I know myself, and not knowing why I was laid off would really mess me up. I'm okay with being let go as long as there's a good reason for it and I know what it is so I can work on improving it. Or at least knowing for sure that it was nothing related to me and my work. Call me silly, but I was never laid off before and this is my biggest worry.
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I've heard of people who work at Broadcom who have been laid off and rehired multiple times. It's quite a lean operation they run from what I gather and the culling takes place at regular intervals.
An educated guess - decisions are made by Bain and Broadcom HR based on justifiable data etc. Not sure if there is VMW leadership input. Bain is there for the ideal structure recommendations and HR there to ensure EVERY layoff can be justified so the person does not sue. Will they give a specific reason? I don’t know. My guess is “role redundant” or “role eliminated.”
The tough fact is this - VMware treated you like a person and Broadcom will treat you like a number. It’s just a different way of handling people. Unfortunately, it’s two extremes going from sensitive VMware to ruthless Broadcom. I think it’s better to meet both of the approaches halfway but we signed up for the corp world and this was the risk. It’s Broadcom’s way and that’s it. The acquisition was sold to shareholders on achieving 8.5B in EBIDTA within 3 years. Raising prices, cutting large numbers of people and pairing down real estate is how that is done. Broadcom doesn’t care about VMware’s overly soft culture.
Ask other 250K people who have been laid off this year in other tech companies. No one got a reason and bullet points on what they need to improve upon. And I seriously hope you are in either Product Eng, Sales or CS where there is uncertainty about how many will be cut. If you are in Ops and asking for a reason then you are out of your mind. Everyone in Ops knows why they will be laid off.
The real reason people quit is typically the same, it's a bad direct manager.
This is also the reason why everyone has skip-level meetings. Even if they're just every quarter. That is supposed to be where you bring those issues up.
A reason? Seriously? This is tech and a reminder for everyone to understand the business startegy. If you are not in a role that supports the corporate priorities - look up, out and around for how your skills fit the direction. This will not be known on day one of BC/VMW. But is know. For VMW in multi cloud. Use your fear to mobilize and align
"Have you ever talked to someone at a company purchased by Broadcom?"
... of course they have. Half of the readers on this thread are us people at Broadcom. We're sitting here munching on popcorn and trying to see what this year's draft is going to give us.
The real reason people quit is typically the same, it's a bad direct manager.
These toxic managers would never select "I'm the reason" in the Workday exit poll.
"Everyone in engineering does pretty much what we did before."
Unfortunately, that typically does not happen in sales and marketing roles.
I have a question for the person who last replied. Have you ever talked to someone at a company purchased by Broadcom?
Here's my experience. Everyone in engineering does pretty much what we did before. The culture didn't change, at all. The CEO does want people in the office, but that's okay by me. I like working face to face with my co-workers.
Bottom line. It was an easy transition.
your employment at VMW is over
AVGO might decide to give you an offer to work for them
that's how this is happening
Person below is apparently not a manager and is completely wrong.
You cannot terminate someone in WorkDay without selecting reasons why. It's been years since I've had someone quit and had to use, but there were options for better benefits, pay, WLB. Better job, more productive work, etc. All the things you can complain about are on there. This information is fed up in your leadership and is reviewed. For many employees there is also an exit interview performed by HR to better document this.
That doesn't fit into this overall thread, but does dispel the myth that the company doesn't care. The Board of Directors don't care, but people inside the company do care.
If you quit, they don’t ask for a reason.
Let that sink in.
This is a business transaction, it is not personal.
Don’t get personally attached to companies unless you are the founder.
Please don't do this to yourself. As one who's been in this biz for 3 decades, and who's gone through 5 or 6 layoffs in my IT career, you're almost certainly not going to be told the "why" that resulted in you being on the RIF list. And at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter when it's a mass layoff event. If it happens that you are let go, take a day or two to go through the inevitable emotions, and then focus on what comes next. Put your efforts into getting to the next adventure in your career and be open to what comes. In most of these big layoffs, you just happened to be in a team, group, or part of the business that was designated as redundant or requiring headcount reduction. That's it, and that's all. A lot of times not even your direct manager or even skip level managers may have any say or previous knowledge in who is chosen and why.
just cut me already! do it! tired of waiting!
Don't take it personally.
Because it's not personal.
Simple really.
change is always for good , it will be blessing in disguse for many !!
I think right now the most important thing to remember is for those that get laid off; it's not personal. This is business, plain and simple. If there's a headcount that needs to be met/maintained, if there's only so much budget the division is given etc. It's not your fault. Try not to beat yourself up over it. I know that's easier to say then do. Personally, I have to frame it in my own mind that way or I'll go nuts. Best of luck to everyone!
You have bigger problems than being laid off.
Why do this to yourself? Don’t overthink it.
Broadcom is flipping houses. That’s all they’re doing.
They are buying aging technology companies with solid revenue streams, gutting them and squeezing out MUCH higher profit margins.
At Broadcom your “work” is merely an inconvenient expense that, if possible, they would prefer to eliminate to further increase margins. At Broadcom there is no sense of work innovation, excitement, enthusiasm, fun, collaboration, culture, connection or team building. It’s like working for financial robots. If you get a stay offer you’ll become a zombified version of your former VMware-self going through the motions of each quarter to receive your stock vestings and all you’ll hear people talking about is their yearly bonus.
If you get laid off the likely reason will be simply to reduce headcount.