The 21st is just a date. Everyone knows their PR rating. 99% that got low rating are gone. So prepare accordingly and enjoy your substantial severance. Consider yourselves lucky. The employees I feel bad for are those not in the low PR rating category who got selected. They didn’t have enough low performers this round. The severance is a nice gesture. Consider any agency who are let go all the time who get nothing. Ford is being generous giving these big severance packages. Remember the company is still struggling in many markets. A recession is inevitable. If they can get to an equilibrium with the right employees in the right spots at a manageable number they hopefully won’t have to do a mass layoff when the recession happens.
13 replies (most recent on top)
What’s this talk about good severance? Ford’s severance maxes out at 9 months salary for folks who worked 20+ years. 1-5 years gets 1 month salary.
You're already laid off.
I’d advise watching “Fun With D--k N Jane” to prepare.
Be prepared for a potentially long, slow, psychologically difficult job search. Finding a new job - when you don't have a job - entails a lot of hurry-up-and-waiting. You put out your calls, you send out your emails and resumes. Then you wait. You follow up. Then wait some more. Your new job is finding a job. And a big part of that job is staying positive and not psyching yourself out.
@kbi, if you think we have any sort of the balanced and moderate monetary policy of Australia... Well, I got some unfortunate news for you, heh.
America: "Profits now! Rapid growth at all costs!"
America when it continually slips into severe recessions: "Whathappened!?"
Be compassionate, no matter what.
I am 72, retired a few years back. At some point in life, you'll appreciate this advice.
A recession is not inevitable, Australia had no recession in last 75 years.
Really???
enjoy your substantial severance
Except @yqo the deadwood rarely get hit in the actions. The deadwood remains and expands as they have time to “kiss up” and attend all the fluffy events that leadership sponsor. So the leaders know their names and pass them by in the lay-off selection. Some of our deadwood “stalked” leaders to find out what gym etc. they belonged to, joined up, orchestrated repeatedly bumping into the leaders.
@kbs exactly that’s why this is a yearly process. Upper management knows all about this deadwood achiever issue. As Ford decreases the number of employees the deadwood who contribute jack affect their manager more and more ultimately affecting their results. At some point the deadwood will have to be canned. And most likely the managers who kept them around.
It will happen. That’s why after next year then year after firings you will then start to see real productivity improvements.
Exactly @oqw. In PDCs known deadwood are rated achievers every year by their LL6. Everyone knows they are Low Achievers but no one wants to challenge their coworkers assessment, because they need those same LL6 to vote for their TA nominations.
The low rated PR people are gone. Like you mention there aren’t enough so they had to pick some others too. Even supposed “top performers” if they have any type of attitude/personality problem - gone. The rest they have to look at everything from demographics, pay, pensioned, to basic fit between skills and need. You could have a good performer in a planning role that is redundant or not needed. That person most likely is gone unless they had connections to be moved to a friend-manager. But it’s a fact the low rated PR are 99% gone. Each manager had to pick who to fire. Do the math. They already gave that GSR or LLX person a bad rating to begin with. You actually think they’d keep them around if given an opportunity to fire them and keep someone else who is good or backfill with a new employee/lateral? Low PR-rated are history. And should be. Ford doesn’t have the luxury to try and babysit them or keep them around.
This isnt a low performer vs. High performer reduction. The way the performance rating scale is, 10-15% are Top Achievers, 80-85% are Achievers, and Low Achievers are few and far between. There would NEVER be enough LA to save the company money by letting them go...there just aren't that many around. What it comes down to is current and future cost (whether you have a pension or not) and whether the connections you have made with upper management are strong enough to keep you on the teet.
Mgmt is desparately trying to rein in costs...which is why even great performers are being let go. They cost too much. Instead, they will do the work overseas, do the work with an inexperienced younger workforce, or not do it at all.
20 Years at Ford and to listen to people say they are just cutting bad performers is comical.