I know people are saying, “Yes,” but all my high performer friends are still at Ford.
6 replies (most recent on top)
@4lye+1cDUltcI is right on the money. "Godfather" is the keyword.
SRD is a layer-by-layer elimination of people at management's will. What one does for the Company really does not matter. The only thing matters is if you are your direct management's favorite and if "Godfather" can remove you from being the chosen one.
Per people close to the process, SRD was a beauty contest. VP, LL2 and LL3 decided the fate of the LL4,5,6. The consulting group requested not to call them people, persons, engineers, etc. they were just units. Units to be relocated or dismissed from the organization. In my division there were outstanding LL4's loved by their people LL4 that were dismissed because they had no Godfather high enough to protect them. However, there were some LL4's with no love from their peers that were left untouched. Interesting to note is that those LL4's had direct connection to the VP when the VP was on his way up. According to a LL4 that was SRD'ed his dismissal was because he was too good and the LL3 wanted him out of the picture so he could be a LL2. Eventually, it became a reality. In my former division everybody was an outstanding employee, SRD was a legal excuse to trim the bush from those the LL2,LL3 did not want to be under them.
As mentioned below they didn’t target based on a performance rating but rather salary compared to peers and/or people approaching a pension gate. People who have been performing at the top have received larger increases and bonuses and therefore have larger salaries. Seems like someone would have pointed out that this would target many high performers. If they were going after the higher salaries they should have looked at people who made more than their peers but were never top performers. I know a few who were SRDd that were top performers but they were also approaching a pension milestone.
All you have to do is read the Court filling regarding the age discrimination suit. There appears to be emails between high level executives including the Hackett and the BOD on the topic. Be nice to sit in on those court hearings to hear the actual evidence. Listen for yourself with an open mind. Do not think even if you are a TA that they will not tap you on the shoulder. They will cut you if they can save a buck.
Highest paid high performers let go. High performers nearing pension gates let go.
High performers, not yet the highest paid and no pensions. were not not yet let go, give it a couple years
I saw some good people let go and am amazed at some that were not let go.