Author Topic: What is it about MegaCorp??  (Read 10499 times)

albireo13

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 517
  • Location: New England
What is it about MegaCorp??
« on: September 12, 2017, 06:41:19 PM »
Why do we detest Megacorp so much?
Is it their total uninterest in employee welfare?
Is it their so obvious focus on profit and bottom line?

I could work 30+ years at Megacorp but, be totally dismissed
by a new-hire manager.

So frustrated.

albireo13

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 517
  • Location: New England
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #1 on: September 12, 2017, 06:43:48 PM »
Disclaimer ... I have worked at Megacorp for 32 years now

FIREchiefsr

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 90
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #2 on: September 23, 2017, 10:04:56 PM »
Interesting question.  When I was about 5 years into Megacorp, there was a big RIF.  Many people were upset.  One of the first line supervisors (comfortably insulated from the RIF) helped the rest of us feel better.  He said "I don't know why these people are so upset, don't they realize we're giving them an opportunity to find a better job?"  Despite decades more of Megacorp wonderment, I think this early experience pretty much sums it up.  <insert emoticon here>

Mr. Green

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4494
  • Age: 40
  • Location: Wilmington, NC
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #3 on: September 24, 2017, 08:50:13 AM »
The large employee count allows us to dehumanize people. It's the same reason people can think about other groups of people in inhuman terms and treat them in a manner that they would never do on a personal level.

Paul der Krake

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5854
  • Age: 16
  • Location: UTC-10:00
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #4 on: September 24, 2017, 09:59:50 AM »
I expect little loyalty from my employers, large or small.

I also disagree that tenure length should be a factor when deciding who gets the axe.

TempusFugit

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 633
  • Location: In my own head, usually
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2017, 01:53:05 PM »
As a 20+ year MegaCorp 'resource', I find that as my stash has grown, I sometimes encounter behavior at MegaCorp that creates ambivalent feelings. 

First, as one of the many thousands of faceless cogs in the machine, I have the same kind of emotional reaction as everyone else. Feeling slighted by the corporate masters, unappreciated, resentful, etc. 

Then, upon further reflection, I realize that as a member of the 'invested class', I am, in effect, more 'capital' than 'labor'.  I find that I can somewhat view things from the other side and with a little detachment. 

The cold hard fact is that businesses exist to make a profit. The people who run corporations, in particular, have an obligation to maximize that profit (within the bounds of law and ethics). This means, in part, that they will do everything they can to minimize the costs of producing whatever it is that they produce.  Those costs are largely the costs of employing (and insuring) people like me.  And when there are thousands or tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of employees, it becomes much more difficult to treat the wonderful, talented, dedicated people like me any differently than the 'average' employee in MegaCorp.  Ever given much thought about how much value the 'average' employee is adding at a large corporation? 

It's kind of a "don't blame the player, blame the game" situation.  The game is capitalism. 

While I remain employed at MegaCorp, I expect to have these 'Red Stapler' moments* that make me grit my teeth and silently curse my corporate overlords.  But I also recognize that this is just fuel for the FIRE fire.  I'm (hopefully) just a few years away from the end of my indentured servitude.  And when I'm living off of my 4% (or 3%, or 5%) I'm going to be expecting the many companies of which I own a little piece to maximize their profits and minimize their costs.  I hope they do it fairly and ethically and responsibly, but I realize that sometimes that is in the eye of the beholder and very much can depend on your perspective. 

*Office Space reference, as if you didn't get it




steveo

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1928
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2017, 03:31:08 AM »
I've been 20 years at MegaCorp and it gets to you. The performance reviews are crazy. Last year I killed it and got a dud performance review. They are also all over the place. Do this one day and do something else the next.

I do have heaps of good friends from MegaCorp but sometimes you end up with bad managers. The good thing is typically those managers disappear reasonably quickly. I've gone from having the best boss ever to the worst boss ever. Luckily the worst boss has very little to do with me but it still sucks.

trollwithamustache

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1146
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2017, 08:43:47 AM »
MegaCorp has actually been really good to me.

First, it showed me arbitrary-ness and favoritism. Then I saw some old guys get F*&ed over and all those talks from Dad about wanting to be able to retire by 55 being so important came into super clear focus.

Now a little older, maybe not wiser but at least with a few tricks, as an Independent contractor I make a ton of moola off of megacorps. I do lots of things they could train someone to do and replace me, but that would *gasp* add headcount.  Lots of things no one wants to take a risk  on so the third party gets to write a report on it.

 When megacorp realizes they don't own you, they either fire you or throw money at you.


Vegasgirl

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 150
  • Location: Washington DC Metro
  • Never have a battle of wits with an unarmed person
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #8 on: September 25, 2017, 11:21:40 AM »
And it's not just MegaCorp - it's MegaGov as well, IMO. 

hoping2retire35

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1398
  • Location: UPCOUNTRY CAROLINA
  • just want to see where this appears
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #9 on: September 26, 2017, 10:35:58 AM »
As a 20+ year MegaCorp 'resource', I find that as my stash has grown, I sometimes encounter behavior at MegaCorp that creates ambivalent feelings. 

First, as one of the many thousands of faceless cogs in the machine, I have the same kind of emotional reaction as everyone else. Feeling slighted by the corporate masters, unappreciated, resentful, etc. 

Then, upon further reflection, I realize that as a member of the 'invested class', I am, in effect, more 'capital' than 'labor'.  I find that I can somewhat view things from the other side and with a little detachment. 

The cold hard fact is that businesses exist to make a profit. The people who run corporations, in particular, have an obligation to maximize that profit (within the bounds of law and ethics). This means, in part, that they will do everything they can to minimize the costs of producing whatever it is that they produce.  Those costs are largely the costs of employing (and insuring) people like me.  And when there are thousands or tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of employees, it becomes much more difficult to treat the wonderful, talented, dedicated people like me any differently than the 'average' employee in MegaCorp.  Ever given much thought about how much value the 'average' employee is adding at a large corporation? 

It's kind of a "don't blame the player, blame the game" situation.  The game is capitalism. 

While I remain employed at MegaCorp, I expect to have these 'Red Stapler' moments* that make me grit my teeth and silently curse my corporate overlords.  But I also recognize that this is just fuel for the FIRE fire.  I'm (hopefully) just a few years away from the end of my indentured servitude.  And when I'm living off of my 4% (or 3%, or 5%) I'm going to be expecting the many companies of which I own a little piece to maximize their profits and minimize their costs.  I hope they do it fairly and ethically and responsibly, but I realize that sometimes that is in the eye of the beholder and very much can depend on your perspective. 

*Office Space reference, as if you didn't get it

Yep. I am just a cog in the machine making myself money; sort of like circle logic or something or another.

Guesl982374

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 498
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #10 on: September 26, 2017, 11:37:47 AM »
When megacorp realizes they don't own you, they either fire you or throw money at you.

Best line of the thread and oh so true. Its fully within your control to pick the better outcome too.

effigy98

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 555
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #11 on: September 26, 2017, 02:55:01 PM »
I have worked for small businesses and a couple mega corps now. The things I like about mega corp is you can potentially have more security, higher pay, and lighter work loads vs small businesses.

The reasons I detest mega corp.
  • Reward is not equal to production. It is back to the high school days of who gets noticed and those set of rules which I group into the word "politics". How much profit you generate and longterm success for the company usually has a very small chance of translating to good rewards
  • The sterile environment. I work in a white box. Now I prefer it much more then open sweat shop space, it's still a bit depressing. I can show up at work in the dark and leave in the dark, not knowing what the weather is like. It's strange and starts getting you down a bit
  • Be seen hours, "must be in the office" no matter if all your work can be done remotly or in half the time. If I can finish my tasks in 3 days, I should be able to take 2 days off. High efficiency is rewarded with more work without more pay. Everyone learns to slow it down and stretch it out so you look like you are working for 40+ hours even if you are not really.
  • Not usually close like a family. Every small company I worked for, it felt like I was a part of a close group of friends who needed me and I needed them. Everyone had value for the most part and the type of responsibilities you could take on (and be rewarded for) were limitless. You were not in some closed box of responsibilites. We also had a lot more fun at the office together and people tended to be more like your family at home, hanging out together, but also had common goals to get done

steveo

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1928
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #12 on: September 27, 2017, 02:29:20 AM »
When megacorp realizes they don't own you, they either fire you or throw money at you.

Best line of the thread and oh so true. Its fully within your control to pick the better outcome too.

I don't think it's true though. MegaCorp by it's nature just doesn't care. One boss may care and one mightn't. There is no easy way for MegaCorp to just throw money at you apart from the fact that you get paid regularly and I think it's not that hard to get a decent salary if you are in a decent job.

I just had coffee with a guy who is turning 60 and retiring. He is a champion. He also gets a pension. He is retiring though because he is an executive and therefore he won't get a redundancy if they get rid of him and he figures that is only a matter of time and it's better to leave on his terms. He has been with the company 45 years. I think to be fair there are some good points about MegaCorp. I have met lots of cool people there and he is one of them.

« Last Edit: September 27, 2017, 02:49:14 AM by steveo »

FIREby35

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 670
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #13 on: September 27, 2017, 07:00:17 AM »
My wife worked at MegaCorp for 2+ years and I worked at "BigLaw" which is corp principles applied to a law firm for three months. I just was not cut out for it.

Very interesting to hear all of your perspective "from the inside." From the outside, that is exactly what I perceived. It sounds like you all have a lot of clarity about the situation and how you interact with MegaCorp.

My instinct is that lots of your co-workers are not wise to the bargain. Am I right?

trollwithamustache

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1146
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #14 on: September 27, 2017, 08:04:25 AM »


I think on a certain level megacorp does care. Or more precisely the types of people who rise up the ranks in megacorp don't like people leaving on their own terms. If they can throw some company money at you to get you to stay, and either feel powerful because they feel like they control you, or at least fire you on their own schedule they will. It's not their money anyway.

MegaCopr doesn't care. But, for every D-bag, there really are lots of good people out there in MegaCorp who do care.  Many of them do not have the admin/political skills to work MegaCorps new work process from BigConsulting to get you and your team what you need.

I also have a certain sympathy for the big big bosses... they know they need to pay to keep good people, they know they have a lot of zombie employees that are useless and they know 99.9% of information presented to them is BS that has been manipulated to present well to them. The result is some perhaps understandably odd ideas about good organizations!


Cap_Scarlet

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 292
    • EarlyRetireFree
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #15 on: September 27, 2017, 11:35:53 AM »
Why do we detest Megacorp so much?
Is it their total uninterest in employee welfare?
Is it their so obvious focus on profit and bottom line?

I could work 30+ years at Megacorp but, be totally dismissed
by a new-hire manager.

So frustrated.


Mega-corp was good for me - provided me with the means to retire early.

There are two things to consider:

1. You need to 'play the game' to get on - many can't and become disillusioned.

2. You need to be in no doubt that you will be instandtly forgotton (and not get het up about it).

3. Occasionally you will need to be a little ruthless (i.e. become a bit like them) if you want to 'make it'.  Again, some can't.

nottoolatetostart

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 425
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #16 on: September 27, 2017, 03:33:21 PM »
Why do we detest Megacorp so much?
Is it their total uninterest in employee welfare?
Is it their so obvious focus on profit and bottom line?

I could work 30+ years at Megacorp but, be totally dismissed
by a new-hire manager.

So frustrated.


Mega-corp was good for me - provided me with the means to retire early.

There are two things to consider:

1. You need to 'play the game' to get on - many can't and become disillusioned.

2. You need to be in no doubt that you will be instandtly forgotton (and not get het up about it).

3. Occasionally you will need to be a little ruthless (i.e. become a bit like them) if you want to 'make it'.  Again, some can't.

Completely agree with all of this. It's a mere business transaction. You are renting your time and a mega corp is buying it. Nothing personal.

FIREchiefsr

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 90
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #17 on: September 28, 2017, 01:10:13 AM »
My wife worked at MegaCorp for 2+ years and I worked at "BigLaw" which is corp principles applied to a law firm for three months. I just was not cut out for it.

Very interesting to hear all of your perspective "from the inside." From the outside, that is exactly what I perceived. It sounds like you all have a lot of clarity about the situation and how you interact with MegaCorp.

My instinct is that lots of your co-workers are not wise to the bargain. Am I right?

Some are on to it.  Some are on to it but won't admit to it.  Some are just delusional.  The delusional ones who are truly competent drink the Kool aid and make millions.  Perhaps those are the ones who I most pity....

bacchi

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7056
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #18 on: September 28, 2017, 03:42:34 PM »
My wife worked at MegaCorp for 2+ years and I worked at "BigLaw" which is corp principles applied to a law firm for three months. I just was not cut out for it.

Very interesting to hear all of your perspective "from the inside." From the outside, that is exactly what I perceived. It sounds like you all have a lot of clarity about the situation and how you interact with MegaCorp.

My instinct is that lots of your co-workers are not wise to the bargain. Am I right?

Some are on to it.  Some are on to it but won't admit to it.  Some are just delusional.  The delusional ones who are truly competent drink the Kool aid and make millions.  Perhaps those are the ones who I most pity....

Early in my career, I was working for a multinational chemical company that was being sued for some nasty shit they had done in the past. There were some lifers who indignantly denied it: "No way S&P Chemical would do that!" Eventually, after more information was leaked, they began to realize that their idolized employer maybe, just maybe, was capable of evil (or was at least doing bad things through negligence).

AccidentalMiser

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 704
  • Age: 56
  • Location: SE Tenn
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #19 on: September 28, 2017, 03:54:05 PM »
Why do we detest Megacorp so much?
Is it their total uninterest in employee welfare?
Is it their so obvious focus on profit and bottom line?

I could work 30+ years at Megacorp but, be totally dismissed
by a new-hire manager.

So frustrated.


Mega-corp was good for me - provided me with the means to retire early.

There are two things to consider:

1. You need to 'play the game' to get on - many can't and become disillusioned.

2. You need to be in no doubt that you will be instandtly forgotton (and not get het up about it).

3. Occasionally you will need to be a little ruthless (i.e. become a bit like them) if you want to 'make it'.  Again, some can't.

Completely agree with all of this. It's a mere business transaction. You are renting your time and a mega corp is buying it. Nothing personal.

Yes.  I work for a MegaCorp-type company.  I don't want to care about my workplace and I don't.  They pay me a shitload of money.  I provide them with a shitload of value.  Once one of us gets tired of the other, we'll part ways and neither of us will ever think of the other again (except when I get my small monthly pension check.

Four more years and I'm gone.  I'll keep laughing all the way to the bank until then.

steveo

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1928
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #20 on: September 29, 2017, 02:21:24 AM »
My wife worked at MegaCorp for 2+ years and I worked at "BigLaw" which is corp principles applied to a law firm for three months. I just was not cut out for it.

Very interesting to hear all of your perspective "from the inside." From the outside, that is exactly what I perceived. It sounds like you all have a lot of clarity about the situation and how you interact with MegaCorp.

My instinct is that lots of your co-workers are not wise to the bargain. Am I right?

Some are on to it.  Some are on to it but won't admit to it.  Some are just delusional.  The delusional ones who are truly competent drink the Kool aid and make millions.  Perhaps those are the ones who I most pity....

Early in my career, I was working for a multinational chemical company that was being sued for some nasty shit they had done in the past. There were some lifers who indignantly denied it: "No way S&P Chemical would do that!" Eventually, after more information was leaked, they began to realize that their idolized employer maybe, just maybe, was capable of evil (or was at least doing bad things through negligence).

My company has been in the news for doing the wrong thing recently. It's not like that because I work in finance. The interesting thing though is that it's been done just through negligence and I think most other companies in the same industry that we are in are doing the exact same thing if not worse.

albireo13

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 517
  • Location: New England
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #21 on: October 02, 2017, 06:36:22 PM »
Why do we detest Megacorp so much?
Is it their total uninterest in employee welfare?
Is it their so obvious focus on profit and bottom line?

I could work 30+ years at Megacorp but, be totally dismissed
by a new-hire manager.

So frustrated.

For the record, I have been working at MegaCorp for 32 years now.
While I am in a position of facing a comfortable retirement, I don't see it as a "gift" from
MegaCorp that I should be overly thankful for. 

The way I see it is, for many years (decades?)  I put MC first, at the expense of my family, my personal life, and my health to work on solving problems which ultimately helped to fill the already swollen coffers of a large corporation.

  I am very thankful I had the education and fortitude to succeed in situations which were sometimes toxic and often laughably unproductive.   
What I am truly grateful for are my education, my up-bringing, and my family.



A few observations:
   * compensation has nothing to do with your productivity or what you contribute
   * "how" you do your job is way more important than what you do
   * who you know is more important than what you know
   * kissing a$$ truly does get rewarded
 


mjr

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 490
  • Age: 58
  • Location: Brisbane, Qld
  • Retired at 52
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #22 on: October 02, 2017, 08:18:35 PM »
My company has been in the news for doing the wrong thing recently. It's not like that because I work in finance. The interesting thing though is that it's been done just through negligence and I think most other companies in the same industry that we are in are doing the exact same thing if not worse.

Which bank ? :-)

Much Fishing to Do

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1140
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #23 on: October 03, 2017, 04:00:33 PM »
Why do we detest Megacorp so much?


Well, only in one sense do we.  As the cog in the machine, a worker, we do.  But as the cultivators, the investors, we seem to flock to them (earnings and growth from publicly traded companies are what give the majority of this community the ability to ERE). Damned if I think the answer is an easy one.

albireo13

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 517
  • Location: New England
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #24 on: October 03, 2017, 05:49:21 PM »
Darned if I know.  MegaCorp is beholden to the stockholder, no-one else.
If the employee benefits it is not by design or by plan.

The employee benefits since it is somewhat of a symbiotic relationship.
If the company succeeds, so does the employee.

 

RetireAbroadAt35

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 268
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #25 on: October 07, 2017, 03:47:23 PM »
Matthew Crawford's Shopclass as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work is a great exploration of this topic. 

http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/shop-class-as-soulcraft

EngineeringFI

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 97
  • Age: 38
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #26 on: October 14, 2017, 08:36:49 AM »
One demotivating aspect of working at MegaCorp that I've been thinking about recently is that as a worker you don't get to experience the compounding effect of success. For example, in our personal investments, we can see that if we put in extra effort and earn/save more money that it directly benefits benefits us with increased growth and/or dividends. That additional money also then produces increased growth and dividends, and the money starts to snowball. It's very motivating to see this progress!

Now consider working at MegaCorp: if you work extra hard and earn MegaCorp millions more dollars, the bulk of it is usually returned to the shareholders (at my branch of MegaCorp anyway). The additional revenue was not invested into more people, or R&D, those numbers have been essentially flat so that we can show the shareholders that our margins are improving. Then on January 1st, the slate is wiped clean and we start all over. It's a treadmill and I never get the feeling that my effort this year is building on the extra effort I put in last year, or that it will help me next year.


Roger D

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 54
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #27 on: October 14, 2017, 10:13:38 AM »
One demotivating aspect of working at MegaCorp that I've been thinking about recently is that as a worker you don't get to experience the compounding effect of success ... if you work extra hard and earn MegaCorp millions more dollars, the bulk of it is usually returned to the shareholders
You could buy lots of shares in the MegaCorp that owns you. The corporation's success is then your success too.

Car Jack

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2141
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #28 on: October 14, 2017, 03:44:59 PM »
Here's my 2 Megacorp stories:

1) This Megacorp was a leader in it's field, way, way ahead with no competition.  No layoffs ever, always in the top of "best company to work for".  Competition shows up and starts to clean their clock (they think they're NASA and spend like they're NASA).  They go full opposite world.  I see an attached group finish a major project (3 years work) and it's time to start the next one.  Instead of splitting work as usual, the new way is to figure out each task that needs to be done, then find people for each of these tasks.  When they finish finding people (including from outside the group), they tell whoever is left "sorry, we don't have a position for you anymore.  You're being laid off".

2) This happened to me.  Worked years and was considered a mentor for the group.  Won awards, patents, all kinds of good stuff.  I turned 55 and all of a sudden, my review is "does not meet expectations" and everything is clearly set up to push me out.  Looking around (opening my eyes), I find that many others have had this same treatment.  My belief is that there is a "Megacorp program to dump old people from the company" manual that managers are given.  I've been in touch with others at this old Megacorp and others hit the magic age and all of a sudden are not meeting expectations and are pushed out.

TempusFugit

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 633
  • Location: In my own head, usually
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #29 on: October 14, 2017, 04:34:00 PM »
My belief is that there is a "Megacorp program to dump old people from the company" manual that managers are given.  I've been in touch with others at this old Megacorp and others hit the magic age and all of a sudden are not meeting expectations and are pushed out.

It wouldn't surprise me.  I think there are a couple of factors in play.  One is health care costs, which depending on how the corp is handling that can be much more expensive for older employees.  Second is that generally speaking, the older employees are making more money than the younger ones, which can just compound point 1.  Third, rightly or wrongly, there is a perception that younger employees are hungrier and more likely to put in longer hours and more effort to climb the ladder. 

Always remember that the purpose of a business is to make a profit.  That profit is realized by a combination of selling a product or service for as much money as possible and making that product / providing that service for a little money as possible.  Employees are part of the second half of that equation. 

All the more reason to fast track yourself into the investor class and out of the employee class. 

FIREchiefsr

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 90
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #30 on: October 18, 2017, 10:42:02 PM »
Here's my 2 Megacorp stories:

1) This Megacorp was a leader in it's field, way, way ahead with no competition.  No layoffs ever, always in the top of "best company to work for".  Competition shows up and starts to clean their clock (they think they're NASA and spend like they're NASA).  They go full opposite world.  I see an attached group finish a major project (3 years work) and it's time to start the next one.  Instead of splitting work as usual, the new way is to figure out each task that needs to be done, then find people for each of these tasks.  When they finish finding people (including from outside the group), they tell whoever is left "sorry, we don't have a position for you anymore.  You're being laid off".

The old "interview for you current job" play.  LOL  Musical chairs with the shortage of chairs determined by "affordability."  Been there, done that.  Fortunately for FIREchief, if you're old enough and long-tenured enough they are too scared to lay you off, so they just stick you in the most miserable job they can come up with and hope you get all hot-headed and quit.  They can sometimes be really bad at this, and a wise person just keeps making lemonade out of the lemon assignments.


2) This happened to me.  Worked years and was considered a mentor for the group.  Won awards, patents, all kinds of good stuff.  I turned 55 and all of a sudden, my review is "does not meet expectations" and everything is clearly set up to push me out.  Looking around (opening my eyes), I find that many others have had this same treatment.  My belief is that there is a "Megacorp program to dump old people from the company" manual that managers are given.  I've been in touch with others at this old Megacorp and others hit the magic age and all of a sudden are not meeting expectations and are pushed out.

I saw this many times.  Selling your soul to advance at Megacorp isn't a one time thing, it has to be continual.  If they suspect for an instant that you've become "satisfied" with being a level 1, level 2, level x leader; you're on the list to be Shat upon and replaced by one of the "truly" devoted/insane.

avrex

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 357
  • Location: Canada
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #31 on: October 27, 2017, 07:30:34 PM »
MegaCorp....
It's just an exchange of services.  They pay me.  I provide a service.

Politics.   
A few observations:
   * compensation has nothing to do with your productivity or what you contribute
   * "how" you do your job is way more important than what you do
   * who you know is more important than what you know
   * kissing a$$ truly does get rewarded
Ya, I never liked "the game" or was good at it, so I just avoided it, and did my job to the best of my abilities.

Engagement. 
MegaCorp likes to brag about how engaged their employees are.  So, there are regular surveys to ensure that employees are engaged.  However, if ('horror') the results show low engagement, then (time wasting) committees are created to determine how employees can "correct their own attitudes" to become engaged. 
MegaCorp is never at fault for poor engagement.

Let's be honest, 'MegaCorp' the entity, doesn't care about you.

shunkman

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 51
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #32 on: October 28, 2017, 07:10:53 AM »
I have spent 34 years working at MegaGov. Things seem to get more F-upped everyday.  For those that have worked at both MegaCorp and MegaGov which was worse?

dcheesi

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1309
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #33 on: October 28, 2017, 07:39:12 AM »
MegaCorp....
It's just an exchange of services.  They pay me.  I provide a service.

Politics.   
A few observations:
   * compensation has nothing to do with your productivity or what you contribute
   * "how" you do your job is way more important than what you do
   * who you know is more important than what you know
   * kissing a$$ truly does get rewarded
Ya, I never liked "the game" or was good at it, so I just avoided it, and did my job to the best of my abilities.

Engagement. 
MegaCorp likes to brag about how engaged their employees are.  So, there are regular surveys to ensure that employees are engaged.  However, if ('horror') the results show low engagement, then (time wasting) committees are created to determine how employees can "correct their own attitudes" to become engaged. 
MegaCorp is never at fault for poor engagement.

Let's be honest, 'MegaCorp' the entity, doesn't care about you.
The beatings meetings will continue until morale improves!

shunkman

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 51
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #34 on: October 28, 2017, 10:15:20 AM »

Engagement. 
MegaCorp likes to brag about how engaged their employees are.  So, there are regular surveys to ensure that employees are engaged.  However, if ('horror') the results show low engagement, then (time wasting) committees are created to determine how employees can "correct their own attitudes" to become engaged. 
MegaCorp is never at fault for poor engagement.

Let's be honest, 'MegaCorp' the entity, doesn't care about you.

The organization that I work for is also wasting millions paying Gallup for "employee engagement" surveys. Employee engagement is mostly lip service from the HR VP that never means anything at the lower levels of management. Many survey responders select positive answers for fear of retribution. And our engagement scores are still way below what Gallup says is the national average.

itchyfeet

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 985
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #35 on: October 28, 2017, 12:22:41 PM »
I have spent 34 years working at MegaGov. Things seem to get more F-upped everyday.  For those that have worked at both MegaCorp and MegaGov which was worse?

I have worked at Megacorp and MegaGov. MegaGov was worse.

I actually also worked in both local govt and in fed govt. Local govt was ok, as it was possible to have a big input to decision making and to implement change. Federal Govt was soul destroying for so many reasons - bureaucracy, ego, unhappy colleagues....

Many more public servants are unhappy in their jobs than private sector employees from my experience.

I worked 16 years in the public sector, and the last 10 years in the private sector. Even if I wasn't FIREing I wouldn't take another MegaGov job.

Seadog

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 268
  • Age: 40
  • Location: Halifax, NS
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #36 on: October 28, 2017, 02:59:52 PM »
I was thinking about posting a thread similar to this, but more in the vein of "what are things only companies can provide?".

That said the two that jump to mind are status in the sense that things can go easier if your a member of a certain well known club, and access to certain legal privileges/assistance which are difficult on your own. For example, by chance a lot of old friends happen to be congregating in Texas over the last 18 months. I would consider living there because of friends (and weather helps!), however, my going and staying would be entirely conditional on securing a work visa which would almost certainly mean full time work.

Similarly for people in the US, health care options seem to be easier and more plentiful through an employer.

shunkman

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 51
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #37 on: October 28, 2017, 04:13:41 PM »
I have spent 34 years working at MegaGov. Things seem to get more F-upped everyday.  For those that have worked at both MegaCorp and MegaGov which was worse?

I have worked at Megacorp and MegaGov. MegaGov was worse.

I actually also worked in both local govt and in fed govt. Local govt was ok, as it was possible to have a big input to decision making and to implement change. Federal Govt was soul destroying for so many reasons - bureaucracy, ego, unhappy colleagues....


Thank you for validating what I have been feeling. Sometimes I ask myself if maybe the problem is me and not my MegaGov employer.



Gone Fishing

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2916
  • So Close went fishing on April 1, 2016
    • Journal
Re: What is it about MegaCorp??
« Reply #38 on: October 28, 2017, 05:10:40 PM »
Nothing was ever enough.  By chance you did make the insane goals, they would be promptly increased.  Without ever asking to change, I had 4 different positions in 8 years.  My office was moved 5 times in the same building.  I reported to 4 different managers, one of them (the worst one) twice.  I had people who weren't my boss thinking they were.  As soon as I built internal or external relationships, internal folks moved or were transferred, and external accounts were shuffled.  Despite generous compensation including a bonus, the vague rules and interpretation of the bonus always made it feel like you got screwed. Desk time was looked more favorably upon than actual production.  Absences for family activities and illnesses were looked down upon.  Our staff was cut in half over my tenure with no workload relief, demands actually increased.  No acknowledgement that our work was actually difficult.  Regular meetings (multiple times per week) to tell us we sucked.  My first 2 years or so, I was supplied with computer that had to be 10 years old. People in the ivory tower constantly thinking up more BS tasks to make themselves look good and make our lives more complicated.  Shitty IT systems, that required us to look at 5 different systems and compare trying to find accurate information.  Pathetic coworkers that either drank the cool aid (sacrificing themselves in the process), or were ruthless in their attempts to ride the backs of others to the (percieved) top. All authority stripped from the field. Smaller city offices (like mine) being shat upon by larger regional offices.

I'm sure there is more, but it is all I care to think about at the moment.  Looking back on it it is pretty amazing I stayed as long as I did.  Pretty crazy what you can and will put up with for money.  It does make me a bit sad that my income is now mostly derived megacorps treating people and customers in the typical megacorp fashion but I see few other options as I have no desire to be a real estate mogul.