The 5% Cut Metrics

Ranking will be done for all groups under the director, by the director. Your manager and senior manager will not choose the 5%.
It will not occur at the individual group level. Example: If your team has 10 people in it and all are at or above expectations, the director may pull the 5% from other groups.

5% of each level will be cut (Level 5, 6, 7) and it will be based on a bell curve.

Bell Curve

Seriously under performance x%
Below Expectations y%
Meets Expectations z%
Above Expectations y%
Excellent Performance x%

There's a big metric I can't mention here, but it will be very obvious after the cuts. It will cause morale issues.
Irresponsible speculation: I suspect some groups will be favored over others and the 5% will be taken from groups that are lower in favor with the director. Take this one with a pinch of salt.

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It's working for s&s

@pk9
This post from Jan (by myself) referred to a process that hadn’t played out for most orgs up until now.
Now you will see what I was talking about.
And if you want to see how it went for s&s, follow Reddit. Most are struggling after a year. Now we will see engineering, manufacturing and other areas experiencing the wonders of stacked ranking.
Dog eat dog, race to the bottom.

U replied to a post from January

It would really be nice to know what the matrix is that's used to decide the cuts? Anyone??

The system is designed to keep workers in fear and competition to get more out of people for less cost imo.

Life’s too short to work in that kind of environment. If you make it past this round imo it’s time to take the bonus and look for greener pastures while still employed.

@nr+1jjax50z1
"Stack ranking destroys teamwork."

You make an excellent point! We should all start pointing this out on their miserable surveys. Of course they will either ignore it or come up with some exhausting nonsense to justify stack ranking ("Increased Employee Motivation"/"Improved Overall Performance").
But they will know that it really does destroy teamwork and they will know that WE KNOW. If you think about it, the lack of teamwork is what destroys any project or mission. They are smart; they know this.
Sometimes the horse hockey doesn't fly. We are seeing that now with DEI and ESG.

Stack ranking means you always want other members of your team ranked lower than you.

Most obviously this means not helping anyone else so they look like failures.

No one is going to sacrifice their job to save someone else's job.

Stack ranking destroys teamwork.

Quiet quit.
Don't burn your energy and time in an area where you will not get a good return for your investment. Think exactly like the capitalists.
Just do enough not to get fired and transfer as little knowledge as possible to cheaper folks that might replace you. The folks at the top are too greedy to stop their behavior.

There's some debate on director level vs VP level on Reddit.
https://www.reddit.com/r/GeneralMotors/comments/1ia3g4h/5/

"GM behaviors": They tell you how to think and behave while the treat of being fired looms over you. But then they want you to be bold and think about the customer.
I'm over it and I hope everyone reading this is too. If they keep it up, they won't have a company. You can't demoralize the very people you rely on to design and build your products.

Do you know how to beat them at their own game? Stop caring. They have shown that they could give a rat's behind about you. Reciprocate. That means dial it in but play the game. F these people. DONT GIVE IN TO THE FEAR. Walk in like you own the place and smile.
When I grew up my dream was to work at GM. Look at what it's become. It's a darn shame.

How TF does does a boss 2 levels up make a rank and criticality decision if he doesn’t work with you day to day and may not even know you? Your overall grading has bubbled up from a lower level…bet your career on it.

Sorry if this is harsh but I think there is a hunger for honesty in the zeitgeist…. Anyone that thinks now is a good time to take a bunch of time off, paid or not, is in serious need of some mentoring.

Not sure what PFL acronym is for. Family Leave? If so, I think anyone taking that is asking for it in this climate. Especially if you just started in a new group.
Either way, the new manager sacrificed you to spare the people in his group that he new and trusted.
To anyone reading this: Do not take any long vacations, leave of absence (medical, family or other), call in for any reason (even just to WFH T-TH), come in late & leave early, refuse new work, COMPLAIN, and most of all, transfer to a different group in this climate. If this is all to much for you, the auto industry and/or manufacturing is not the place for you. It's been like since the dawn of the Ford assembly line. Sorry. But please take my advice.
It might be obvious to some of us Gen Xers and those boomers that won't quit (LOL) but the millennial and Zs probably only heard about how tight things get when the economy hits the skids.

I was supposed to start my PFL in 2 weeks time. Started in this new team 4 months ago. And never received any official feedback on year-end review from EGM.

Today I was let go. They didn't even tell how I failed to meet the requirements.

Important decisions are best made by people most ignorant of the situation.

I definitely haven't met my VP.

Your director probably doesn't know you or anything about you.

I've never met my director.

They might know your boss.

If the director doesn't like your boss or your boss is weak and won't fight for his people, your group is going to get hit harder.

@a8+1jjax50z1

Yeah I don’t disagree it will be decided by someone other than your boss. That’s happened in the past too.

HR is trying to make this sound very objective but imo it always has and will be subjective. This stacked ranking is a coverup for getting rid of high cost, older or less liked employees. Has always worked that way.

You are probably right that trust and morale will take a hit. Imo this stacked ranking has already hurt those areas. I’m part of the WOC committees and the comments reflect that.

It wouldn’t surprise me if the lvl 8 staff engineers on the IT side get included.

They are a ton of fat GM has been talking about cutting, especially the ones exceeding expectations.

From what I heard in a meeting, they are fair game for the bell curve.

That idea gives the senior manager and manager cover.
Also it isolates the real reason why some folks were let go.

For example, if the company wanted to discriminate against hairy people,
they can do so and only a few people on the top would know.
All they are doing are passing names down to the managers below.

Rumor is HR has time blocked off with directors for tomorrow/ Monday.. cuts may be starting tomorrow.

What is the definition of engaged in this setting?

@a6+1jjax50z1
Can't divulge my sources. Sorry. Maybe it's different in some orgs?
The takeaway IMO regardless of whether it's groups under VP or director:

It's decided by someone who doesn't work with you from day to day.
The methodology used to decide is ambiguous as we will see demonstrated.
The impact that follows the decisions will cause irreparable trust issues and low morale.

How engaged are you? ;)

Not sure what function you work in but we were told the ranking will be by level (as you said) but all people at those levels under our VP, not Director. This was from our Manager and Director. Where did you hear the ranking would be by the Director?

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The 5% Cut Metrics

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