For those of us who are in the age bracket that we all know is always the target of layoffs, is there even a point in going the extra mile in an attempt to make ourselves indispensable? Should I even bother? I saw people who I thought were essential due to their knowledge and experience, which makes me think that if they want me gone due to my pay, no matter what I do will not change that. I might as well just do the bare minimum and that's it. It would not change my fate one way or another.
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That’s right. Don’t try, get axed, leave more dough for us youngbloods.
“ Bruh, what is "skill to lead, sk03, badges"? ”. In Ap it’s all the learning we have to do. Works out to be about 300 hours plus, and none is relevant for outside employment. Totally cr-p. But try and get any decent education on products and they give you a 5 minute video or more cr-p.
Bruh, what is "skill to lead, sk03, badges"?
They don't make us do any learning other than the security and bcg
skill to lead, sk03, badges all need to be done by end of year - plus other training (most are pointless) so when do they expect people to do real work. Maybe I should just spend that education learning splunk or something else, as when they pip you because you didn't do all the cr-p above
if you're going to spend any extra time on anything, spend it on the things that benefit YOU. Specifically by updating your skills, and the other things mentioned already: polishing your resume, networking, prepping for interviews, etc.
You have great feedback here. I would do all you can to build your brand. That is not IBM specific. You’ll always need this. And at the same time, revamp or clean up LinkedIn. Invest in someone who is resume writer. Create a list of stories that you will need to share during an interview. The stories should include examples of: 1) when did you succeed in a project and what did you do to contribute to it. 2) example of when a project or customer relationship failed; how did you rise above it? 3) strengths and weaknesses. 4) why would you want to work here. The stories need to be not so old, I would say within the last one to three years maybe? Keep updating your skills and be sure to showcase them in LinkedIn as well.
Too much nepotism going on.
Do the best you can. I.e. keep your personal brand intact.
If they $$$ folks decide headcount has to go, it will go.
Just the way it is... I mean, no different than any mom-and-pop business that had decided it's overhead had to come down. No big mystery to it.
Nobody is indispensable or irreplaceable at IBM ... and as the Borg say: "Resistance is futile." Please realize that it's only a matter of time until your number comes up, at which time, IBM will just dump your workload onto the remaining employees in your area. You should always be running a "background thread" looking for another job, and assign a priority to that thread consistent with how dire your individual situation is. DON’T make the mistake of thinking “it won’t happen to me”, because if you stick around long enough at IBM, it IS going to happen eventually. IBM has age discrimination down to an art form.
Spend some time THIS WEEK writing or updating your Résumé and a Cover Letter template, and think about some trusted colleagues (outside of IBM) who might serve as References for you. Don't put it off, because when you get that inevitable call from your Manager telling you: "There's been a Resource Action, and your job has been affected", you're not going to be in a good state of mind. Also, you'll be that much further ahead in the process. Bookmark the pages on which employers in your area post jobs, and look at them AT LEAST once a week. Update your LinkedIn profile with a picture and current employment history. Consider upgrading to LinkedIn Premium so you can (privately) let Recruiters know that you would be open to the right position.
Things were good for a long time at IBM, but unfortunately, those days are past. Without a Labor Contract, the only lever of control that you have as an “at-will employee” is to leave if you aren’t happy with your situation. DON’T wait for them to stick it to you … leave while you can on your OWN terms.
Good luck, everyone … there’s a lot of really great opportunities out there, and you just need to seek them out!
I'll add to @qvv+1c8qz47w comment. IBM was not the first to used "Stacked Rankings" But they were among the last to realize what a disaster that scheme is. The combined effect of many rounds of RAs and stacked rankings (both in full use in 2009) obviously destroys any sort of team chemistry. When you're hiking and confronted by a bear, you don't have to run faster than the bear; you just have to run faster than your hiking partner. That's the attitude that destroys teams.
I am not sure my reply will help, but I will try.
I wrote about my experience on January 21, 2009 when IBM's most profitable division (Software Group) was hit with a massive resource action. (a few links will follow this note). At the end of the day, week and for months afterwards, those who did not get hit felt survivor's syndrome: Why not me?
Each and every one of us knew that it was a matter of wrong place, wrong time. We could be next no matter what we did. The earnings of the division did not matter and our own individual performance did not matter. There is nothing more destructive to a person's performance than when a corporation creates such an atmosphere of "demotivation."
What you are feeling is a corporate "atmosphere." Peter Drucker defined it long ago ... over half a century.
What enabled me to "hang on" was to find purpose. I would have left long before 2009 but IBM had its hooks into me with the old pension plan and I had to find a way to stay. All I can say is that I gave my "customers" and my "team" (not the corporation) 100% until the day I left. Focusing on who I was truly working for and with truly helped: many times it was the sales guys trying to close a deal at the end of a quarter, many times it was a customer frustrated and needing to contact an architect to solve a problem, many times it was a teammate with a question . . . That was the only way I could keep performing. . . . disassociate my performance as having anything to do with loyalty to the company and apply it to my team and the customers I was working with. Let me be very clear, this is the 21st Century IBM ... it was not the company I joined in 1980. Back then we were family and we worked like it.
Having written all of this, let me say that IBM's sales "productivity" has fallen by 50% since 1999 and profit "productivity" by over 60% since 2013. You are not alone in what you posted. The raw data is very, very clear.
If you are interested here is the story of the January 2009 resource action (Of course, I would not use your corporate computer for this!):
https://www.fordiscerningreaders.com/a-view-from-beneath-the-dancing-elephant-resource-action-productivity-impact.html
Here is the sad shape employee productivity is in at IBM because too many are feeling the way you are:
https://www.fordiscerningreaders.com/arvind-krishna-first-year-revenue-profit-productivity-performance.html
Find what works for you to stay or exercise your rights in a democratic society to look for work elsewhere ... but whether you stay or leave ... make your choice to stay or leave on your conditions, not the corporations.
I hope this helps.
A few questions you need to ask yourself. First, to whom are you making yourself indispensable? Second, and very crucially, does that person even have a say?
No one is really indispensable to the HR-bots who are the grim reapers in this game.
You should "try" as hard as trying provides you with job satisfaction. If that results in staying the hand of the HR-bot this time around, that's great. But there is always another round to be played. Oh, and in the next round, your indispensability rating, along with those of all the other players is reset to a random but fairly low value.