I can't tell you how many fresh-out-of-college new hires I've seen fired within two or three months of them joining T in the past couple of years. I feel sorry for them. They get hired to do a job that was practically invented by the person who was doing it before them, they get little to no training, and they're thrown into the fray with high expectations from managers. The only realistic outcome is that they're going to crash and burn. I wonder if those in charge are realizing by now that getting rid of people with experience and knowhow maybe wasn't the best idea after all.
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Excuse me, but, au contrarie. At will employees like Account Managers who come into the corporation as college new hires, or TSCs, Product Managers, Sales Managers or any other numerous salaried, exempt or non-exempt (non bargained) titles can be terminated for any reason at any time, provided the reason is legal. Those employees who are bargained for employees have a different rule book and follow completely different guidelines for termination. I am familiar with many enterprise sales account managers who were terminated immediately after their bridge period expired (that is typically 90 days).
Fired in 3 months for performance?
It takes at minimum 6 months to be fired for performance and that's if the rep just absolutely refuses to better themselves.
It takes a 90 day trend to write someone up for actionable items (3 months) at which time you should have received multiple side by sides / coaching to prevent such trend. At this time youd normally receive your formal action plan.
Usually you have 30 days for any form of improvement. Since you legally can't be coached to numbers, only behaviors, this is where the process normally stops if you put in even a modicum of effort to improve.
Let's say you don't. It's now end of month 4, you get put on a PIP (personal improvement plan) or whatever your department calls it. That's basically an "ok I gave you instruction, you refused to follow, here's strike two." Again, if you put in even a slight amount if effort, you'll probably come off the PIP and you go back to square one.
Let's say you still wanna dig your feet in the sand and refuse to take advice / direction / criticism/ however you want to take it...fast forward, it's now the end of month 5.
Now you get your final written. Basically an "ok..you STILL don't wanna listen..I gave you two strikes..this is your last chance.." at which time a GOOD leader would say "what can I do / what do you need from me to help you take these steps and get you off this final written?"
Again that's a good leader..rare..but they are out there and if you're fortunate enough to have one that's followed all these steps, who's fault is it really? Did you get fired? Or did you fire yourself?
Anyways..fast forward to the end of month 6. You refused to change at all, you've been given half a year to take direction etc on how to improve your sales tactics behaviors and you said "nope"
Now you get the union rep, your manager sits down with you, explains why you're being fired, shows the union rep the documentation, you have no leg to stand on, see you bye.
Anyone who says they got fired for performance in 3 months is either lying or they let their manager fire them "illegally" so to speak.
I see plenty of college hires came and left, company has got a retention problem, not a surprise there.
Opportunity for advancement base on merits just isn't happening here. My level 4 used to tell us, you need to perform at the next level and the business unit has to justify budget for promotion, good luck with that in this climate. If you are young and has a CS or Engineering degree, there are plenty of employment opportunities out there.
In a recent meeting, the useless HR partner was asked about promotion for technical roles and whether TCP criteria still applicable for evaluating promotions. HR partner had no clue, the real answer is no promotions are happening. I see these young kids getting stuck at level 1 for years without a chance to move ahead, and the 1-2% salary increase isn't much a motivator to hang around. Your business unit might be different, but I doubt it.
T loves the fresh, low wage, naive babies as they are Easy to manipulate, and can replace the older, wiser, high wage earner. T loves to cut the legs out from underneath the 20 year employee. I guess they figure the newbies aren’t wise to their game yet?!
Any college graduates need to run far far far far far away from att. there are so many better companies that cutting edge and so much better culture it isn't even funny.
Don't you hate it when people have high expectations?
Are you making stories up again?
Fired?? I don’t believe you
College degree required, right? You’re either ready for the big bad world or are you still in party mode on spring break.
They don’t care about experience. They care about expense because that impacts bonus. They will cycle thru new hires with out blinking.