"Fire Me? Oh, hell no! Microsoft should fire YOU!"
Just a quick post to gage scattered reaction to the initial posts here (mostly in the comments, but a few out in the blogosphere).
- Some folks:
- Relative thumbs up. Thanks. (# # )
- Other folks:
- Agnostic, or this blog is border line blather, but some interesting bits and pieces here and there. (And I'm sorry, but even faint praise from Don Box is more than any mere mortal can ever aspire to). (# )
- Rest of the folks:
- You yellow-bellied anonymous-posting proto-elitist negative .NET hating whiner: ooooo, you should be fired before you even have a chance to quit! (# # )
And it seems right now the best way to get some blog-voodoo posted about you is to slam .NET and its aspiration to solve the world's programming ills. As for my boss firing me, he's cool as long as I add a disclaimer (done - yes, I had a mini-coming-out party Friday) and while I can write about policy violation if I go and manifest that into reality then I will find myself badge-less in Redmond.
But stepping back: this isn't about me. Sure, I'm involved in channeling some ideas but this messenger is one representation of concern and ideas from inside of Microsoft of how we're going through our own Bubble that seems unsustainable. I'm just not drinking the current variety of Kool-Aid. I love Microsoft and I work with the absolute best people in the world and it's because I love this company that I'm flustered with any slothful, stumbling trends. I'm pleased to consider other points-of-views and I promise that if you post to your blog your opinions and ideas (and I find them via trackbacks or such) I will compile them here.
5 comments:
You keep on kickin' ass.
I was with the company for 14 years. With an average review score of better than 3.25 (which in previous posts seems to be the median bar set), and with my manager not agreeing with the decision, MS decided to terminate my employment based upon HR policy guidelines that were not enforced evenly and equally to other people that were associated with my departure. Microsoft has become a company where you're just another number and for all the rhetoric about them caring about the employees, they really only care about the bottom line. Case in point, after talking with a friend of mine in HR, I've come to find out that they are taking a look at everyone in the company that has more than 7+ years there with a microscope; regardless of review scores and everything else. They'll go through your email, expense reports, procard statements, everything to find some piece of dirt on you to reduce their overall cost per head by getting rid of the head. Bitter - Table for 1, sure that's me. But I gave 14 years of my life to that place. I worked my butt off for that place. I wasn't given any warning, no performance plan, no nothing. Just a "because of this one issue" we're going to have to terminate your employment with us. My manager was visibly shaken and completely disagreed with the decision.
So all you MS'ers keep thinking that they really care about the employee. Sure, they care. They care that you're there with no work/life balance, pissing off your spouses because you're expected to work your ass off. Sure, you get your medical, dental, vision, and some "stock awards". But in the end, I found another job with another company close in the area that pays me more money, is definitely more concerned about my work/life balance and I get almost similar benefits with better hours. The water is warm out here folks.
That's such an excellent comment. Thanks so much for taking the time to write it up. I'll make note of it off of the main page.
I debated on posting this but I am a v-/a- type that has been in remora mode around Microsoft for about 15 years now. I saw an interesting trend on the upslope of the bubble. Folks whom I knew and respected from Microsoft were all retiring. I would come in for meetings and hear that the leader of the meetings last day was Friday because he was moving to the carribean. His "financial advisor" told him last Monday he had hit his F*ck you number and he was gone. The scary part about this was not that the folks I knew were leaving but the folks that replaced them were nothing burgers. It was as though they were trying to get any butt into the seat. The people just weren't of the same caliber.
The only upside I have seen so far is that in the last year or so some of the retirees have been filtering back and I am starting to see some of the old school Microsoft I knew and loved.
"I'm flustered with any slothful, stumbling trends."
dont talk about steve balmer that way...
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