Thread regarding Ford layoffs

It seems odd that a company that designs and manufacturers vehicles wouldn’t have (or need?) experienced engineers. I recently purchased some very high end kitchen appliances and have had nothing but trouble with them. The last time the repair person was out I was told the company had been having a lot of quality issues since they started using third party suppliers to do the designs and some of the assembly. Hmmm....

Ford hire outside suppliers to do the engineering. All of Ford engineers are doing is project management. Anyone can write checks and pay the suppliers. There is no need for experience engineers at Ford.

@2kpv... The one person in the group.....advice for you - you really need to stop letting on that you know what you are doing AND taking assignments from other groups. Or you are going to be targeted for elimination in the next round. You know what you are doing, and so that makes you dangerous not only to your peers - but also your Boss. The new rules of the game. It's a sad but true new reality. The next cut is going to be especially cut throat as the remaining incompetent people will make sure any high visability competition are eliminated. That is what happened years ago during the last downturn and many of those con artists that made it through are now calling the shots. The best way to make it through this is to keep your head down and do exactly your job and only your direct job. Sure they say they want innovation but we all know that applies only to the new Hackett kids. They will be acknowledged and rewarded. Everyone else will be removed to cut a fast path for the kids. Just look at all their communications and pictures...all aimed squarely at them. If you are over gh ed age of 27, you don't exist to them. It's sickening what Hackett is doing to the company and the remaining experienced employees.

Currently in a group of 20 where I am the only one with the background and experience to do the job. Boss brought in from another organization. Group has no clue how to deliver their objectives. I am receiving assignments from people outside our group because I’m the only one who knows how to do the work. Getting overwhelmed and burnt out quickly. Feel outnumbered within my section and no one is willing to listen /learn. Totally see more quality issues coming- we just don’t have the right skill sets in the right jobs. It will take years to unwind this damage.

Well said 1yaw! It’s not just the people who were let go in May that caused the issue it’s the combination of all the experience lost over the last several years. It seems that recently the tipping point was reached.

To the person who wrote layoffs completed 3 months ago would not hurt a product launch - I call BS.

3 months ago were when the people who where hanging on were let go. You forgot about all the people that left with PRP in 2018 (in one section of IT I know of, that area lost 8 people to PRP - and the average years of experience was 27 +years, and they were in PD and Manufacturing IT ). Not to mention countless other who read the tea leaves and left without a package, as they rightly saw a storm brewing. Plus, as an added bonus, a CEO that was forced out 2 years ago that had 30+ years experience and had very successful all new product launches under his belt (hat tip to another poster that wrote that below). Plus a couple of high profile product people that were forced to leave under dubious circumstances not ever fully explained, soon after the new CEO took power

You can't measure the fallout strictly by the most recent numbers. You have to add up the entire pile of c-ap that has been building up for nearly two to get the full impact - to company has been decimated by experience that has walked out the door and is never coming back., replaced by??? (no one). The failure of the Explorer and Aviator launch is a symptom of a much worse problem. A mentality from the very top that vehicles don't matter anymore and aren't in our real future....which is dead wrong..see Prohibition on how that worked out. (forcing people against what they really want in the rush to electrify and make everything mobile)

Sorry, should proof read before submitting... the layoffs three months ago will not result in current issues.

I agree that layoffs a few months ago will did that result in the current issues. But... in my organization several years of PRPs has shaved off significant expertise and it is missed.

While I agree many things need to improve, I don't think we can infer a lot from letting various people go in June at this moment in time. Vehicles start being designed and engineered 3 or more years prior to release and everything like launch is planned out over a year in advance. You can't say layoffs in June/July is why we have recalls three months later. If anything we could actually argue we might have let the right people go, because none of the people lingering on this site seem to understand the basic operations of a company. Do you really think it takes from late June to Mid September to launch a vehicle??? Maybe the people let go were the people who worked on these recalled parts 3-5 years ago when they were being designed and are the now reason we are having recalls right now.

Good post. Relevant to all US Auto companies. You still need people to validate components, assemblies etc on current and near future vehicles. You still need people with experience. You still need people who how an ICE works. I am afraid this work is not being done thoroughly and products are moving to the build stage before they are ready with components that are not fully vetted. If there are not enough checks and tests and things just get pushed forward we are going to see greater problems in 12 to 18 months.
As more experience leaves this will become even more obvious.

Too much pressure to just "OK" products and processes to get someone off your back.

I know moving to all electric vehicles and Smart Mobility will solve this.....LOL The auto companies may have shifted their engineering focus and hiring focus about 5 years too early.

Talk about he wrong people being let go; Markey Mark Fields should not have been broomed out so quickly.

I get that he was not Saint Mullaly, and he was an egotistical arse at times, but he knew the car business and more importantly, knew how to get things done within Ford. he had a plan, but I guess it was not moving quickly enough to implement it by buying up a bunch of high tech start up and going all in on mobility - sarcasm here, because he was not spending money like water, either, nor did we have major new product launches go horribly wrong, either. The all new Mustang went out on his watch, as well as the all new F-150, and those did not have near any of the problems we see today.

We are paying the price - and more of us will pay the price with out jobs when they have to make up for the extra launch and warranty costs. However, according to Hatchet, this is all good and part of the plan - disruption is great, we all just need to hug each other and tell each other how good we are!

Agree with your point. Company is a dumpster fire, and it will take years to put it out. The “so called” money saved with the separations has been eclipsed with the money required to right the failed launches and quality issues. With Hackett, it’s always one foot forward, and five back.......!!!!