Comment IBM's clever approach to firing people (Score 1) 194
IBM had an ingenious strategy for downsizing!!
"Managing people out of the company" was the term they used.
Here's how it happened to me:
November: reviews are completed. employees are given a "score": 1, 2+, 2, or 3. 1="God", 3="Performance Plan"
Managers are limited in how many 1,2+, and 2's they're allowed to award. It's VERY hard to get a 1.
December: managers are quietly informed of a hiring freeze.
Freeze excludes high-level jobs (director, exec, etc.) and hard-to-fill jobs (sales reps for unpopular products, mainframe-related, phone support)
January: products/projects are cancelled. Employees in those areas are given a long list of open IBM jobs, and told they have 1 month.
Jobs are throughout IBM, all over the country.
February: employees panic. They start asking questions, like what happens in 1 month(?), but aren't given clear answers
March: employees discover:
- if employees score is a 2 or 3, they're screwed. IBM Managers don't want to hire 2's or 3's
- even if a manager wants to hire a 2, they have to get director approval. 3's don't stand a chance
- hard-to-fill jobs usually aren't in high rent places like SF, NY, etc.
- good chance you'll be working remotely
mid March: employees panic more, start looking outside
April: employees that haven't already quit or transferred discover what happens after the 1 month period lapses:
IBM might find something for you, but it's likely not what you want.
Otherwise, you get a layoff package.
IBM's goals are:
1. you quit. No layoff, no package, no bad press
2. or they fill one of those "lower" jobs. Usually at a lower pay.
3. or, if you were already on a performance plan, it's called a "Resource Action" (aka. termination)
4. Final option: layoff
They're saying that the "single-score" system has changed. Regardless of the scoring system, I'll bet it's still quota-based.
