up! Chakridhar Dudi asked a friend of mine 15K to clear her interview. Tmo cleaned that all up by centralized hiring- but guy still poncing around

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Post ID: @gtdh+1t8jsljM

BS! Stop already with the BS! Just because Sprint failed, doesn't mean the ICs and/or processes are the reason. Bad leadership did that. Idk about where you work, but the idiocracy I've seen blows my mind. Schmoozing is all tmo is about. Nevermind your skillset, its all about who you know and whether or not you're kissing up to them. There's 1 bad decision after another. TMO doesn't care about customers anymore, its all about Marketing/business team getting a product to production as soon as possible. Cant really stop any of it. BOTH Sprint and tmo leadership making that decision. Happening daily. Executives dont care about people - we are expected to work 7 days a week while they micro manage and mess stuff up even further. I will agree that there are still 2 cultures and the merger was in business name only.

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Post ID: @gmtd+1t8jsljM

I just wish the leadership team would share their long term plan/vision. I doubt that they will however as they are probably afraid they will lose the workers too quickly that they need to implement the processes they need to get rid of said workers.

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Post ID: @6qpy+1t8jsljM

Great to see I'm not alone in feeling marginalized and forced to disengage. However, the "Exodus" has begun. We are already on a Doom Loop spiraling into the void.

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Post ID: @5yft+1t8jsljM

bravo!

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Post ID: @5nad+1t8jsljM

Post ID: @4zlp+1t8jsljM

Again, Mike Sievert (CMO) and John Saw (CTO) successfully ran Clearwire into the ground. Together. They'll run SprinT-Mobile into the ground as well.

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Post ID: @4aix+1t8jsljM

Shush you. The leaders that drive the direction of the business are Sprinters. Go back to the CSC and think of how to waste a valuable opportunity by asking a horrible question for Mikey during the next all hands.

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Post ID: @4flv+1t8jsljM

Stop blaming people who came from Sprint. Look at top leadership and it's almost exclusively TMO folks.

Sprint folks don't like the new culture either.

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Post ID: @4zlp+1t8jsljM

The biggest steaming pile is Ulf, not Mikey. Horrible leader.

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Post ID: @4cdi+1t8jsljM

Post ID: @1xfa+1t8jsljM 9 reactions (+8/-1) Found the 1 Sprint manager or above lol

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Post ID: @2hdd+1t8jsljM

“Andrew Sherrard. Sievert forced him out as part of a reorg in 2017”

Andrew was not forced out by Sievert during the reorg. Instead, Andrew was involved in s-xual harassment with Callie and others… checkout the closet incidents for details. The man had issues.

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Post ID: @2mvd+1t8jsljM

"You do realize Mikey boy is pretty much the mastermind being all the uncarrier bs T-Mobile actually got customers and employees to buy into right? Even Legere admits that. Stop blaming Sprint for everything. What is happening now has been the plan well before the merger."

Ideas and then implementation of those ideas are different areas of the company. It wasn't until Sprint leadership came in, six or so months after the merge is when things were noticable different, for the worse. As an IC in operations I can't tell you how many times we've been directed on some and all we can think of was who the f came up with this process, and when we followed the "decision chain" where it led back too it all made sense. Just utter incompetence from up above and we're here like a-holes doing it.

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Post ID: @2yvf+1t8jsljM

"You do realize Mikey boy is pretty much the mastermind being all the uncarrier bs T-Mobile actually got customers and employees to buy into right?"

Um. No. The architect of Uncarrier was Andrew Sherrard. Sievert forced him out as part of a reorg in 2017.

https://www.geekwire.com/2017/internal-email-t-mobile-commercial-chief-uncarrier-architect-leaves-undisclosed-reasons/

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Post ID: @2ylj+1t8jsljM

"Don't forget, Mikey and Johnny Saw worked together at that failed effort called Clearwire. Mikey isn't T-Mobile. He's Sprint."

You do realize Mikey boy is pretty much the mastermind being all the uncarrier bs T-Mobile actually got customers and employees to buy into right? Even Legere admits that. Stop blaming Sprint for everything. What is happening now has been the plan well before the merger.

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Post ID: @2vgw+1t8jsljM

Zero north star. Zero strategic alignment across functional groups. Lori pushing for MCP and trying to standardize around the awfulness of openshift is a giant charlie foxtrot. Engineering can barley handle ansible and automation. Heaps of $$$ about to be spent that will yield little.

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Post ID: @1pym+1t8jsljM

"I find it laughable that we continue to focus on Sprint being the problem...maybe the problem is leadership."

When people say "Sprint" they're talking about leadership of varying levels, not former IC employees.

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Post ID: @1xfa+1t8jsljM

I have mostly positive working relationships with Sprint ICs. They have been through multiple years of layoffs and mostly the best remain. The bigger issue is that Sprint leadership is now so entrenched into the company that it’s causing all kinds of discord. As mentioned previously, Sprint was a failing company. Why would you put so many of their leaders in charge and effectively change policy and culture?

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Post ID: @1gbw+1t8jsljM

Don't forget, Mikey and Johnny Saw worked together at that failed effort called Clearwire. Mikey isn't T-Mobile. He's Sprint.

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Post ID: @1lbx+1t8jsljM

I find it laughable that we continue to focus on Sprint being the problem...maybe the problem is leadership. A lot of Sprint employees were let go, mainly keeping spectrum. The majority of the old Sprint campus has been leased out/sold. So how about we focus on the real problem...LEADERSHIP. John left and Mike took over, how about we look at those stats from Day 1 of leadership change.

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Post ID: @1njw+1t8jsljM

TLDR; the buy out is a huge steamy dumpster fire. Let's take a company(Sprint), that's a sinking ship, a company that's just bleeding money, a company that made horrible decisions at leadership level and just allow them to do the same to T-Mobile. Because that's what's happening. Internally the operations is horrible but it's never been like this. The checks and balances and culture of how things got done were so much better up until a few years ago. T-Mobile absorbed and allowed some serious du mb as ses to continue their employment. The trickle down effect affecting the front lines while up top are making millions is astounding. We're constantly being left to scramble and fix the broken pieces and it's exhausting. From their survey T-Mobile currently has the worst SLT and if they polled the employees, MS and his minions would be gone. The visionary focus has shifted, caring about counting their money. It's a shame what has become of T-Mobile.

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Post ID: @1oqm+1t8jsljM

Everything you said is 100% correct from a consumer/employee perspective. But from a corporate executive perspective you are 100% wrong. The merger has been a resounding success. The company has increased market share, increased profit, reduced headcount and increased the stock price. Sure 17,000 employees have been laid off, prices have gone up, customer service has plummeted because T-Mobile doesn't have to compete in a industry that is a monopoly. Did you ever wonder why Verizon and AT&T didn't oppose the merger? They knew it would create a monopoly that would benefit them. Everyone knew the merger was bad for consumers and employees and yet politicians from both sides approved it because they were bought and paid for by T-Mobile via special interest groups. Before you vote again remember that both parties work together to sc--w all of us.

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Post ID: @1bda+1t8jsljM

Sprint and T-mobile merger has led to 200 B telecom monster, let’s not forget the bigger picture. Having said that, executives need to understand that it’s the employees who ultimately make the company what it is and having dissatisfied employees will ultimately lead to company’s demise

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Post ID: @1oel+1t8jsljM

The dog caught the car.

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Post ID: @say+1t8jsljM

All points are valid and well put. The company has slowly dissolved into what is now a dumpster fire. As someone working front lines in a CEC it is terrible what has happened here. More and more is out on us and asked all the time, wages are not increasing. They will point to them raising the base pay to $20 an hour a couple years back, but they don’t advertise they cut incentive compensation over 50%. Leaders here are terrible, most don’t know anything. If you are good at your job you do not get opportunities, those go to the shmoozers. They talk about company culture but nobody wants to actually see that the culture that exists now is more toxic than it ever has been, they just keep marching forward like things are working.

I don’t see things here ever getting better. They have created a fear driven culture. People are just agreeing to everything the person above them says and there is no room to innovate. If you push for it you are the black sheep and at risk for termination. At the CEC level this is very apparent, most leaders here don’t hold qualifications to do anything else and wouldn’t hold a job similar anywhere that pays what they get now.

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Post ID: @sxo+1t8jsljM

Being in the technology organization under Ulf, there are clear signs that outsourcing is on the horizon. We're constantly expected to do more with fewer resources and live in a perpetual state of fear regarding potential layoffs. The loss of three regional SVPs has only compounded this uncertainty, and Ulf's expectation that the last remaining SVP can unite us seems overly optimistic.

Ulf come off as a soulless leader. His all-hands emails and calls come across as tone-deaf, failing to resonate with the realities we're facing on the ground. Given these circumstances, I'm not optimistic about the future here and would welcome a layoff package. Is Sievert praising Ulf's reduction in highly paid executives, or does he look at him with skepticism on his ability to lead as Prez given he let all his leaders go? I hope for the latter and he's given the boot soon.

On a slightly positive note, the remaining regional SVP is a legacy T-Mobile employee, so there's hope that we might retain some of the values and processes that initially made us successful. However, this doesn't mitigate the fact that our national VP of engineering is an ex-Sprint employee who seems intent on discarding the "Magenta way." Her push for the "T-Mobile Cloud," whatever that entails, is concerning. Both in Bellevue and Overland Park, there's a growing sense that she lacks both direction and a comprehensive understanding of how our network functions. Was this really her role at Sprint?

I'm not optimistic about the future here and would welcome a layoff package.

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Post ID: @wfa+1t8jsljM

The company is definitely all about do more with less. Field Ops is now running a minimum of 85 sites. They have tools that do not work or are straight up unsafe and told to just get it done. Switch Ops is losing ppl left and right but still expected to do the same jobs in the same time as before. OT has been cut or needs approval and management cant figure out why they are getting such sh---y review or not as many ppl volunteer for Disaster Recovery

We are told that money it tight but SLT has interviews with NFL coaches or fly to different markets for meetings 2x a month. Sievert can make more in bonuses and stocks given to them than he makes in salary but all the workers are told no promotion and only a meger raise. This company has gone to sh-t and fingers crossed I will be laid off before it implodes.

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Post ID: @tew+1t8jsljM

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