It seems pretty quite here at SP and I am not hearing anything about the layoffs. Is it the sign that something big is coming soon? I always wanted to sell home and move to west. But the job market is not looking good these days and finding something within southern tier seems very tough if let go by Corning. Do I need to worry at all given the fact that there is no headwinds at the moment?
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First and most important - the corporate population is STILL DECREASING! Numbers under WW are down ~200 from this time last week.
It is nice seeing ~200+ global job openings, better than zero ... but the 'bump' is mostly interns. For the US there are 125 and 30+ of those are interns.
"given approval to increase headcount by 1 (new position)....
person is coming from one of the more at-risk groups in the company."
This is key - I know some divisions being given permission to hire up to 10 people as 'new positions' ... but every single one of them is coming as an INTERNAL transfer. Which means that to the corporation it is 'headcount neutral'.
I've seen some cases where there is a person moving to another role (or retire) and someone ready to backfill - but the offer and move process is very slow because even transitional headcount adds are being scrutinized very heavily.
I know there are still contractors around, but most are gone ... and given that the overall population continues to shrink, I think we still have a couple of quarters before we'll see TRUE growth. Which only echoes what we keep hearing from leadership.
I can't say anything about the FT employees (ML/Simulation related) that were let go. The situation with contractors depends on their specific projects/performance/need. It's a common misconception that all the contractors are the first to go. That is definitely not the case. We have several blue-badges that "out survived" white badges in the big cuts earlier this year. They were on key projects and we need them. They have skills/expertise that we can't fill with our FT's. You cut that contractor and you might as well just ki-l the entire project. Over the past few weeks I was in several 4Q/year-end divisional meetings (mainly in COC, OCS/OFC) and the execs really do believe that things will turn in 2Q2024 and they are already talking of acquiring talent. This would hopefully benefit ML/simulation people as well as less fortunate contractors and FT. I hope they are right, but it's getting hard to have confidence in their judgement. Let's face it, their "vision" put us in this mess.
@Disco_Duck -> How is the situation with the contractors? Any chance Corning starts calling back the contractors from R&D? Any chance for the FT employees (ML/Simulation related) they were let go?
Yes, I have also noticed an increase in the number of postings over the past 2 weeks. Our group has been given approval to increase headcount by 1 (new position). The selected person is coming from one of the more at-risk groups in the company. Also, we are now 2 weeks out from Thanksgiving and the mass layoffs have not materialized.
Folks,
Some comments on thread are negative, some are positive, so no one knows what will happen in future. But, just based on the number of openings in career page, it looks like we are doing good at the moment.
Hearing same, no more cuts till new year. I believe management recognizes employees are pi---d. These cuts are going on too long and are continuous all the while executive management, who made the bad business decisions, remain untouched. You hear nothing from company executives. Amazed how detached executives are with regard to employee morale and communication.
We should be safe for the rest of the year, as leaders promised no more cuts in 2023
big cuts coming brace for impact
"Any news?"
Same - I keep hearing things like "we've achieved good balance" and "nothing until new year" and "only small targeted cuts in specific facilities" and "next cuts will target Director and higher levels".
Some of the things are contradictory, others make sense ... like Disco Duck says, just keep your head down and try to survive the next round, because no one is predicting things to be better until at least the middle of next year!
Any news?
...and another thing. I agree that Corning is boated at the top. Too many directors with no reports. Too many "soft" positions that don't produce anything. Disco Duck is way down there at the bottom of the totem pole....just trying to survive the next round when it hits.
Even with a >50% cut, the top producers will survive. Case in point: none of the Fellows ever get laid off. I admit that there is considerable narcissism Corning, and those who can play that card will be guaranteed a job. Disco Duck can't play that, so my survivability rests on my own capabilities and output.
Disco Duck is not a "toxic boss". Disco Duck's comments come from the fact that it is now very difficult to fire someone based on mediocre performance. Even with a good paper trail, there’s always risk. Secondly, no matter how you do it or what you say, firing someone is tough & ugly. Though not easy, it’s a lot easier to lay someone off: “I’m sorry, we greatly appreciate your contribution to the company, but as you are aware business stinks, and I am afraid we need to let you go….quack…quack…quack…let’s stay in touch”. You can blame Wendall, you can blame the Chinese. All staff managers have a “bottom 10-20%” that are just barely doing their job…but they’re not bad enough to fire them. Even in huge mass layoffs, managers/directors will fight to keep their top 50%...40%...or even 10% at the cost of the remainder of their staff. That’s how top performers tend to survive mass layoffs.
Disco Duck is in R&D and realizes that things are different in a union or plant situation. If your making vials in Big Flats the situation might be hopeless, otherwise, having a track record of excellent performance will keep you on the payroll.
"I am immune to the targeted cuts as my performance is excellent"
In the context of this year 'targeted' doesn't mean 'performance specific' but rather 'business/location specific'. So there are some locations hiring while others have layoffs (not for the same roles), and other groups that are overall reducing significantly are full of solid performers but the division itself is in the cr-pper.
Reality is unlike the cynical 'reeks toxic boss' comment from Disco Duck, by the time you've fired ~20% of the company comprised entirely of people who did the work (no managers and above), either you have trimmed whatever you consider 'fat' or you need to say that as a whole the corporation is incompetent.
Sure back in 2020 when there were layoffs after a surge there was some elimination of people who were never good fits, and the same a year ago after the 2021 surge. But now? Nope.
Folks, any news about the cuts? The total number of openings from the career page keeps dropping daily and I am just afraid. I am immune to the targeted cuts as my performance is excellent but afraid about the mass cuts.
I am hearing about some targeted cuts, which can be a good thing. It gives the company a chance to clear out some dead wood and then hire more energetic people when things turn around next year. The pandemic created a mindset among some that they can work a bare minimum and stay home on Fridays (work from home farce). That mentality needs to stop. Maybe some layoffs will scare these people into working harder.
"which business is doing well"
CPT essentially has no customers, Life Sciences in general has poorly handled the post-pandemic reality. CoC as others have said are continuing layoffs. CDT closed plants. I've heard CET is doing pretty well, but I've heard that is in the context of the downsized version from a couple of years ago. AO is doing better than others, but profits are a challenge so they are cost-constrained (and small) and dealing with a slowdown now.
So ... basically no one.
"absorb internal talent these days"
Last year MTE/S&T absorbed a bunch of people from divisions downsizing. And have subsequently cut close to 20% of staff.
So basically NO ONE is going to easily absorb staff. Except that I heard GG got permission for ~12 'to be defined' openings.
Certainly not COC....it's not good over here. I don't think COC would be able to absorb a significant number of people.
Maybe a generic question, which business is doing well and has the potential to grow and absorb internal talent these days? I guess not CDT or CPT, wondering how COC CET, or AGS are doing.
"Any news about the timing?"
I am getting rumors of pretty much everything - from:
- The 'slow drip' layoffs will continue (there were some late last week in COC manufacturing non-US)
- Nothing until the new year
- Massive company wide after Thanksgiving
- Targeted by division between Thanksgiving and end of year - but larger than 'slow drip'
Also, this month we've seen at least 6 people moved into director roles that made very little sense (no reports, replacing a manager but getting a director title, etc) ... all of which points to another rumor that managers will be impacted this time (but VP/directors will be safe as usual).
Another recurring rumor is that leadership is finally accepting that the MAP concept was a failure - trying to find cost savings by merging operations of disparate businesses has ended up directly hurting several businesses. Will be interesting to see!
I did not hear anything about "Deep cuts 20-30% after Thanksgiving, specified R&D" from my director (in R&D). I heard that there might be a few small, targeted cuts between now and 2Q2024, but no mass layoffs are planned. Also, deep cuts 20-30% after Thanksgiving would contradict the words coming down from VP's. I am not saying that it won't happen, but be aware that there are some people who like to start these rumors for the same reasons that arsonists like to start fires...
Any news about the timing?
Hearing same thing, BIG cuts coming. Overall 25% or so.
I just ran into a colleague & the same theme was repeated. Deep cuts 20-30% after Thanksgiving, specified R&D.
Colleague had no knowledge of this blog but verbatim repeated that 50+ Directors & VPs have zero direct reports.
Things are not looking good.
Hearing same thing, BIG cuts coming. Overall 25% or so.
Any news about the modeling group (either from MTE side or S&T side)?
"Heard through the rumor mill deep cuts after Thanksgiving. No confirmation on what locations, divisions, company or union."
Agreed - at least in a few divisions there are prep-moves happening that aren't publicly advertised yet. And others have 'musical chairs' where in one case there was a need too cut 25 positions and only 10 people had moves secured internally ... so the rest have to try to scramble to find positions before the music stops as it were.
Attrition has been high, especially among younger people outside of the Valley. In an engineering 'town hall' at one place a leader was asked by a young engineer about this and after assurances of raises next year the retort was "how do we know you won't just yank them at midnight the day before like last year" and there was not much of a reply.
Heard through the rumor mill deep cuts after Thanksgiving. No confirmation on what locations, divisions, company or union.
Any news on when these job cuts are coming? Not hearing good things.
Corning has laid off ~18% of workforce in last year ... I think we're all a bit desensitized. We've had VP's declare "no more RIFs until new year" and then do 'stealth' layoffs within a couple of weeks (COC) on top of additional public layoffs.
We all know more layoffs are coming (not for directors or above of course, we'll just have more with Zero reports!), it is just hard to get worked up about it at this point.
You mean quiet?
Job market is bit hard, and most companies are preparing for downturn. Do not worry, start interview for positions you like to be ready to jump the ship