Hang on because the latest Staples layoff is about to begin.
Being the Staples Perf Review time of year, managers were told by directors earlier to put as much as 10% of their respective teams into the Does No Meet Expectations, or the Mostly Meets Expectations categories. No true justification for this rating except they need bodies in those categories to line people up for potential layoff either Friday the 25th or the following Friday.
%'s were also given to put people in the Meets Expectations, and Exceeds Expectations categories to keep those remaining something to look forward to.
Of course using this type of evaluation criteria leads to Management picking their favorite cheaper employees, with tinges of outright discrimination as it's not truly based on performance, but a case of getting people into the right categories.
So if the year end profits aren't there, they'll just move forward and layoff the targetted employees.
The usual Staples games apply here. Cheaper employees are made to look good (Exceeds Expectations to meet the %'s provided) while more expensive employees are put in the Does Not Meet Expectations and Mostly Meets Expectations categories to meet those %'s.
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I know that there is always talk about putting 10% in the "meets most" or "does not meet" categories, but this is the first year I have seen it enforced. Other managers on my team were asked to lower ratings for associates. There was also a corporate wide email to managers of others that any "calibrations" needed to be entered by the end of the day. This seems much different than other years.
Yes, you have to put a certain number of people in each performance bucket. And, new hires are definitely coming in at higher salaries then people who have been here for years. There's not as much flexibility with lower level positions but mid and higher levels, they absolutely do.
This actually just happened to me! My director called and during part of the conversation mentioned the exact thing you said here. The way he said it gave me a strong indication that they were being forced to push people into these lower brackets. Wow... I am completely surprised to see this post... I thought I was over reacting and misreading the conversation. Guess not!
So, let me get this straight, you think ‘ The salary for new hires far exceeds that of the ones that have been here for years.’ Where would you ever get this idea? Clearly you have never worked as a manager anywhere, certainly not at Staples anyway. Some of the people that post on this site are a joke.
It's cheaper to not layoff. The salary for new hires far exceeds that of the ones that have been here for years. I'd like to see HR pay adjust the existing employees to close the gap of the new hire salary. That won't happen of course. Instead they do smoke and mirrors of showing us what our "total benefits" are. Like the Biden administration, HR too thinks we are stupid. Trying to convince us how good we have it ain't working so please just stop insulting us.
As far as the ratings putting 10% below the line, a yearly HR statistic they want us to meet. After all the layoffs, we don't have underperformers unless it's one of those new expensive young new hires that hasn't developed a worth ethic yet. We don't wait until review time to work the issue with associates. Again HR, stop insulting us managers.
There is always a bottom 10%…….in every company, ever.
If you are let go, DO NOT accept what they offer.
Human Resources in Canada are completely incompetent.
My lawyer initially dealt with HR...HR couldn't handle all of the employment lawsuits...then Staples hired a law firm that lasted three months...they hired a second law firm that used an incompetent lawyer that was fired...using a third lawyer now. This has taken almost a year and a half.
Now I know why Staples is the laughing stock of the retail/business world.
The sad thing is that if the company actually treated its employees with dignity and respect it would be amazing what could be accomplished.
So happy they let me go in November ! Best thing ever !!!
The rating system isn’t new by any means, but Staples motivation is only financial. By using the bell curve system, they remove the opportunity for annual pay raises and bonuses for all the individuals at the bottom. These individuals are also in the pool for job elimination if that happens.
Overall, this is another example of SP hiring outside consultants to tell them how to save money and try to run a failing business.
Good luck!
First if all, ratings are done this way every year. That is not new. Secondly, layoffs will never take place on a Friday. There may be more layoffs but this post teaks of someone who doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
Awww….. underperforming troll trying to incite anxiety. Cute.
"because managers have to make impossible choices between people preforming essentially the same"
I think you're missing a point.
Employees are intentionally given a lower review (part of a managers impossible position I guess) to insult them, versus just saying "you did a good job but we still need to make cuts.".
How many times do they let people go then hire them back for $20k less? That's pretty common.
So if they need to let people go...don't insult them with a bogus review. Try something different, be honest and say "we need to make cuts, but we may be able to offer you a lower salary if interested?" since money is all this is about, just grow a set and stop messing with people's heads via these fictitious reviews.
managers always have to put certain % of people into the different performance buckets. i doubt directors are telling managers that there is going to be a lay off and that they have to put more in those buckets. but could be telling them to put higher % in the bottom... unless the poster has inside knowledge of these conversations? but the % is nothing new. and people definitely get screwed by it because managers have to make impossible choices between people preforming essentially the same
Why don't they just sink the ship already? Isn't the definition of insanity if you do what you always did you always get what you always got.. This company is beyond insane. Put it out of it's misery already
This sounds right! I was let go last January. I knew there was no way there weren’t any layoffs coming. I was given a sub par review by a manager that could barely manage herself out of a paper bag. I was a 20 yr employee that was shown the door. Just like the poster said…less money kept your job