This embarrassment of a company has pulled off the impossible and fired numerous high performers across the board. I cannot believe how random this process looks from an observer.
Please do your best to not let this change how you view yourself and your worth. The working environment moving forward is going to be miserable with even more talent drain.
I’m sorry but feeling bad for Brian is the funniest thing I have read so far. Brian has been on the shortlist to run this company for a long time and in order to be on that shortlist, you have to be an absolute shark. Brian is NOT LIKE YOU. If you think Brian didn’t have a hand in everything happening to us right now, you’re wrong. I feel indifferent about DMac reign but at least he knew how to be an executive. Brian is sloppy, has a horrible track record with picking talent and gets by on his “I’m just a normal guy” shtick and reinforces his humanity by crying any opportunity he gets. It was sincere the first time I saw it, but has now become a party trick he can use when he needs to. You need to get off Fox News and stop thinking being woke or dei initiatives are what got us in this mess. It’s inexperienced people setting unrealistic targets coupled with not understanding market forces, regulation and the complexity of the changing environmental factors that WILL make it harder for cargill to do business (to name a few) and cash checks. Walking onto a farm has absolutely nothing to do with our problems, though understanding our farmers and plant employees is absolutely needed by leaders. Please get a grip.
Feel bad for Sikes. He inherited a mess from spoon-fed DMac. DMAc is a rich kid, entitled. Who else with an English degree from a stuffy private lib E coast college runs the most powerful ag business on the planet? Highly probable the clown never stepped foot on a farm.
DMAc inherited a solid operation and rode it through COVID. The guy did NOTHING except promote woke DEI nonsense. Oh, and erode shareholder value for those employees holding Cargill stock. Flying to Davos hanging with the ultra liberal elite is the DMac legacy.
Age discrimination. Wage discrimination.
Hope the lawsuits come fast and furious. Go BIG. Giant class action. Even if not successful, they will spend $$$ in attorney fees and public humiliation- further lowering company value- and diminishing brand equity.
This is why people “quiet quit”, work multiple jobs remotely at the same time or “over employeed” and just be mediocre at 2 jobs but get double the salary. It doesn’t matter if you’re a high performer. They don’t care. Stop trying to get “exceeds” and ki-ling yourself for a 3% raise and mediocre bonus.
I’m so pi---d off rn.
Hi, I'm a journalist working for the Financial Times, looking to speak to people about Cargill layoffs, especially those who have been laid off but also anyone with insights. Happy for it be anonymous. If interested drop me an email - susannah.savage@ft.com
I’m the spouse of a laid off employee. I’m a professional executive outside of the food industry.
I’ve never observed this level of unprofessionalism in any management team. I’ve observed many years of mismanagement at Cargill, and honestly I’m glad he doesn’t have to work there anymore.
If you’ve been impacted know your rights, seek representation. Clearly this excercise was to flush out older higher compensated employees. If you are over 40 you can request a report of demographics for those laid off and those not laid off, this will give you any discrimination trend.
It doesn’t just seem random it IS random! I was laid off today and my boss didn’t know until I told them. The person who made the decision doesn’t know me, my work or my performance. I’m not taking it personally at all. I’m more in awe of the stupidity with which this is being handled and actually, in a way, I feel “lucky” to be getting out now.
Also for those worried about meetings being added to your calendar, I can’t say if it will be this way across the board, but for me, I was given 15 minutes notice for the lay off meeting. Not added to my calendar in advance at all.
Anyone here who got laid off from a remote position.... How did you find out?
Everyone around me has gone quiet, and there's some "Team Meetings" booked for tomorrow.
Gonna be a loooong night.
Totally agree with all the comments below. This is the most stupid thing I’ve ever been apart of. I know of many that were let go that will leave a huge hole that will not be easily filled! I’m in SC and we had one person let us know he had been picked and it makes zero sense why Cargill would let him leave with so much knowledge?? With all his years of service I know of nobody that can replace him! I’m afraid of what type of avalanche this is going to cause all of us left behind. Ironically, Sikes and gang have said customers would be taken care of, but this person has direct impact to how our customers are served! These decisions are short sided and typical to blame the “consultants”.
I know a few who got let go today. Excellent employees, with wide and deep knowledge of business. I abslotely couldn't believe it!
I fully support this summation. I know several people who were let go today. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. was a high performer. Cargill released a lot of great talent today.
Thank you for this. This was well written. I was impacted today and I am just d-mbfounded how I ended up here. I have always had good reviews, I have been promoted and given opportunities, and im barely at the 25th percentile of pay for my band. Hardly ever has anyone said anything negative about me, but I find myself without a job and with no explanation from my leadership besides presumably I am just a number.
I am deeply concerned for the safety and wellbeing of everyone still with the company after all of the experience and knowledge we have lost today. It will have huge implications in the months and years to come. This is what happens when companies use McKinsey (the consulting company behind the Purdue pharma opi--d epidemic) to put profits first.