Job and General Employment Thread

[NTP66]

My own research showed that when people can’t think and focus to get their work done because of noise or distractions, they become more withdrawn and less likely to collaborate.

This cannot be stated enough.

[count2infinity]

You typed "Germany" but it sounds like maybe you meant "China".

My colleague is heading to China about the same time. I think she’s under even stricter rules than me.

[Dickie Dunn]

Was just sent a "Team Update" meeting invite for 7 minutes from now. This seems ominous...

[robbiestoupe]

Was just sent a "Team Update" meeting invite for 7 minutes from now. This seems ominous...

Have had a few of those over the years. First one was in April 2020 and the hammer was dropped. Hasn't happened since but there's always the memory of the first one.

[dodint]

About three years ago our Director (two levels above me, though he was my direct supervisor for a while) left and it took them about 18 months to fill the position. They temporarily assigned the position to some underlings for 120 days a time while searching for a permanent solution. Rather than hire any of the underlings that filled the role, they hired from outside of the organization in early 2022.

WHELP, he's called an all-hands today to say goodbye because he's moving on to a new position. Dude was an empty suit the whole time he was here so it's ultimately good for us, but now they're going to fire up that 120 carousel again.

[Dickie Dunn]

Boss's boss's boss is retiring and a replacement won't be hired. Org is splitting up and we're heading to an MD that my senior manager, who has been here for 30 years, has no working relationship with and is unsure of what to expect. Could be worse, but still potential for issues.

[NTP66]

About three years ago our Director (two levels above me, though he was my direct supervisor for a while) left and it took them about 18 months to fill the position. They temporarily assigned the position to some underlings for 120 days a time while searching for a permanent solution. Rather than hire any of the underlings that filled the role, they hired from outside of the organization in early 2022.

WHELP, he's called an all-hands today to say goodbye because he's moving on to a new position. Dude was an empty suit the whole time he was here so it's ultimately good for us, but now they're going to fire up that 120 carousel again.

I never understood this mentality. "Hey, you filled this gap for us for 6 months and did a terrific job - thank you! Now get back to your cube, we brought in fresh meat from the outside."

[dodint]

We call them SOI's (Solicitations of Interest) and they're good development opportunities. I was on an SOI when I got hired into this current position. But I think the higher up you go the harder that is to do from an organizational standpoint. If you promote the Cyber Chief to Cyber Director in house, congrats, you have to do a candidate search for a Cyber Chief now. If they bring someone in they've plugged a hole and prevented another vacancy, I get it.

It would be less of an issue if our organization cultivated talent from within, from the ground up. But we've cut the training budget to 0% and have no plans to implement competitive pay so we're at the beginning of a very stagnant period. It's a shame because we used to be one of the best places in government to work.

[DigitalGypsy66]

I see both sides of that discussion. Yes, you have a competent internal candidate, but you don't want to stagnate with GroupThink. Bring a good external candidate, from a different company/set of experiences, and your department could benefit from the new blood. It really comes down to the candidate.

[NTP66]

You're not wrong. This happened at my last company, though, and the guy who we thought should get the permanent position did not. He eventually left the company, and I'm sure that decision was part of it. He was a really sharp guy who all of us really liked, so it was a shame to see him leave.

[NTP66]

Speaking of disappointment, I attended my first town hall with the new company yesterday. One of the biggest topics was the return to work initiative, for obvious reasons. We use Slido to ask questions in meetings like this, and the top 4 questions were all about the return to work, with over 600 'likes' on all of them.

One of the talking heads was trying to rally up the audience on the benefits of this change - "People reconnecting! Making new connections! Getting to know more people! Energizing the office!" They went on to mention that we should be actively engaging other teams while on site to see if we can help out with something. Or stop by the water cooler for a quick chat. This is all of the **** that reduces our productivity, and nobody wants any part of it. Walk around and see if others need help? This is not a serious person.

They are going to be sending out a survey after this initiative officially begins (September), and I'm sure that it will be blasted from here to kingdom come, but I'm also sure that they will either lie or skew the data to make it look like it's mostly favorable.

[mac5155]

Two kind of hilarious (in a not good way) snippets from our department meeting yesterday when the new president came to speak.


"yeah, and the focus on four campaign this year, I can't think of what the fourth one is right now..." (it was people. Lol. Safety, service, profit, people)

"were going to be seeing a lot of each other this coming year whether you like it or not, ha ha"

[NTP66]

Ahh, now that's the kind of attitude I want out of a leader. Clown.

[NTP66]

I legit lol'd when our one executive said that they were going to look at ways to reduce costs as part of the return to work initiative. You know what costs a lot of money? Real estate and utilities, you absolute dunce.

[robbiestoupe]

Those Slido Q&A's are the worst. You know the big wigs have a canned answer ready for the "tough" questions. It's all corporate BS and you know they are not going to follow through on any promises. Those Q&A sessions are more about learning what the company won't do vs. what they will.

[robbiestoupe]

I legit lol'd when our one executive said that they were going to look at ways to reduce costs as part of the return to work initiative. You know what costs a lot of money? Real estate and utilities, you absolute dunce.

Breaking 30 year leases are also expensive

[faftorial]

Found out just now my boss's boss is retiring. He never liked me and the feeling was mutual. Good riddance.

[NTP66]

Those Slido Q&A's are the worst. You know the big wigs have a canned answer ready for the "tough" questions. It's all corporate BS and you know they are not going to follow through on any promises. Those Q&A sessions are more about learning what the company won't do vs. what they will.

Oh, they definitely had a ringer in the audience. The very specific question he asked, along with congratulating multiple teams, etc., you could tell it was all rehearsed.

I legit lol'd when our one executive said that they were going to look at ways to reduce costs as part of the return to work initiative. You know what costs a lot of money? Real estate and utilities, you absolute dunce.

Breaking 30 year leases are also expensive

My last company broke their 10 year lease and saved millions. Not saying that's always the case, but it's an option that should be explored. Even so, we've got buildings everywhere that are still being used. Not at full capacity, and probably closer to 35%. Utilities are still a thing, and having more people on-site to consume electricity, water, HVAC... it adds up, and it's not a negligible expense.

[Morkle]

Think of all the person connection you will have?!

Yea, like when I go to the office and lose 2-3 hours a day of work from people just stopping at my desk asking dumb questions. Great.

[robbiestoupe]

Those Slido Q&A's are the worst. You know the big wigs have a canned answer ready for the "tough" questions. It's all corporate BS and you know they are not going to follow through on any promises. Those Q&A sessions are more about learning what the company won't do vs. what they will.

Oh, they definitely had a ringer in the audience. The very specific question he asked, along with congratulating multiple teams, etc., you could tell it was all rehearsed.

I legit lol'd when our one executive said that they were going to look at ways to reduce costs as part of the return to work initiative. You know what costs a lot of money? Real estate and utilities, you absolute dunce.

Breaking 30 year leases are also expensive

My last company broke their 10 year lease and saved millions. Not saying that's always the case, but it's an option that should be explored. Even so, we've got buildings everywhere that are still being used. Not at full capacity, and probably closer to 35%. Utilities are still a thing, and having more people on-site to consume electricity, water, HVAC... it adds up, and it's not a negligible expense.

Not saying it isn't but to me that's the true issue with all this WFH being cancelled. Some of it is optics and some of it is old frumpy executives, but at the end of the day $$$ talks.

The building I work in is 130 years old. Been owned by the same company all along, so unless George Westinghouse signed a 150 year mortgage, the building has been paid off for some time. Yet ownership has told us one of the reasons they are abandoning it and moving manufacturing to other cost centers is due to the maintenance and utilities for the building. Hard to believe that's the main reason (*cough* union *cough*), but 130 year old buildings do have their issues, and they are plenty.

[robbiestoupe]

The other thing re: wfh going away - haven't companies been pumping out major profits for a few years now? If the idea was we need to get people back in the office to collaborate, you would think that was because something wasn't working. Probably the opposite. But again, there's a value to these buildings, and I have to believe it's due to these leases.

The utilities thing is probably an argument for this as well. You're still paying X amount of dollars to run the A/C on a 25,000 sq ft. building, regardless of how many people are in it. Internet is probably a flat fee, water and power are probably negligible. Execs are going to see this and be upset they're paying the bills for a 500 person office with only 35 people in it.

[dodint]

The other thing re: wfh going away - haven't companies been pumping out major profits for a few years now? If the idea was we need to get people back in the office to collaborate, you would think that was because something wasn't working. Probably the opposite. But again, there's a value to these buildings, and I have to believe it's due to these leases.

Pressure from local government and businesses is a not-insignificant factor. Restaurants are losing a ton on traffic, governments are not bringing in parking revenue nor can they issue petty traffic violations to commuters that are not there.

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

I'm a software engineering manager and in there hasn't been any productivity lost from before the pandemic to now. WFH doesn't affect that, at least from what I've seen. And it makes sense...people can be more productive because they're not bogged down with (a) commutes (b) people stopping by their desk to distract them and (c) pretending to work while at the office

plus everyone gets a work-life balance bump which makes them more likely to contribute

[skullman80]

I'm sitting in the office right now. Took a nice long lunch and will be leaving at 2.

Got here just before 9....they got way less work from me being here today then they would of at home.

I still got my stuff done that needed done but people stopping by...stupid small talk all dumb and unecessary. Would have got more done at home.

Thankfully doing this once or twice a week at most isn't awful when I decide to leave at 2.

Plus the upper management weirdos who want to see people here happen to be here 2 out of the 3 days I'm here usually so it works out.

[NTP66]

There are people who have worked entirely from home full time at my company for years, well before covid, who will now have to go into an office. I would bet my mortgage on a drop in productivity as a result of that. Furthermore, part of me also believes that this is a way for management to trim some staff without layoffs, etc., a method in which doesn't necessarily reflect poorly on them or their stock price.