Throughout my career here - I will be retiring soon - I think morale has never been worse. I'm sorry that many new generations may never experience Ford the way I did when I first started working here.
I don't even know if Ford is aware of how much some things demoralize employees here and that this is no longer the same old company where everyone wanted to work.
With the new performance pay model there will be more ants pushing, stabbing, fighting, putting more hours just to appear superior. Whoever wins the co------t wins the raise. All others are beaten to the ground. Then the next fight starts. I want to be on the sideline. My fight is gone.
Seeing hard working and high quality coworkers let go has been more demoralizing than anything. A lot of the people I saw moved/cut in the recent round were top achievers which really sent the message that no one is safe. Hard to be motivated in that environment.
Fake accomplishments to self promote is out of control at Ford. I’ve seen this over and over again in my almost 30 years. The PERDC research organization is a text book example. The LL5 running it is incompetent and abusive
Fake accomplishments to self promote is out of control at Ford. I’ve seen this over and over again in my almost 30 years. The PERDC research organization is a text book example. The LL5 running it is incompetent and abusive
When I started many moons ago, real contributions were rewarded and celebrated. I vividly remember a guy whose simple but true innovation saved Ford millions and he was given a Ford Mustang. We all were like how cool is that, we want to be that guy! When he was promoted to LL6 we all wanted to work for that guy.
Now the Ford culture is to celebrate and publish fake accomplishments, promote the mean-spirited village id--ts, bury/steal coworkers innovative ideas, layoff the innovators, replace them with lower cost options. Everything is just so phony, everyone is just trying to make sure they have a chair to sit in when the music stops.
So what demoralizes me? Seeing how far Ford has fallen from when I was fresh out of college to when I am preparing to retire. And seeing that there is no grown-up at the helm pumping the brakes and steering. All are ‘What’s in it for me?’ Self promoting and profiting, not looking after the companies best interests. Seriously does a CEO really need a fawning audience and a press release every time he wipes?
It seems like people want to rationalize the current Ford state of affairs by saying all companies are like Ford. I think that is a bunch of you-know-what. At my last college reunion I found that some companies had deteriorated like Ford has, but the majority of companies my classmates had careers at had not deteriorated. I am under no illusions that the toxic Ford culture will improve before I retire.
It is becoming tougher and tougher to put in the hours required when the leadership has decided to cut resources. Less people equals less output. Get used to delays and quality issues because we don't have the resources to keep this cobbled together wagon moving forward anymore.
In support of what many are saying, I've never seen anything like this in my several decades with Ford- nothing close. I agree that Ford senior "leadership" likes it this way and is now a runaway rule by te---r type organization. But he's solely alienated the GSR/LL6 population, blaming us for everything. The AICP debacle, "We don't have the right talent," "Maybe this (company) isn't for everybody," no LL5+ invols, can't external hire fast enough/promote into those roles, etc, etc. It's one personnel announcement after the other with the, "I can't believe that person just got popped."
So far Farley is proving worse than Moonbeam. He's obviously trying to position himself as this rockstar CEO he'll never be. Meanwhile, he's hiring all these top level execs to run the show and give the direction he can only read from the teleprompter. Does the stock need to get to single digits before he's out because it's headed there, folks?
To those people who are talking about looking for another job, I have never heard so many people tell me they are looking for another or speak publicly about it. It used to be absolutely taboo to do that but now people don't give a cr-p- hear it in Webex meetings, etc. They had better be careful because the young bucks are starting to leave en masse. I'm a pensioner and am even contemplating such a move, knowing the job market can't get much better and my sanity is more and more important to me. I'll probably try to hang in there a little while longer but the time is coming when I'll be turning off my computer not a minute after 8 hours Mon-Fri and definitely no weekends/holidays. Bye, Felicia!
The storm is coming. Batten down the hatches.
Too see a once great company go right into the toilet. Been here a while yes, a pensioner.
divorced kids otherwise it would be easy to leave. Since Ford 2000 I have seen how far out of touch we are with our customers. In the late 80s early 90s we had multiple products that made money. Now we have just the F-Series. The original explorer back in the day made more money than F-series.
Now we try adding gimmicks and gizmos to push metal.
My how we have declined. glad I am leaving soon.
What's demoralizing is who they choose to promote. They talk DEI. They make us sit through anti-harassment training. then they promote the worst of the old, white guys. ex: Recently minted LL3 promoted his best buddy to LL4. The two of them are running amok now, ruling by fear and intimidation. LL4 used the SIRP action two weeks ago to settle old scores, and publicly threatens anyone that questions him.
His attitude towards the entire team below him is "I'm God, you better listen to me!" Repeats the exact quote "When I or -the LL3- say something, we mean it!" constantly. It is like we are his kids and he told us to mow the lawn and take out the trash.
Funny thing is that now they have 90% of the department looking for other opportunities. And they are already complaining that hiring replacements is too expensive.
Sorry but that isn't leadership, it is dictatorship. And yet they continue to get away with it. Once again, Ford talks the talk, but doesn't walk the walk.
OP Question - So many things, but I wont say it here, coz Ford HR snoops here, will pick on things and start doing MORE OF THOSE DEMORALIZING THINGS AT THE WORKPLACE.
I was the third generation in my family to build a career at Ford before I was forced out last year. (Take the voluntary or else.) Being hired at Ford 33 years ago was one of the proudest moments of my life. Little did I know that by the time I left, the company would spiral down to where it is today. Now I can’t believe that I put up with decades of being demoralized and exploited. I had fantasies that my retirement after years of dedicated service would be celebrated. Instead it was embarrassing and humiliating. I didn’t expect a gold watch, but some kind words from someone other than close friends might have been nice. Maybe other companies are just as bad, but I have no pride in the years I spent at Ford. It was a way to pay the bills, and I ended up giving more than the hours I spent at the office each week. Glad it’s over and I can move on with my life. What a total crapfest.
For me, it's the concern for coworkers who have been here a long time, and actually bust their @$$ through their career stressing endlessly because they don't know if or when they'll get the tap on the shoulder. One of the things I was told when I got hired was that people who got in stayed til retirement but I never know if that will be the case for me.
This whole change to reviews has caused a large amount of stress from coworkers trying to understand what they want us to do. How it's being handled varies so wide,it's not possible to coordinate and figure out how we need to do things.
I want Ford to be successful and I try to do what I can, but we're throttled by all the nonsense, beaurocracy, reliability issues, and a disconnected leadership. I see people who try their hardest to improve things and make suggestions that would make life easier for employees and customers, however, they get sidelined by middle managers who are more focused on making themselves look good or have no clue how the area they manage even works or what it's supposed to do.
I still try to do my best every day, and help others when I can, but it's draining when things are falling apart around us and nothing we can do. I'm always ready to go should things go south, but I hate that I have to be that way. I've had some great years here but it's all a slow moving train wreck. I appreciate the comments and posts here because at least I'm not alone in thinking about things how I do
It is not the same company 😔 sorry to say.
Not pension eligible here, but been here for a while now. I agree. They've completely destroyed their strongest asset: employees that were proud to work for Ford and passionate about what they do.
Now even some of the proudest Ford employees I've known are looking for other opportunities. Even some that are pension eligible! And even if they're not looking they have one eye looking back over their shoulder. Its a weird time here. And the sad part is that I think the current management likes it that way.
You have salaried folks that are miserable and not sure if they will be retained. And you have Farley mugging with hourly workers in the factories and celebrating their longevity with the company. I just don't get it.
I feel exactly the same and am nearing retirement myself. I cannot wait to leave