Thread regarding Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) layoffs

Layoff "bullet-proof". This is how I did it...

Hello guys. Some of you know well who I am, as I used to post in here. Until just a few weeks ago, I was a Senior VP within HPE before I "resigned". This post is mainly for entry level professionals as a career advise tip. Years before I joined HP, I followed the advise of a mentor I had very early on my career. He recommended frequent job hopping during my early years within small Companies (less than 5K employees) in order to beef up my experiences (and most important, my job titles). The objective was to work in several Industries, and relocate several times before having 15 yrs of experience. He told me to work hard for getting a VP level before those 15 yrs, and then look for a job in a big "monster" Company. And that's exactly what I did...

I was hired by HP a few years ago as a Senior VP, and I used an Agent to negotiate my total compensation and benefits package. The Agent was expensive, but it was definitively well worth it. The contract he put together included specific clauses related to a termination, including a damn-good financial parachute, and most importantly, how the termination was going to be communicated publicly (under several scenarios). Again, hiring him was very expensive, but totally worth it.

So, I share with you the same advise that was given to me several years ago. If you stay working in the same place for a long time (even if in progressive roles), you won't be able to negotiate basically anything once you are inside. This strategy worked well for me, and I hope sharing it helps someone out there. Don't beg employers to keep you. Own your own career and take control of your life.

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| 4343 views | | 15 replies (last October 20, 2016) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+JBnnrxT

15 replies (most recent on top)

Its Manish Goel. Only a desi can smell out an Indian.

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Post ID: @mhei+JBnnrxT

I'm a minorty woman individual contributor who made less than $60k and still got cut. There was little room for negotiations when I started and zero when I got WFRed. This thread is nice, but not in my reality.

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Post ID: @8hti+JBnnrxT

I have never in 30 years seen loyalty rewarded. Look out for yourself as, unless you have a damn good union, no one else will.

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Post ID: @3hjf+JBnnrxT

If OP is Bill, I just want you to know that I appreciated working for you (a few layers down) and was disappointed to see you go.

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Post ID: @1pld+JBnnrxT

I've read about this "L3" guy... I bet his termination non-disclosure agreement is extreme. Watch out, Billy Boy... Big Brother is watching you. Enjoy your "damn good parachute"... While you can...

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Post ID: @uvi+JBnnrxT

@dns, that comment sounds like a veiled threat. So much for our right to free speech on a public forum. It's a constitutional right for all of us, employee or not, and comments like that sound like HPE management is trying to violate it. Isn't an age discrimination lawsuit already enough legal trouble for HPE without adding a First Amendment issue on top of it? The OP was only non-proprietary career advice for newbies for heavens sake. You know that those pursuing lawsuits against HPE read these posts too, right?

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Post ID: @uba+JBnnrxT

Whoa! What was that about, @dns?

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Post ID: @wof+JBnnrxT

A friendly reminder, Hilf (if it's you - which I hope it's not the case)... "Browne"... You know well what I'm talking about. Nothing... Just in case...

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Post ID: @dns+JBnnrxT

OP, are you Bill Hilf? (Better known here as "L3 Guy"?) If so... What an honor to have you back! Bro, you gotta tell us what happened... Did they really fire you because you were passing information to the media? Man... I'm a big fan!!

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Post ID: @czf+JBnnrxT

This is great advice and I agree 100% because I am also living proof that this strategy works. I increased my salary by a factor 6x by working for 7 companies in 18 years, several were small, but increasing responsibilities and pay with each move. This would not have been possible staying with the same large company all that time and trying to advance internally. BTW, I am a rank and file Individual Contributor, not in any management or exective role, that advice works for us too.

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Post ID: @vtl+JBnnrxT

Thank you. The best part is own your career and control your life. Regardless of level within a company. Negotiate prior to accepting position and live with your decisions. Most things are trade offs so pick the important ones.

The unrelenting drama at hpe is like a train wreck in slow motion. i think that there is an addictive factor -people who feed on the drama and it's hard not to.

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Post ID: @azn+JBnnrxT

@ejb I've said the same thing. I don't think I'll ever go into Corporate America or Big IT again. I'm in IT in Higher Ed/University now after being with HP for 14 years. I got an increase in salary for coming, a signing bonus, and jot a raise after 3 months on the job. The recently-altered vacation policy is now in line with what I was used to w/ HPE (Holiday Shutdown) so I am good, HAPPY, and way less stressed! I had to relocate but I have no state income taxes.

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Post ID: @xyn+JBnnrxT

L3 Guy is that you back again as the OP? We have missed you on this site and all your posts with helpful information.

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Post ID: @gsp+JBnnrxT

After 12 years working for HP (HPE) since I graduated, I was laid off on January, 2015, and went to work as a Manufacturing Engineer for a VERY small Company which specializes in lawn and garden products. I have to say I LOVE working in this Company. My salary is basically the same (I relocated to a lower cost State), and the teamwork and working environment is much, much better. I didn't think I was going to enjoy the country-life so much. My little ones are not that happy, but they have managed it pretty well with all the tech tools available nowadays. I don't visualize myself working for another mega-big Company like HPI/HPE ever again...

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Post ID: @ejb+JBnnrxT

That's great if you have an MBA and know the right people. It's great if you are in the world of executives rather than rank-and-file employees who actually make the company work.

I understand the need for governance, but every engineer has their horror stories about somebody in upper management who was clueless or worse, unethical. HP (now HPI and HPE and NewCorp) are top heavy with executives. What do they really contribute, besides getting their cut of engineering rates? ...and yet they demand golden parachutes, get sweet packages, even when their performance was solely a product of their reports (who usually get nothing)?

I appreciate your insights, but I have no concern for executive level employees. My concern is for the engineers, support personnel, administrative people... even resource managers who join a company expecting a career, loyal to their company, performing well, year after year, but get tossed aside as "expensive resources" by people who are OBSCENELY expensive "resources". There is no layoff "bullet proof" plan other than not working for companies like HP ever (or only for a short duration early on and using the company as a springboard only).

You are right about one thing: Once you join a company like HP, you are locked in, so your expectations should be: regardless of starting salary, such a company will not maintain cost of living increases, will treat you as disposable, and word from on high will be "do as we say, not as we do" when it comes to ethics and customer relations. Better to find a company that has a good reputation among its employees, one that has happy employees with 20 years in, even better, one that is big, but isn't listed on this site because they don't lay off (Not really laying off, but really fired, because WFR employees can NEVER work for HPE again) their people en masse.

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Post ID: @bdj+JBnnrxT

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