Tales from a botched reorg

[FreeAtLast]

It sure sounds like you made the right decision to move on. Best of luck!

 

[Nords]

The exit interview was both amusing and brought up a bunch of repressed anger. The interviewer let slip that someone I know witha similar name is leaving for a "competitor," perhaps a month after fully vesting in pension and 401k.

I know that, but it still felt good to tell them what hopeless losers they are.

Well, I was going to ask whether the repressed anger was coming from the interviewer or from you, but never mind-- I think I figured it out.

So this "similar name" person is what caused HR to keep asking you for a resignation letter?

More grist for the book...

 

[kumquat]

Have you considered the private sector?

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

Have you considered the private sector?

It's not much better. LOL.

Imagine people from other divisions who sit in the same building coming over to your area to ask if your group has been eliminated. Nope, they have not been fired. They just invented clever excuses to not show up during June - August. My kids don't have after school program, my wife is pregnant (stop ****ing her without getting the snip snip first), I am on vacation followed by a week in surgery, followed by 3 weeks of "working at home".

Meanwhile, I was covering for a really sick PM who had developed cancer, another PM who had quit, and training a new PM from out of state. Then the idiot QA girl had the gall to yell and scream in my face because what she asked me to teach her was "so complicated." Great, I just saved you having from having write 10 emails and make 3 phone calls all over the world to find out how complicated it is. Show some gratitude. Nope. Started a back-stabbing campaign to say that I was sexually harassing her. She came in one day in a low-cut dress. I didn't notice because I couldn't stand her bad personality much less want to look at whatever pathetic cleavage she was trying to show. Then she purposely sat down at my desk and tried pull her own dress down through a pair of earphones she had threaded through her own dress. I told her, "You might want to stop doing that." That became I tried to pull her dress down at work. Are you kidding me? You're an old shriveled 38-year-old mom of 4, and I'm working 65 hours a week covering for 3 people plus your useless asses who want June - August off every year. Trying to sneak a peek at whatever crap you were trying to show off was the last thing on my mind.

This is the same woman who kept calling her own QA manager a fat cow who tries to stop me from getting a company-wide reputation. If this QA woman actually wanted a reputation, she should have realized that she needed to build one, not just ask other people to hand her one and then complain how things are complicated. If she wanted simple, she should have asked for a job at McDonald's. Oh, I forgot, McDonald's doesn't have "work at home" days.

Yes, please enjoy the private sector. People are lazy, pathetic excuses for human beings. Sorry if that came off harsh, but this was my 2010, and I haven't even told you 1/3 of the crap.

 

[brewer12345]

I have now been "invited" to a second exit interview. The fact that this is a transfer is apparently (yet again) news to these troglodytes and they cannot tell me why I should sit through a second exit interview.

I am leaving, morons. I have no incentive to be anything other than savage. You had better give me a reason to waste time with you.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Damn, Buns. That sucks easily as bad as Brewer's wringer-wringing experiences. The things that happen out there in the corporate deal. I will keep my comparatively simple job here by the window and be just a bit happier about it.
I'm just glad that y'all are really well compensated for the drama. I traded down, pretty reasonably, I think.

 

[brewer12345]

The private sector is frequently just as bad as the nonsense I have been dealing with. Giant bureaucracies are lousy places to work regardless of whether they are private or not.

 

[donheff]

I have now been "invited" to a second exit interview. The fact that this is a transfer is apparently (yet again) news to these troglodytes and they cannot tell me why I should sit through a second exit interview.

I am leaving, morons. I have no incentive to be anything other than savage. You had better give me a reason to waste time with you.

If this is a transfer isn't it a bit risky to let all your anger out in the exit interviews? Don't people in these organizations talk to each other?

 

[brewer12345]

If this is a transfer isn't it a bit risky to let all your anger out in the exit interviews? Don't people in these organizations talk to each other?

Apparently not, since the message that this is a transfer still has not gotten through. In fact, I am expecting a payroll/service credit eff up that I will have to fight next month. They will also be asking to borrow me from my new employer from time to time as I have a critically needed but extremely rare skill set they will need. So they have to play nice in the sandbox if they want my help and my new oberfuhrer's assent to the occasional loan.

The first interview was with someone I know and they claimed to want candid feedback. They got it. That is all that I have to say on the way out.

 

[SteveL]

I hope you will begin a new thread about new situation after you start. It is possible that you will find the new place to be wonderful. Or, possibly more likely, you will begin collecting more material for your book as the new organization will be just as screwed up as the old one. Either way it would be entertaining to hear about.

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

For my exit interview, I had the fortune of doing it online (or maybe they couldn't spare the human resource to interview a dirt-level PM). LOL. I was tempted to write, "I am voting with my feet. Figure out what I am gracious enough to not say," but I was so tired of the drama, the re-orgs, the back stabbing, the lazy, useless people who take up meeting time sprouting empty corporate speak that I just left the entire form blank except for a period (the form wouldn't take a completely blank entry).

 

[Meadbh]

I had a couple of exit interviews. I was leaving two good organizations but I wanted to make sure they knew about some of the issues that had helped me make my decision to leave. I gave them the "feedback sandwich": start with something good, then talk about the irritants, given them some suggestions on how to avoid those in the future, and finish with my appreciation for having worked there and how I will always remember them fondly.

 

[MasterBlaster]

There is no upside in trashing everyone on an exit interview.

 

[FreeAtLast]

I have now been "invited" to a second exit interview.

Perhaps they are confusing you with the individual that is leaving who has a similar name.

 

[Katsmeow]

I have now been "invited" to a second exit interview. The fact that this is a transfer is apparently (yet again) news to these troglodytes and they cannot tell me why I should sit through a second exit interview.

I am leaving, morons. I have no incentive to be anything other than savage. You had better give me a reason to waste time with you.

Brewer

I've been following this whole thread (and I certainly see why you are leaving!)...but confused about one thing. I thought you were leaving your current employer to go to work for another employer (in the same field)...in an early post you talking about interviewing with a "more sane organization..." Is that "more sane organization" another office of your current employer (which does sound a like a transfer) or a different organization (which sounds like a resignation)....Sorry to ask but keep thinking I must of missed something along the way...

 

[brewer12345]

Brewer

I've been following this whole thread (and I certainly see why you are leaving!)...but confused about one thing. I thought you were leaving your current employer to go to work for another employer (in the same field)...in an early post you talking about interviewing with a "more sane organization..." Is that "more sane organization" another office of your current employer (which does sound a like a transfer) or a different organization (which sounds like a resignation)....Sorry to ask but keep thinking I must of missed something along the way...

It is complicated. I am transferring from one org to another. Both are part of a larger organization, but each has its own HR, policies, etc. All on the same benefits platform and they share staff back and forth as needed. I got recruited for this spot because we borrowed a couple of guys from my new place and they were impressed.

 

[kcowan]

Never had an exit interview. Sounds like I missed nothing. Retired out of one and then completed employment contracts with all the others (6).

 

[golfnut]

Never had an exit interview.

Not missing much, IMHO.

 

[brewer12345]

Last exit was low pressure with the only sane HR person I have met here. It is done.

 

[Meadbh]

Now hit the road with a smile on your face and a positive attitude!

 

[davemartin88]

Last exit was low pressure with the only sane HR person I have met here. It is done.

Brewer12345, best of luck in the new spot!

My exit interview was at the same time I was being laid off (voluntarily took a package). My boss had come from the Megacorp that had taken my team over and since I was being laid off under my previous companies plan, had no idea how to fill out the paperwork. I did it myself and then she signed everything. She did thank me for taking care of the paperwork. All in all, pretty painless and I was sure it was done right.

 

[target2019]

Good luck on the new job.

I avoided large organizations for 25 years, except for stints as an independent contractor. Finally had to join megacorp, and it has been an interesting 5 years. I've had 5 different managers, which is somewhat unusual, and have one great lesson to pass on. If it all possible, pick a manager, not a job.

My 5th manager (for 1.5 years) has made a great difference in how I feel about the job. Also, I may meet with him once or twice a month, but email and text on a regular basis. I really understand how to do work, and don't need micro-managing. I also don't need the pressure which accompanies a 10-25% downsizing, and the boss realizes that. So he shares background information. Knowing about possible growth opportunities keeps me sane.

It sounds like your new boss will have many of the same qualities as mine.

 

[lhamo]

Congrats, brewer. HOpe your move goes smoothly, your house sells quickly, and that the new place is a bit more sane and gives you better compensation and higher quality of life as you make the final push to FI and ER.

lhamo