Thread regarding Dell Inc. layoffs

Tell Dell - No, it is NOT anonymous

  1. Do you agree that the information contained in the database associates your name with your survey responses? If so, then by definition it is NOT anonymous.

  2. Do you agree that the unique link helps ensure that people don't take the survey twice? But in so doing, do you also agree that the unique link is also stored in the database, which associates your name with your survey responses? If so, then by definition it is NOT anonymous.

  3. Do you agree that Dell could retrieve your information if they ever needed to for things like legal discovery, etc? For example, if someone said something really stupid like made a threat or something, which has happened before. If so, then by definition it is NOT anonymous.

  4. Do you trust Dell HR and/or Dell leadership?

True anonymity severs any PII between the user, user ID, employee number, etc., from existence. It never creates it in the first place - i.e., no logs, no db entry, no links, no memory, nada. That's not the case here by virtue of the way it is created, distributed, and stored.

As to whether the 3rd party who manages the survey would give up that information, that's an entirely different discussion altogether.

But it is NOT anonymous by definition, End of Story.


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| 54 views | | 29 replies (last March 17) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1kkp1vecy

29 replies (most recent on top)

@nb Couldn't agree more! Tell Dell is a fu--ing joke!! I've seen managers completely manipulate the results in their own bullsh-t slides. HR doesn't care that they lie about their sh---y performance scores.

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Post ID: @nf+1kkp1vecy

Tell Dell is the biggest fu--ing joke! It feels less like employee advocacy and more like an enforcement arm to ensure compliance with leadership decisions. Don’t waste your fu--ing time!

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Post ID: @nb+1kkp1vecy

Its not anonymous. Director or higher up can go back to the company and ask for a name on that survey. Your survey number is tied to your name. I have overheard 2 managers and a director harass a person over their surveys. You I have can seen several managers looking at this person in disgust. Those managers talk and everyone under them are garbage unless you’re blwing them or fcking them.

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Post ID: @mt+1kkp1vecy

My first tell dell survey was many years ago. I was warned by a close friend never go negative. Our manager got a few negative scores. He called a meeting, went through the questions and looked at each of us to try and figure out who provided negative comments/ scores. Then he made us meet daily to work on improving the score. We all learned, if you give negative feedback or scores it's more work on us. Scores improved from that point on.

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Post ID: @mn+1kkp1vecy

I was, at one point in my Dell career given the awesome responsibility of consolidating the Tell Dell responses for an entire org. I had to compile it for the Senior VP. The file dump I got was completely anonymous. The Senior VP didn't read the responses -- I did and grouped them for him.

I will say, as a people manager before that, front line didn't get to see the responses, but the area manager did. None of those was ever shared with me in my 10 year managerial stint. I always knew who would or wouldn't initially take the tell Dell, so when if see that 3 people still hadn't -- I knew who they were and would ask them to kindly take it -- I was never wrong, that is just knowing your people. What I learned. There is no way a senior VP is going to read thousands of responses. They were happy for me to pareto that stuff out for them.

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Post ID: @mh+1kkp1vecy

@dh can you see states as well along with countries? also can you see what comments from what country or even what score from what country? We are just 4 people from one country - that can be distinct based on the states/ city, and so I wonder.

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Post ID: @m2+1kkp1vecy

It is not anonymous, bcs manager knows how many of the team filled in the survey...

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Post ID: @kg+1kkp1vecy

Do not comment but if you must put down N/A due to GDPR rules.

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Post ID: @g6+1kkp1vecy

Type your responses in Word and ask the AI vehicle of your choice to rewrite it. It will erase any tells about which subordinate authored it.

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Post ID: @fv+1kkp1vecy

Just don’t take it, nothing says you have to engage.

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Post ID: @fp+1kkp1vecy

I guess by definition outlined by the OP, it's not anonymous. The fact that the survey is sent out digitally to specific employees and the results are aggregated up to managers and businesses means that somewhere the responses are tied to an employee.

Where it does become anonymous is that the 3rd party vendor is the one that stores the information. Can Dell request information about a specific response? I'm sure they can and will if they deem it necessary (ex: threat of violence in comments), but I know they almost never will. But comment at your own risk too, because your writing styles can be known by your manager

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Post ID: @fn+1kkp1vecy

Managers do not know who. But if you put comments we can figure it out

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Post ID: @fj+1kkp1vecy

@es It is absolutely not anonymous. I can get a name if I want via request.

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Post ID: @fa+1kkp1vecy

The numbers drop each year yet they shrug it off, explain it as statistical anomalies, and change the questions so nearly every option is positive.

In the years of Tell Dell and the similar EMC survey I never saw issues I asked about even mentioned. During the ‘DEI is good era’ I pointed out that ageism is rampant. I’m sure that the attitude in the C-Suite was “How can that be? The CEO is over 50.” They had a question about are you comfortable being your real self. That was a laugh. Conservative politics in a Massachusetts makes you a pariah to be tolerated… at best.

That being said - I urge everyone to do the survey. If you don’t they will just assume that you’re happy.

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Post ID: @ex+1kkp1vecy

@ej Exactly what has changed for the better? I can't think of anything in the last 4 years.

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Post ID: @ev+1kkp1vecy

It’s totally anonymous.

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Post ID: @es+1kkp1vecy

Who cares?The last number of years tell dell scores have got worse and 3 to 6 months later they make a change that staff are unhappy about and we stay.
They dont care.

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Post ID: @ej+1kkp1vecy

You don’t know what your talking about.

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Post ID: @eh+1kkp1vecy

I gave my manager a bad score and comments. He then pulled us individual into rooms and questioned us about the comment. I think he was genuinely concerned about the comment and not as much to find out who said it. He could figure that out from the feedback. Anyhow, he was laid off in the next round. I have a feeling that was a long time coming however. I think his manager didn't really like him.

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Post ID: @ee+1kkp1vecy

It’s more anonymous than this site, doesn’t seem to stop any of you

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Post ID: @e1+1kkp1vecy

My usual refrain every time this subjects pops up : I don't give a damn.

I've always provided transparent feedback on my manager(s) and criticised, in a polite and professional way, the leadership and the company.

Nothing happened, simply because nobody cares. I'm nobody in such a huge company, and nobody above my manager's level really knows me, thus nobody cares.

IMHO, one should worry only if they were already on the edge, with a horrible relationship with their manager, who in that case would be happy to use the repeated criticism from Tell Dell to shortlist them for WFR.

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Post ID: @dp+1kkp1vecy

@c7 I’m a manager.

We can see scores AND comments.
We can’t see names.
We can see demographics. What scores and comments from what countries - if your manager manages team members from multiple countries, they’ll be able to see a country break down of scores and comments.

My manager, nor his manager can see names.
If someone puts something concerning into their telldell ie self harm or threats to the company, HR can pull names.

BUT

If your manager is even remotely engaged in their team, they’ll be able to tell what comments are from what team members.
They also have probably already thought about who is going to neg them.

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Post ID: @dh+1kkp1vecy

@aj You just contradicted yourself.

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Post ID: @d3+1kkp1vecy

Managers only get the scores i think. I don't believe they can read any comments though. Either way, who cares anyways? My assumption is that THEIR manager can read comments but otherwise, your direct cannot.

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Post ID: @c7+1kkp1vecy

The only thing that is "annonymous" is that your name isn't attached to the survey itself...

Of course Tell Dell isn't "anonymous" lol. It never has been. Look at it this way, when you go to facebook or xyz website, that is tracked. I would know because I am part of the group who does so :)

It's not possible to be on your computer without being forced into a VPN connection- your IP address is logged the millisecond you connect to VPN - along with your machine name is, and YOUR name is. I can look all of this up and see who is/isn't on VPN.

Every link you click takes you to a website, which again... is trackable.

Now, I don't think they have the time, nor care to truly deep dive into who said what in the survey's but, they 100% can if they wanted to.

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Post ID: @c3+1kkp1vecy

Use it against them. If you like your manager score him or her high. If you dislike them, score low. Obviously they don’t take upper leadership scores into account or do anything about them. Don’t make any comments because it is human nature to try to figure out who said what.

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Post ID: @bz+1kkp1vecy

Boycott it.

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Post ID: @ba+1kkp1vecy

@aj OP is right, they are not anonymous just from the definitions he outlined. That and does anyone trust Dell anymore? HE-L NO!

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Post ID: @av+1kkp1vecy

As someone who has read hundreds of Tell Dell surveys.... They are anonymous. But if you know your team it is super easy to tell who wrote what. Most people use the same words, terms, sayings etc etc when they speak. Plus, the disgruntled employees are always the ones who roast everything. Its not rocket science.

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Post ID: @aj+1kkp1vecy

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