Massive reduction in force aligned for June under the code "restructuring". Starting July, company will operate under a completely new model. Won't get it into it here, but huge paring of middle managers (team leaders) and entire functions run under separate teams eliminated. 15 - 20 percent of workforce, to include all levels, VP, directors, IC.
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@15r or they will make employees and managers buy their own apps and subscriptions, just like teachers buying supplies for their teachers. There will be rewards for teams that use 0 company resources.
@zr Shannons s future app is notepad and excel sheet with bunch of freeware. Those who stuck like me here will be useless after 6 months with no app skill, no best practices, no standards.
@zg yeah and Sales out there pitching Titanium X and Aviator AI to the world as the future of work, while we actually running the company on low-cost-ware and hope for the best. Shannon is like the parent that says do as I say not as I do.
@vn And if it's not the older tools that are not up-to-date with what other companies are using, then it's moving to freeware (or low-cost-ware) and hoping for the best. The challenge that presents is answering the question of "why haven't you used in your job?" when interviewing.
@aj The word I'd use for these older managers and directors is "intertia". When my company was assimilated, I was told I'd have to change tools to what they do in this group. I pointed out that the package I used is the market leader, and was built for companies to evolve from their old ways to the new. Nope, I was told, We're an "X" shop. X being the gape jawed, well behind the times safe vendor for big, sluggish, corporations.
They did evolve. To use a very immature product that a BFF of our director runs.
Maybe we’ll just be acquired by Sears and we’ll add our products to the Wish Book that could be faxed to anyone that requests it.
Comes see the softer side of OpenText.
This company is so top heavy.
It'll be nice to see some managers get laid off for once.
@OP the new model will prob include more direct reports to people managers ? There are so many managers in OT with 3-4 reports, the industry has moved to 20 direct reports
@aj We do but - OT as a whole doesn't really hire young people to do something like that. Later gen Z are getting bad labels, and decent gen Z are likely either using this place as a job flip or avoiding it altogether. We (gen z) are WAY more open about how we talk to each other on employers. Full tea times, treat us wrong we'll whistleblow on reddit or 4chan for a Starbucks drink. Between that and a global company needing to support all sorts of countries (not intending a sh*tstorm) more of us are likely to object to joining OT. Same rule for objecting over AI over-reliance. If you can't prove it helps outside of technical roles like ENG - that's also a yikes. So far most companies can't. Or they feel they do and then Claude/AWS memes ensue that tell the press otherwise.
I'd honestly say OT is better off compromising on a younger millennial here. We (OT as a whole) are probably not ready for young young managers. And there we'd have a chance at promoting within without risking pi----g off every ladder-climber we have. Not ready for our honesty.
You want to give me a maybe 5% raise for AI slop, mandated office time, no worklife-balance, and the internal BS you only see when you're big - No thanks, dude. There's a reason we don't care about climbing up. Go grab my dad - he might though.
@OP how do you know this ?
Don't generalize about age. Plenty of seasoned leaders out there that are very progressive. Problem OT has almost none of them
@ad I’m in my 50s and believe that OpenText needs younger management. Our management acts like auto executives from the 80s and 90s. They thought they could convince a younger generation to buy Mercurys and Oldsmobiles by just saying they are different and ran ads showing young people driving them. But the cars weren't really appealing to the younger crowd, and when you went to the showroom or service center, you saw older folks with their Grand Marquis or Cutlass Supremes and realized there were better, newer options.
We need a complete rebranding and investment in R&D to innovate, and we need younger individuals who are naive enough to take risks. Otherwise, this will remain your father’s software company.
@aa I'm old. Grognar level old. And I simply cannot agree with this any more strongly: "Just get rid of all those 50+ people managers, with younger energetic people, who works with ICs as problem solvers."
The old SWMFs are all process > all. Let fresh, engaged leadership who actually give a sh-t about things other than projecting their own self worth take over. Sure, they'll make mistakes, but who the he-l cares, they'll just fix em and move on.
Never worked with 'youngs' (anyone under 30) who liked useless process anymore than me, which is to say not at all. Give em a shot, let em cut the Gordian Knot and see what happens.
He-l, it might work. And if not, at least their will be less process BS to deal with.
Just get rid of all those 50+ people managers, with younger energetic people, who works with ICs as problem solvers.