Thread regarding Northwestern Mutual layoffs

Layoff by Attrition In Progress

Was just told during a leadership huddle that the company is staring to tighten its belt with the technology budget and they are going to reduce staff. Contractors are going to be evaluated and those not seen as strong contributors are going to be released from their roles. They do not want to let go of any FTEs but those who quit will not be replaced.

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| 5331 views | | 26 replies (last August 23, 2022) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1hFTl8fA

26 replies (most recent on top)

I tried to meet with ER on his. 15 minute stuff he sent out but he and his gate keeper said he wanted 4 paragraphs of what we would cover. I said no thanks it was going to be just a meet and greet not discuss WWII or religion. He wanted all the questions asked in the invite, not someone that could think on his/her feet. Canned answers like a politician!!!!!!

Agreed with the prior person no idea how he was able to become a CTO he fooled a lot of people and failed upward! Also he was a knob to us working engineers! He governed by metrics and status but never met any of us or our business partners, said it was not important as the metrics would display now we are doing.

Felt like assembly line worker with him in his ivory tower!

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Post ID: @Hzog+1hFTl8fA

ER can’t take a breath without getting approval from NS. His pure inability to think on his own is sad for a person who made it to a CTO role. He is a business school case of some one who was able to fail upward!

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Post ID: @Hndu+1hFTl8fA

@Gspz+1hFTl8fA A financial audit of the Technology department uncovered more than $50 million in overspending that was not brought to the attention of Schlifske, the Board of Trustees, etc. and efforts to hide it were noticed. This was basically the nail in the coffin for NS and then further investigation lead to ER being implicated as well.

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Post ID: @Gath+1hFTl8fA

So knowing what you know... what makes more sense to you? A highly paid C-level executive decides to leave a company (and not join another) because they know they're not getting a CEO job in two years. Or they, along with another closely tied C-leader, were pushed out due to financial negligence and a host of other issues that precipitated the desire to split their entire tech function in half. JES' goodbye announcement, which is about two steps away from "don't let the door hit ya," should be a good clue for you.

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Post ID: @Gvfv+1hFTl8fA

What is the overspending that it is claimed that NS did that got him "fired"? I heard that he wanted to be CEO and that was not going to happen, so he worked with NM on a departure date, which sounds more like he left rather than got fired.

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Post ID: @Gspz+1hFTl8fA

Contractors will be laid off en masse, but existing FTEs won’t be touched. Expect that a lot of backfill positions will be eliminated.

I also heard that we blew our ERR this year which will effect our bonus payout.

Thank God NS and ER got fired, but good Lord what a mess we have to clean up. We should all think of them when we have a little less money in our pockets in March!

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Post ID: @Gsrg+1hFTl8fA

When I looked at my daughters high school consumer math class with an emphasis in balancing a check book both ER and NS were enrolled. She said the first day they are focusing on not spending more than you have and leaning into understanding where your money goes into each account.

We didn’t see ER enrolled in the reptile class, a clear miss on his part if you asked me. It would be something he could actually provide info to. Hmm I wonder if ER would have to ask NS to think on his own?

I with the class of 2023 good luck!

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Post ID: @Fojx+1hFTl8fA

@Aqvu+1hFTl8fA No, they stated from the start FTEs were not at risk of losing jobs. Rather if any FTEs quit, they would not be replaced unless a strong business need existed. Contractors have been getting cut, my team has lost a little more than half and initiatives are being delayed to compensate. It was also confirmed in a leadership huddle I had that this was the reason NS and ER were let go from the company.

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Post ID: @Dkwo+1hFTl8fA

Fte? Nah.

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Post ID: @Duif+1hFTl8fA

Is the layoffs still happening for contractors and FTE in Engineering department?

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Post ID: @Aqvu+1hFTl8fA

Why think on your own in this department when you can spend tens of millions of dollars and have a full baked CYA in place with consultants. They said we should do that.

Just do what everyone else is doing. Cut benefits miss manage talent all the HP school of thought DR comes from, google his LinkedIn.

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Post ID: @pzsf+1hFTl8fA

Take LJ, TP, KC, BW and the countless consultants with you as well. Agreed moral is bad!

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Post ID: @pcjl+1hFTl8fA

They are Remote-Cali, his family doesn't know how to drive in snow.

For all of us in this messed up department just gracefully retire!

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Post ID: @nbmw+1hFTl8fA

How many people from Don's family are employed at NM? Who?

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Post ID: @ilbx+1hFTl8fA

Isn't that Don's HR vision, just let people go? No wait its just bringing his friends and family, got it... He's the biggest fraud at NM.

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Post ID: @hxga+1hFTl8fA

Attrition is ki----g NM! Seems like the company is turning a blind eye and not trying to even keep top talent from leaving. Since the pandemic it’s almost impossible to fill jobs unless it’s from a referral.

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Post ID: @gcyo+1hFTl8fA

This company is a joke. Overspend. Tighten. Overspend. Tighten. And then to hear the same bs about budget “management” being a determining factor in setting the dividend. Bwahahaha.

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Post ID: @brgp+1hFTl8fA

Not in tech so I can’t speak to that but it’s disheartening to see how undervalued some contractors are. Some of the hardest working people at the company. I wish they would reward talent with hiring more of them permanently instead of filling roles with people who are incompetent. As an employee this has definitely affected my view of the company the past couple years.

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Post ID: @apuu+1hFTl8fA

And NS just won the “leadership” award from Orbi…. He lead the organization just like Boeing led their 737 max planes.

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Post ID: @4ljx+1hFTl8fA

have no fear; more 'highly skilled' talent from infosys will surely help to fill these gaps.

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Post ID: @2ira+1hFTl8fA

Not surprised. With such weak leadership in tech, so many senior leaders are completely disconnected and out of touch with reality honestly speaking.
NM is is trouble since good talent is leaving ICS in droves and more will.

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Post ID: @2ifo+1hFTl8fA

This sounds like what I heard when I was a contractor at NM back in 2012-2013 and an employee I worked with bragged how NM only let 'contractors' go in the 2008 recession. He didn't consider his audience at the meeting in that I was a contractor. He didn't care about neighbors and family members losing their jobs. It was a classic entitled & selfish NM employee. I became an employee and saw only more of this.
Here we are again, even with the massive lay-off's in 2016-2018 and the no. of exits in 2021 to save health insurance benefits in retirement.
Sounds like this co. still can't get their act together. Leadership never really cares because they are not in the trenches doing the work.
It's time NM lose their reputation for being a great place to work because they offer free lunch and a beautiful new building. That won't happen until the press in Milwaukee stops letting NM press releases litter their articles.

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Post ID: @1kui+1hFTl8fA

We were told this morning of hiring freeze. So open req I had for a position on my team has been cancelled. Not put on hold, but rather cancelled completely. Was told to propose alternative strategy for accomplishing the team's overall objectives. That means we will prioritize some things, de-prioritize others, pending senior management review/approval. Seems likely that if anybody retires or leaves the company, then there will be close scrutiny on the need to backfill. I have two key players who are nearing retirement decision, and to lose either or both without the ability to replace will be felt profoundly. But we shall adjust. Batten down the hatches .

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Post ID: @1hwr+1hFTl8fA

ESD same boat. The exit of NS, ER and a few others is related to this...

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Post ID: @1rxo+1hFTl8fA

What about Esd? Thats not technology right?

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Post ID: @1rvo+1hFTl8fA

Yes, it's true. There is overspending right now of around $50 million and it was just uncovered during an audit of NM's books.

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Post ID: @qyu+1hFTl8fA

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