Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

CSO Charlotte NC

Took a new role in CSO based in Charlotte. Anyone here work in CSO? How is that part of the org? Anyone in Charlotte? My understanding is it’s a CSO hub (or rather is becoming one). I understand lots of things are changing, and there’s a lot of frustration around RTO but other than that trying to get a feel for the CSO area.


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| 1631 views | | 21 replies (last October 16) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1k7d635h5

21 replies (most recent on top)

@r9
There are title promotions from time to time but not level. Big difference. A director is level 3. Staff is lower with multiple titles. Level 3 and above start getting special compensation perks. T used to have a somewhat bad technical ladder where you could progress to level 3 and higher without being a director (manager w/o reports) but pretty much you'll cap out pretty quickly now in your journey (Stank doesn't call it a career anymore as I guess he expects you to leave). Probably went in their effort to increase the number of direct reports (span and control) as a smart tech person wouldn't have any so they eliminated it.

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Post ID: @sh+1k7d635h5

@pc
Level 3 non manager = a director level who has no direct reports. Basically a person of technical achievements. CSO under baich thinks only people who read reports and have people assigned to them deserve promotions. Not the ones smart enough to write them. Another reason why there's no motivation. No chance for promotions anymore if you don't want to be a manager

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Post ID: @r9+1k7d635h5

What exactly is a “level 3 non manager”??

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Post ID: @pc+1k7d635h5

as well as high performing employees in the org.

True if you believe level 3 non managers are the high performers. They said there were too many and asked for demotions or be let go.

(Not) surprisingly though, they recently hired a level 3 non manager old pal of baich and his gang who lives in Arkansas, yes Arkansas, not even a hub of any kind. Not colacated with any manager. Just by his lonesome in arkansas. Chew on that anyone asked to relocate or lose his job

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Post ID: @kt+1k7d635h5

financial center of the south

And your point? Att never cared about any hub presence in any financial center. The reality is simply that baich and all his stooges are from Charlotte. As others have pointed out, the rules of consolidation don't apply to them or their families.... just the worker bees who get terminated for not moving to a REAL hub.

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Post ID: @ks+1k7d635h5

I believe it was just last week in the local news about a major telecom company named AT&T leasing almost 200.000 ft.² of office space in Charlotte. Charlotte is the financial center of the south so makes sense to have some sort of presence here if they want market penetration. Right now it’s Spectrum in the lead with several Clecs and Ilecs expanding while AT&T is trying to dig in as Google fiber is rapidly deploying infrastructure in the area as well. The multi tenant housing bo-m is happening in the area and every provider is fighting to cut a deal so sellers have opportunities to cash in.

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Post ID: @jh+1k7d635h5

“there was an intentional effort to remove - force retire or surplus - the prior CSO leadership team as well as high performing employees in the org.”

Not in CSO, but I heard the first part of that. However, I thought it was relegated to “leadership” & not worker bees.

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Post ID: @hw+1k7d635h5

Maybe you’re a proud member of Rich’s regime in which case you may be ok but know that there was an intentional effort to remove - force retire or surplus - the prior CSO leadership team as well as high performing employees in the org. And I can tell you the current leadership does not have the bare minimum in terms of education, experience, or skillset - not for an enterprise security practice like T’s. Go take a look at the background of your higher ups in LinkedIn and you’ll see why they ousted the talented CSO team members who were behind security innovation and had a clue how to secure telecom services. I mean you can’t very well supervise ppl who have talent and credentials and actual experience so Rich brought in his stooge crew. Good luck. Results can be seen in regular breaches that never happened before Baich came in. More to come.

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Post ID: @hh+1k7d635h5

You didn't say what you are doing but the reality is that they will track everything-- code written, tickets processed, courses taken-- and compare your results to your peers and to your previous month's. Results are pure numbers which won't reflect difficulty or anything novel you did. Strive for average as if you do too much, future comparisons will be bad. Just do enough that you aren't the worst. They will assign more training than you can do so don't fall for the trap of doing it all or they'll say you are spending too much time on training and not your job. Be expected to know what you did every week as it will be in some report if not multiple.

Thats the culture of cso that you should expect.

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Post ID: @h8+1k7d635h5

Don't forget that you can count on being asked a stupid question by an AVP who thinks asking a question is a sign of intelligence.

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Post ID: @f2+1k7d635h5

but does anyone legit work in this org and can speak to culture, day to day experience, etc

Count on doing everything you can in the time given and then be belittled by someone who doesn't even understand what you did as to why you didn't do more. Count on being told that if you don't do more that they'll find someone else who will. Count on being told they want you to interview someone in india.

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Post ID: @f0+1k7d635h5

@az just curious do you work in CSO? I get that su-ks I do and not trying to sugar coat it but also trying to separate that to what the experience in Charlotte might be in this org.

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Post ID: @dt+1k7d635h5

OP here

I get this is a layoff site, and I get that it's not rainbows and sunshine but does anyone legit work in this org and can speak to culture, day to day experience, etc.?

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Post ID: @ds+1k7d635h5

“Charlotte is a perfect summary of how you can't believe a word they say.”

D@mn straight!

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Post ID: @d8+1k7d635h5

And why was Baich hired? Not such a standout you know. His response to a loss of customer data in the cloud was to lock down engineering laptops. But he is such a catch that he gets to make liars out of the rest of the Csuite.

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Post ID: @d2+1k7d635h5

It’s another one of this telecoms lies . You know, we are built on integrity and all the other p-e on my leg and say it’s just rain words. That is the culture they speak so highly of they built. One lie after another. I know one manager who tried to walk away and his director talked him into staying and on paper posted him in this new made up hub where he could check in once a month while he laid off other techs in his org due to their age. Lie after lie after lie.

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Post ID: @c6+1k7d635h5

I guess you didn't do your homework when you took a job in CSO.

Good thing you have a recent resume cause you'll need it.

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Post ID: @by+1k7d635h5

The CISO's primary home is there, no real business reason. Rules for thee not for me. Dozens of CSO employees were forced to move to designated hubs, be terminated or forced to retire. Might want to rethink your choice. It's far from the quality organization it once was.

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Post ID: @az+1k7d635h5

CSO?
Customer Service & Operations?
Chief Security Office??

So tired of acronyms

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Post ID: @ay+1k7d635h5

Charlotte summarizes how att is a piece of sh@t.

While people are being fired for refusing to move to a hub with the "we have too many locations" execuse, they turn an invent a new hub. Then when they "claim" employees need to be colocated with their managers, they say all new hires will be in Charlotte even if their managers aren't there.

Charlotte is a perfect summary of how you can't believe a word they say.

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Post ID: @aq+1k7d635h5

It's an invented hub because baich and all the reports he brought over from his ex companies wells Fargo and AIG want to move back there.

Am guessing you came from one or the other because besides India, that's the only companies they seem to hire from anymore. They claim they want new blood but it seems they just get more people that only understand financial regulations and have no concept of protecting a network

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Post ID: @ag+1k7d635h5

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