Cengage morale is in the tank, the inequality and favoritism among the ranks is palpable, and people are tired of the gaslighting. So, with that, what are the odds BE loses their job as the first of a few scapegoats?
Personally, I hope BE is fired tomorrow.
Greetings,
It is essential for employees to feel valued and have a voice. Cengage has a culture of disruption and rewards those who look at the challenges we face in the marketplace and ask why. From the highest-paid C-suite employee to the newly hired intern, each team member has the right and responsibility to propose new solutions to problems.
We are living in a time of global unrest, and the entire ed-tech industry is under attack by a rouge administration that is at odds with our core mission—to redefine how people learn. Thankfully, the steadfast leadership of management is prepared to navigate these challenges successfully.
It would be retar*** to think that there will not be some pain points as we better align our employees to meet our business needs, but let me be clear, the core business is strong!
Cengage has been on the bleeding edge of the ed-tech vertical since it first defined it, shaking loose the shackles of a traditional publishing concern. Initiatives like Cengage Unlimited and Project Horizon are seen as shining beacons of success throughout the industry while our competition struggles to keep up with the blitzkrieg of success and change!
Lastly, Cengage has been recognized by Glassdoor for the past five years as a best place to work.
The Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award is based solely on the input of current and former employees who voluntarily provide anonymous feedback by completing a company review about their job, work environment and employer on Glassdoor.
Full Stop!
Barb?
Well we are finally fu---d with these tariffs.
Da faq are u talking about? Who is BE? Can someone explain? It sounds like something happened in the office…
I don't know who BE is, but it's naive to think anyone in leadership would be held accountable for low morale among the rank-and-file employees. That's not an organizational priority for this company at this time.
What IS a priority is to reduce internal expenditures by shipping formerly on-shore roles off-shore where labor is much cheaper and more compliant. You can guarantee that leadership has accepted that a natural consequence of this course of action is low morale amongst the remaining on-shore employees. In their eyes, that's not a problem that should or will be addressed, it's a natural effect of their success, and one that they will only have to endure for a short period of time until the same offshoring work can be completed with other teams and the dissenters re-org'd out.
In any relationship, friend-friend, lover-to lover, or employer-employee, it's really important be aware of where you rank in the other's person (or, in this case, organization's priorities). Expecting to be #1 all the time is unrealistic. Even in marriage or a long-term partnership most of us accept #2 or #3 at various times for various reasons (needs of children, aging parents, career growth opportunities, etc) but if you are no longer seem to be ranking at all, and can't make any headway in changing that even when your partner is made VERY aware of it--that's a good sign you're in an unhealthy relationship. At this point, it's clear that Cengage is no longer prioritizing employee satisfaction at all, and it's also VERY clear that leadership doesn't care and isn't focused on improving it.
Given this, employees have two courses of action 1) find another job (which is not easy right now, as the market is quite challenging) or 2) disengage, dial it in, and hold on long enough to get a severance package when it's your turn to get re'org'd out.
Which is the right course of action is up to each individual employee. But if your choice is #2, hear me when I say: don't waste your energy screaming protests into the void or lay your hopes on an organizational about-face that is not coming. Treat the job just as transactionally as your employer is treating you.
Plan for your next steps on company time. Get your resume and cover letter ready. Research where you might want to work and network network network. Then, when the day comes that you are scheduled for your last-minute riffing call with HR, smile and thank them for the opportunity, and sign for your severance package. Next, file for unemployment (which your employer also has to pay for, so collect every dime you can) and move on to your next chapter.
No one gets a divorce for fun, but if you adopt the right mindset, you will find a way to relish the liberation that comes with it and embrace your next chapter.