Thread regarding Seagate Technology Inc. layoffs

Seagate needs to change

  • mandatory pay cut back pay - The technical leaders who pulled the company through one of its worst financial situations in company history has not only been not compensated for that monumental effort, but has LOST money (pay cut).
  • high skill/low will (https://workforcegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/FA-linkedin-07-01-2022.jpg) - because of this lack of acknowledgement of long hours during a hyper stressful time, high performers are actively doing as little as possible, knowing based on past experience that there's no real advantage to doing that extra effort, the thing that actually makes Seagate great and successful.
  • P1-P3 rewarded - Many P1-P3 staff have been given promotions & financial rewards, many of whom weren’t even around when times were tough
  • Staffing levels - staffing is so low now that Engineering Director level staff are doing technical work, and micromanaging to “get work done”, further contributing to high skill/low will problem.
  • Vision - Seagate lacks vision. The message is always the same, Mosaic will outperform our competition, yet (https://blocksandfiles.com/2024/10/15/western-digital-shingled-epmr-32tb/)
  • Management thinks they can get away with anything - With now another downturn/recession looming in the near future, management thinks they can abuse and neglect engineers with no consequence. Complacency, lack of vision, inability to actually build and ENABLE a team, all promoted traits in current Seagate management.
  • Not paying vendors - Regular cases where Seagate Finance simply doesn’t pay for services rendered, at which point vendors cut off services (DigiKey).
  • Poor financial decisions at the top - Fines, bad investments, poor planning.
  • Seagate HR - Either no real ability to do so, or lack of interest, in actually taking feedback about work culture to enable change. Hyperfocus on P1-P3 and obsession over interns as if they, and they alone, will save the company.
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| 2941 views | | 29 replies (last November 9, 2024) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1v9jUOYy

29 replies (most recent on top)

9jUOYy. respect that you've been there; hope you enjoyed brew at Leinie Lodge

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Post ID: @gfpn+1v9jUOYy

change requires recognition and action, don't expect either

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Post ID: @gbmb+1v9jUOYy

@ekdz - I've been there a few times, the last a few years ago. I don't ask workers about their employment status so I wouldn't know regardless. I was reporting what I read in the news.

But you make good points. You also added the strike last year and no doubt that made decisions easier for Molson.

My overall point remains that the union has no leverage with Seagate. They campaigned for several weeks outside NRM, right in the middle of layoffs so that wasn't very bright. Unionizing Ireland might backfire with that new building at NRM. In fact, the very presence of that building will diminish any chance of a strike.

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Post ID: @fiyi+1v9jUOYy

@eigi+1v9jUOYy

odds are you've not been to Chippewa Falls because unions at the plant prior to 2023; however, in '23 about 40 employees (represented by a particular union) of the 120 +/- total employees went on strike; moreover, production of the brand declined by 45% from it's 2015 peak, so multiple factors in play.

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Post ID: @ekdz+1v9jUOYy

Speaking of unions. Just this afternoon Molson-Coors announced the closing of their Linenkugels factory in Chippewa Falls (the original flagship location) and consolidating production at another location. The Chippewa Falls factory had just voted in a union late 2023. Coincidence? I doubt that.

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Post ID: @eigi+1v9jUOYy

while thought out points, but stockholder dividend is what matters

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Post ID: @dtqj+1v9jUOYy

@bkjj - You should know how this works by now.

  1. You'll spend years working to get a union in house.
  2. Eventually you may get lucky, get everyone a raise and you pretend to rule the company with your iron fist.
  3. STX will move the whole factory to another location, or......
  4. Layoff staff and switch to contractors.

You literally have no leverage with this company. Good luck.

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Post ID: @cxqb+1v9jUOYy

Unionise!!! You will have someone fighting your corner.

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Post ID: @bkjj+1v9jUOYy

So to do this cutting edge work..we need phd’s from Stanford/Hardvard

Grow up intellectuals

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Post ID: @aqts+1v9jUOYy

“…obsession over interns as if they, and they alone, will save the company.” - more like it’s what we can afford because of little to no FT headcount. Intern are basically seasonal workers who don’t get hired on afterwards anyway. P1-3 focus is cheap labour. You get what you pay for.

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Post ID: @azyu+1v9jUOYy

Seagate shouldn't leave someone who is in P3 level for 10+ years. It is unethical.

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Post ID: @5ntn+1v9jUOYy

an industry past its prime, so good luck with a return to greatness

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Post ID: @5uqu+1v9jUOYy

Instead of whining and complaining maybe you should get back to work and focus to make STX great again... sacrifice for the company is crucial for the survival of any company

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Post ID: @5sbk+1v9jUOYy

HAMR GPU’s, designed in LCO

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Post ID: @4xfz+1v9jUOYy

@4yzi+1v9jUOYy we in the GPU business now too

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Post ID: @4wwi+1v9jUOYy

1 trillion to be spend on AI infrastructure. Seagate to get bulk of it. Data is king

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Post ID: @4yzi+1v9jUOYy

Post is spot on. But at least the healing is in progress now, with all the reward trips and WWSMs and exec sitings on site

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Post ID: @4fqr+1v9jUOYy

Why does some crybaby always have to complain about mean people at LCO? Just grow up already.

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Post ID: @3vai+1v9jUOYy

Dude. This post is spot on. Would have responded sooner but busy doing yet another 8D for management.

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Post ID: @3orn+1v9jUOYy

The most arrogant people in SW Longmont wrk at Seagate

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Post ID: @3cfr+1v9jUOYy

Its not Seagate that should change, the change should be in the attitude of people
Till the time people think they are the FANG company of Longmont, even GOD can’t help

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Post ID: @2lqy+1v9jUOYy

when will HAMR adoption scale

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Post ID: @2hgk+1v9jUOYy

They are "doing great" by virtue of 10 platter PMR drives that were designed and qualified by experienced staff years ago. The jury is still out on the new kids.

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Post ID: @1lkk+1v9jUOYy

If all the talented are left., who are the ones working. Company seems to be doing great. Aren’t existing ones the more talented?

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Post ID: @1gpq+1v9jUOYy

If anyone here believes the company cares, I have a two headed goat I'll gladly sell you.

This company was taken over by activist shareholders. Dave caters to them, not to you.

Increasing the dividend, while still going through the "healing process", is all you need to know. They are already saying the quiet part out loud, "sc--w your bonus."

They effectively gutted the company of not only talent (the more senior were first out the door during these layoffs), but also gutted infrastructure. Documentation and quality systems are gutted to almost nothing. You will be seeing the impact of this on future Backblaze reliability reports when STX failure rates start shooting up.

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Post ID: @cdl+1v9jUOYy

fruitless waiting on a reversal of fortunates

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Post ID: @njh+1v9jUOYy

The not paying vendors is the most embarrassing one, abusing them to provide financial services.... Glad H and other said f you and f your dividend even more.

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Post ID: @vso+1v9jUOYy

Great summary and I agree. I quiet quit already compared to the prior effort I used to give. There is no significant compensation delta. Remember we had pay theft still going on in early 2024. Now instead of coming back to make things right they just increased the dividend and made it almost impossible to ever get a decent bonus again. Other professionals I speak with also say their comp ratio indicates they are underpaid. Sometimes by 10-20% even without a promotion. This is not an ethical company and they don’t care.

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Post ID: @pjp+1v9jUOYy

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tom-head-ai_when-your-best-people-leave-its-not-activity-7255179680528371712-AEwD

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Post ID: @aiz+1v9jUOYy

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