Thread regarding VMware layoffs

When the CA acquisition happened (I left before the acquisition), entire product lines were cut. In-fact the Nimsoft/Cloud IT Service Platform was cut ruthlessly. Not because Cloud is not a thing but because CA's cloud offering would not be a winner and could never catch up to competitors. Hock only keeps the platforms that are already winning - mainframe in the case of CA. Back then, UX was embedded in product lines and they were cut along with the product lines. Now, with UX being in OCTO, I would think we are in the threat zone as well. Per my view, all of OCTO will be cut. We really don't create any revenue - atleast not that I am aware of. And Broadcom can survive at-least a year without any UX. Our designs are already years out. Unless you have tenure, I don't think it is a good idea to stick around - there's just nothing in it for you. Just my view.

"All reqs are approved in Broadcom by one person, take a wild guess ;), - this is not a joke btw!
In my view that's the difference between Broadcom and other companies and that's why we call it that Hock runs a tight ship, he really does... "

This is true. I don't even know how he does it.

I was CA, in middle management, not fired in "day one" because i'm european, not UK, anyway fired few time after the acquisition.
I would suggest you to take the severance Octane will give you, i'm so happy to be "half retired" with BRCM money. Good luck

I can tell you right now that point A from #10 WILL NOT happen. There would be a literal revolt at VMware. We have all been WFH since March of 2020 and almost no one is going back into an office, period. On my team alone I know several colleagues that moved out of state, hundreds of miles away from the closest VMware office. Not to mention that if BC wants to keep costs low they would be wise to NOT push for people to come back into offices.

I don't live anywhere near a Broadcom or VMware office. I cannot commute. I work from home and have been permanent work from home since March 2020. I've been with the company less than a year and I'm in the Tanzu portfolio. I'm in Product Management. I feel like my days are numbered.

My stress level is through the roof and I'm even having nightmares.

I joined this company with the intent of staying here until retirement. Plain and simple. The culture, the people, and the product keeps me energized every day (under normal circumstances).

I don't know what will happen, but constantly hearing about "selling off business units" or "customers need to beware" from analysts isn't giving me warm and fuzzy feelings. This thread is brutal, but at the same time, it has opened my eyes to what may lay ahead.
All I can do is: continue to do the right thing by my colleagues, do my best work and show that in the face of adversity, I can still be a positive influence on the people I work with and the products we are currently building. If I do that, I might get out of this with my sanity. And my dignity. I still have that, at least.

@Broadcomguy , if Broadcom spins out some groups as they are barely profitable, what do you think prospects are? Will they retain all employees or just some R&D. I am assuming in this case, the total comp will be very less as well (unlike directly to Broadcom). Any insight based on the past brocade experience where they split IP to extreme, ADC to pulse secure & ... Do you think Broadcom cases about NSX ADC at all ?

This has been so distressing to me, so I wrote a script to hit this thread every 20 seconds and send me a notification so I can keep up with any changes, so probably around half the the hits are mine...

Wow, just noticed 51K views, this may be the biggest thread on layoff.com website

Good work Broadcomguy

Very useful information here, thanks

Will the layoffs happen before the acquisition? The word from Broadcomm is they expect the acquisition to occur within their FY23 (which I believe starts in November). So, hang out for maybe five months before "DAY ONE" or would VMware start the cuts before then?

Any insight or idea if UX designers in vmw or in other BUs will get the cut?

Hope you all had a good long weekend!

Below I will try to answer as best as I can to answer your questions.

Tech Services, PS, TAM: I don't think one generic answer will work. You cant even use CA experience as baseline, as VMW is s different beast than CA. There will be cuts no doubt, how deep, time will tell. Customer loving TAMs doesn't mean jack - its more of what Broadcom
Will be able to get away with cutting... if a function is absolutely needed to sell revenue, they will keep bare minimum coverage - whatver that might be!

Europe Severance: You guys will get a better severance, be thankful, don't worry about how big :

@4lby+1gTMqgMW Good post. On day 1 bigger fats will be cut. If you are in Bu which is not making money, either they will shutdown the product which are not strategic (read wont make good ROI in short term) or put up whole Bu for sale. If they decide to put whole BU fired sale no cutting, they will let the buyer have the honor of deciding whatever needs to be decided...

As for mapping, I hope I am wrong. Ut gut feel is that one way to save money is by downlevelling you guys. For ex: let's say you P5: Staff gets 20 % bonus then they may map you to Broadcom Staff, which is level 4 here but you get the same bonus. Your VP levels will be presenting to Tom and Hock over next few months so they can understand vmw and decide, what to do, some decisionss will be taken before day 1, with implications on day1 RIFs, but most will be done when you become part of Broadcom. At this time I don't think even Tom or Hock would know all the very specific questions you guys are asking but in months to come they will have a fairly good idea, based on whatever they will learn from your mgmt and then will take a page from previous acquisitio and 8.5B target to formulate a plan on how to get there...

Diff severance typically based on dir / sr director, totally driven by what your mgmt already have negotiated as part of the deal, your HR would know even now!

Mgr/ emp ratio of 10+ is encouraged, but I have seen people get away with as little as 3-4. Likely won't be there case in this acquisition, so assume 7-12 as good range!

SEs are valued, considered RD payscale, but fat will be cut...

@6jyf+1gTMqgMW That's my main post :)

If you are offered a job and you decline, take a wild guess about whether its volutary or involuntary ;)

No guarantee of a 70% : 24K layoff, even if it were to happen, that's the final end state in 24 months. It depends on how bloated you guys are, just based on your earnings summary, sales and mktng seems wayy too bloated from Broadcom's standard!

@6qce+1gTMqgMW All reqs are approved in Broadcom by one person, take a wild guess ;), - this is not a joke btw!
In my view that's the difference between Broadcom and other companies and that's why we call it that Hock runs a tight ship, he really does...

Palo Alto being Broadcom HQ; that would be a NO. Broadcom want same BU folks under the same roof...

Again, good luck guys, use this time to sharpen your resume / skills, even if you end up not using it and have a job with Broadcom. It doesn't hurt to be prepared, this is a good way to manage anxiety, and get ready for whatever lifr throws at you!

Do you think Palo Alto will be the new HQ for Broadcom? If WFH option might be limited, do you think they'll merge their folks with ours in one campus?

@3rmk+1gTMqgMW BC does not care about Customer Success (Services or Tech Support). All Professional Services at CA were outsourced within the first 6 months to HCL. Tech Support was the least hardest hit at first, but especially in Emea, most TSE's were eventually let go. BC now has Support Centres in countries with low costs where they moved all the positions to (Poland, Malaysia etc).

If you want get ahead of the curve of the people looking for new positions among a looming global recessions, you have to be first out of the gate.

Even whether or not you work for Broadcom at all, thanks for the insights and for encouraging discussion among this group of disheartened VMware employees (me included).

VMware is a fantastic company with a great and welcoming culture, though very inefficient as evidenced by the very high SG&A, caused by lack of discipline, e.g. limited governance in hiring and sourcing, combined with many 'empire builders'. Broadcom knows this and many in the industry know it, too. Whoever purchases VMware knows this and will start trimming all the fat right away.

Anything on Technical Support, @broadcomguy? That's a lot of software in the field that will need support, SMEs, escalation management, a buffer to engineering / R&D (realistically), etc. I figure there'll be some cuts, maybe to lower geos, but what's Hock or Tom's attitude toward domestic vs lower-cost regions, when it comes to support? Especially if it's a 24/7 effort?

At an estimated 70% layoff, that's 24k people entering the labor market. Fortunately, it's still largely an employee's market right now. If support services are kept at all, it will be the less "costly" centers that will be kept, then outsourced. Don't fool yourselves. Prepare. You are not special enough that Broadcom will see you as an asset, no matter what your individual contribution has been.

I will be hanging in until severance is delivered due to my tenure, but ready with several options WHEN the time comes.

@6dzb+1gTMqgMW

I agree with you but it's normal to ask questions, we would all like everyone to stay but we all know that in a takeover...there are always people who unfortunately get fired.

If you're part of the group that gets to stay, but they want you to relocate to somewhere else like the bay area because you're currently remote and you decline, are you still eligible for severance? Or is that considered voluntary termination making you ineligible?

Is really pathetic all the comments like “what about the unit/team X? We are key for XYZ reasons.”

When the real underlying question you have is “what are my chances of saving my a-s? I don’t mind if they reduce 90% of the workforce as long as it’s not me!!”

(Wo)man up and either wait to see if Broadcom thinks that you bring value (according to them) or leave now, but please show some dignity, you don’t need validation from someone else, Broadcom in this case. People mask concerns as if it's a values clash between the companies, but let’s face it, you don’t care as long as you stay.

And this is coming from someone that is 90% sure is going to get the axe.

Hi OP,

I saw a comment last week (cant find it for the life of me) how employees will fall into one of 3 categories R1,R2,R3 and this may determine if/when you are let go.

Can you provide some details on this please?

@4grq+1gTMqgMW you asked about the professinional services... It's the worst situation... At least what happened with CA and Symantec. (I'm an old CA employee)
All the professional services (none were fired) entered in a situation of divest which means that you will be move to another company.
This company for CA and Symantec was HCL Technoligies who created a new division called HCL Enterprise Software without any relation with HCL Techonoligies or HCL Software and If Broadcom is a mess HCL has no words...
It's true that all your salary, bonus and all other benefits will be remained (the only point is if you have a company car it will be transfered to "car allowance").
The worst point is that you cannot reject this offer you will be moved yes or yes.
Currently I don't know if the relationship between HCL/BCRM continues because into the past started to be very bad (reason: no business arriving to HCL).

Around one year ago Broadcom taked the decission to have a again professional services they made an offer to some an employees who still working in HCL but losing your previous benefits although keeping the seniority and having a "good" RSU wellcome package.
For CA site only 5 people came back to cover Europe.

Hope it will not be the same situation for your professional services.

Let's say Broadcom decides to sell of a BU. Would it lay off majority of the employees in the BU (engrs, product managers, product marketing managers) and THEN sell the unit?

Or they will sell the unit with the folks to the new buye?

I know you said you don't know about sales, but what about the Systems Engineers (tech pre-sale) and SE management?
VMware has "core" SEs or generalist and "Specialist SEs that support a BU products / solutions. Is one a better place to be?
What is the Mgr to direct report ratio? VMware is about 10-13 only.

@broadcomguy , What would happen to vulnerability /read team/security architects/security engineers in infosec ?

Is there a difference in severance for different levels Director, Senior Director?

I am interested in knowing what will happen to VMWare professional services. We bring in a lot of revenue, but we are a high margin unit. I know Broadcom doesn’t do PS spin it to HCL division, like they did with VA and Symantec?

VMware software isn’t easy to install, configure and set up without help there is a reason we have so many large clients across the PS silos. And for PS would it matter what will you are aligned too like enterprise, SLED, Healthcare or global. Global tends to bring in the most revenue of the PS teams but it isn’t all of the revenue.

I haven't really seen what will happen to the TAM yet. I guess Broadcom have TAMs too however, VMware TAMs are not like other TAMs (like at Microsoft / Google etc...) they are specialized and technical which is not the case for other TAMs in the other companies

So my question is, what will happen to TAMs with the acquisition of Broadcom?

Knowing that TAMs generate revenue so bring money into the business...that's what Broadcom is looking for and I have no problem with that, but don't tell me that these are Broadcom TAMs who will be able to do it instead of those of VMware...

Customers LOVE VMware TAMs because they are not like other TAMs and are specialists and know VMware products.

By the way...many of my customers are VERY worried about this acquisition for fear of losing the service that the TAMs offer them every day...and have been for many years.

Level 7 = distinguished engineer
Level 8 = fellow engineer

Just use them to map your current level at your company.

Level 6 = senior principal
Level 5 = principal and senior staff
Level 4 = staff
Level 3 = senior engineer

Thank you for doing this, really!

Couple of questions:

1 - how soon are R & D folks eliminated? In my situation I’m a top performer but I’m in a business unit without sticky customers and that’s not making much money. We do have customer contracts though. Specifically I’m wondering about the following:
1a) is broadcom likely to eliminate me on day one of the closure?
1b) Are they likely to wait for current customer contracts to end while they keep critical staff around to keep the product on life support?
1c) Are they likely to consider moving me to a different team?

2. how does level mapping typically work?

I’m wondering about these things specifically:

2a) If I’m a staff at VMware can I be assured I’ll be an ic5 at broadcom?
2b) if I’m a staff 2 at VMware can I be assured to be an ic6 at broadcom?
2c) Is there likely to be down leveling?

3. what part of leadership in R & D tends to survive? Specifically:
4. are our first line managers likely to be there?
5. will Vice Presidents be there?
6. will BU Presidents be there?
7. will directors, sr managers, sr directors be there?
8. what kinds of talks happen between deal acceptance (last Thursday) and deal close. Specifically will there be conversations starting now with our leadership and broadcom leadership to figure out who stays and who leaves. I’m wondering when our management would know and how high up would someone have to be to know about this

Any comments/suggestions about employee based in continental Europe? Given the more "protected" job contracts we have here should we expect an higher severance package? Rumors from the recent layoff from Klarna it was said to be offered a severance package of 6+ months + good notice (2/3months)

@broadcomguy What happens to technical support domain. I believe there are decent number of employees in support across globe. Any idea on support roles or team.

Looks like the consensus here for close date is 9 months. Would that be a fair assumption?

Biz Transformation team, extremely likely all gone! I heard vmw have a huge IT / Biz systems team, you all need to start looking.

Me being Tom K, good one :) based on my few meetings with him when he was CFO, I really liked his approach, look up his age, he is youngest exec.

Petition guy - I can understand the frustration at what has transpired, but petition to Stanford, let's see if it were to work (not gonna) meand Broadcom will move you guys to a much cheaper SJC location close to ridder park, how will that with out :p

As for anti-trust: No foundation whatsoever, but I understand the anger. There are no regulatory approvals hurdle I see. And it will be hard to top off $61B offer, so my unsolicited but genuine advice is to not fight whats happening, accept the reality, assess your individual situation objectively and decide what you want to do... wait and see is not a bad a option for folks who have a lot of experience at vmw and may be eligible for big severance. If you are director/ sr director, typically your company should have negotiated a nicer exit package like 6 or 12 months of severance, you should be able to figure out from HR in short time.

High performing R&D folks, (this include product mgmt as well) if you think your mgmt will keep you on the stay list, you will be beneficiary of this transaction, as Brooadcom REALLY takes care of folks in RD grades.

Prof Services guy: I am not on SW sde of business, and not into weeds, but trying to see if i can get info. Hoping some CA guy can help.

Perks questions: Look up glassdoor, but at a high level 6% matching on 401K from day 1, free health insurance with high deductible plans and they put some money in your HSA as well. You also have low deductible ppo, with higher monthly premiums. Maternal leave, I think its 8 weeks, no paternal leave that I am aware of (doesnt mean there is one) but it really depends on your group dynamics (how strict is your vp/ director) and your immediate mgr. One of my male direct reprt had a baby recently, I told him to take whatever time he needs, and with unlimited vac policy, all it means is that people have to make sure that they to work it with their mgr and ensure coverage, do some emails checking if needed etc, to keep things running, but very much depends on your dept and immediate mgr.

To the person asking abt parental leave, I do think that vmw should have negotiated to keep some key perks/ ploliciex in place for firsr year, so I sure hope you get your generous vmw parental leave, dont be shy to ask HR, but give them a week or two as I am
Sure they are bombared!

Take the weekend to chill, spend time with your loved ones, clear your head, you have absorbed a lot, let your brains rest. You will make better decisions or assesment once you are relaxed, being hyped up or frustrated won't help you, and you do need get clairty now more than ever...

Enjoy your long weekend, I will check on and off...

Strike! Let’s see how they are going to make quota without us!!!

What are they going to do? Pink slip you?!

Who is with me!’?

VMW has a huge, for the most part fairly recently hired, number of people hired to transform the business systems and processes to support VMW moving to a SaaS based model (CDTO). I’m guessing this entire team will be wiped out day one?

Employees and customers should create a change petition to a) Stanford University to cancel lease for the Palo Alto campus b) FTC for antitrust

OP, do you know of a place to find BC benefits? We have excellent benefits at VMW. Any idea of how the unlimited PTO is looked at? Do people take the bare minimum due to culture? What about maternity/paternity leave?

@Broadcomguy what do you think will happen to professional services staff? whilst not developers we do generate revenue and help customers consume products. I don’t know if I should hang around or beat the rush and take up another consulting opportunity. Can’t seem to figure out what bucket we fall into.