During my extensive tenure as a m1 or higher at Oracle, I consistently strived to uphold ethical standards. However, this proved challenging, particularly within the context of company acquisitions. The organization exhibited an excessive top-heavy structure, replete with numerous VPs, especially within the accounting and engineering departments. This structure led to a lack of a unified vision, with shifting goals being the norm.
In alignment with company guidelines, I made efforts to recognize and reward deserving employees based on their contributions, without favoring personal connections. Unfortunately, meetings often proved unproductive, featuring repetitive discussions and seldom addressing action items. Over the course of my career, I observed numerous projects that failed to reach the market. This was not due to shortcomings in engineering or project management but rather the recurring question of the purpose behind these projects, to which I rarely received a satisfactory answer.
Moreover, I noticed a trend that unless one held a senior VP position, long-term job security at Oracle was precarious. This has led me to strongly believe that Oracle could potentially reduce its workforce by 30% across the board without significantly altering its operations. The company's focus on profitability is evident through its relentless pursuit of new technologies with established customer bases to replace older products. They are good at this.
Change remains unlikely, and the cycle of layoffs will persist as it does every quarter. Over time, the inevitability of this will become apparent.
I take pride in having assisted numerous employees in advancing their careers and providing opportunities to learn new technologies if they expressed interest. I harbor no regrets in this regard.