Microsoft Annual Review 2009
Just a quick post: some of you enjoy posting information relevant to your review, both looking at numbers and a critical view of the message given to you. It has started to happen a bit in the last post so I'm just going to capitulate and put this small post up for the 2009 Annual Review share and compare.
Oh, and obviously grab yourself a few grains of salt. Folks seem to like this format:
- L# (promo'd?)
- (Exceeded|Achieved|Underperformed) / (20|70|10)
- Bonus $K
- Stock $K
- (Promo $K)
- Optional comments about Division / Group, discipline, impression of review
The promotion budget is significantly less this year meaning that if you got promoted you're really at the top of the heap. If you didn't, well, you're going into a long line.
And as we know: no merit raises this year (though you will get a raise if you're promoted). But bonus and stock awards are the same, ensuring we have the flexibility to reward our top performers.
I would expect that the Underperformed Microsofties have already been managed out. If you are an Achieved/10% then I'd expect you're given a very short term idea of what success looks like and can expect to be closely managed. Great time to update that resume and see what else is going on.
I found a bunch of old reviews of mine recently. Flipping through the review forms started with refreshing simplicity from over a decade ago, rapidly turning into confusing churn (company value ratings and all that crap), to now a fragmented collection of task-driven thoughts. While it's nice that the review form has pretty much stuck to the current form now and we don't have new components coming and going (yeah schema?) it really doesn't compare to the first couple of reviews I did at Microsoft.
Of course, I had great managers who knew how to give concise feedback, both daily and as part of my review. Where you don't have demonstrated collective excellence, you have process.
438 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 438 of 438I am a new hire, on my first review got A/10. Does this mean I have about 6 months left? Is it after the review was written OR after the review was handed to me?
From when do the six months start getting counted ?
L63
E/70
13% bonus
120% stock
Hoping for a promotion, but did not happen. Well, I still have a job.
"We drove the vast majority of our rewards this year to the top 5%, meaning that if you were at the very, very top of the 70% bucket (which usually means you started out in the 20% bucket before calibrations), you got totally screwed so a few shining superstars could get FOUR TIMES what the people who did almost the same level of work got."
+1
I know a couple of superstars in my department. They did excellent work, no question about that. Alas, their work/life ratio tends to infinity.
I did allright with E/70 2 years in a row and E/20 before that.
Still, not enough for a promotion and can't really understand what more is required for the next step. I count myself lucky, though confused by our reward strategy.
Divorce is not attractive, so now I'm looking for another opportunity within or without Microsoft; better now than waiting for the inevitable decline.
Debra is gone
http://kara.allthingsd.com/20090920/top-microsoft-infrastructure-exec-chrapaty-heads-to-cisco/
Has anyone let go with U10 gotten their review?
I got a U10
If I am let go soon - (technically to find another job internally)?
Internal job is not really a possibility. No one is going to even talk to you.
I got a U10
If I am let go soon - (technically to find another job internally)?
Internal job is not really a possibility. No one is going to even talk to you.
I know that, that is why I said technically. However that would give me an extra two months. Is that normal procedure or is it more normal just to fire me with 0-2 weeks?
Assuming I did not do anything really dumb except for the U/10.
Thanks.
I know that, that is why I said technically. However that would give me an extra two months. Is that normal procedure or is it more normal just to fire me with 0-2 weeks?
Assuming I did not do anything really dumb except for the U/10.
---
you better look outside and if you wanted to continue working at MS, look for a CSG / temp role and work your way back in.
{
I got a U10
If I am let go soon - (technically to find another job internally)?
}
Option1: If you have the potential but coudlnt perform due to some personal reasons, or if your skills still carry value for the next one year, they will let you bounce back.
Option2: If they fire you they can either give u 2months salary instead of 2 months notice or they you will be told clearly that you are under watch for the next 2 months or and if you don't show promise, you will head out.
Moving to another group is not a choice for you if any of following are true
- this is your first group (joined ms last year)
- you had a/10 or u/10 last year also.
- you had been at the same level for long time but have been securing a/70 at the bottom.
If your team is reducing or planning to reduce headcount, (which you can know by talking to folks over coffee or some informal chats), then you be prepared with you CV.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoft/2009968889_microsoft30.html
I agree with the poster, this would have helped some of the families impacted by the political rifs
"Option2: If they fire you they can either give u 2months salary instead of 2 months notice or they you will be told clearly that you are under watch for the next 2 months or and if you don't show promise, you will head out."
In the latter case, he will head out with 2 months salary after the 2 month "watch-period". Right?
I got approached by Amazon, does anyone have any opinion on working there?
barry
I also know someone contacted by Amazon in the past couple of weeks. I likewise would be interested in knowning anyone's experience of working for Amazon.
Level was 63 - member of 1400
Salary: 0
Bonus: 0
Stock: 0 large hire grant cancelled
Unemployment: $611/wk (this was last week of 26 - yes, it really has been 6 months since March 23). Submitted application for federal extension of 20 weeks - waiting to hear. Still embarrassed to have had to use unemployment for the first time in my life.
Microsoft employee-job interviews: 0
Microsoft phone interviews: 4
Microsoft contractor interview: 1
Other employer interviews: 6
Other phone interviews: many
Made it to the final cut on 5 of 6 interviews with other employers. Hiring interviewers usually less experienced, with less education. Job descriptions are usually high requirements, with lower titles and salaries than recent years. All jobs salaries had about $20,000 to $30,000 lower base, worse benefits. Lots of comments about how base was low due to the fact that they could do that given the current economy, and the number of people looking. Have read hundreds of job descriptions, and applied for about 150 jobs. Started looking harder at contract work since June.
Contract calls only started to pick up in mid-August, and a lot of these are low rates. Like $20 less an hour - do your own math on your pay to see what that would mean to you.
Multiple calls from Microsoft recruiters and hiring managers since August funding authorization, followed by nothing - take 2-3 hours of time talking and answering questions with recruiters and hiring managers, get hopeful, then nothing further. Several did mention that their role was too junior for my skills, and that they are not seeing the senior roles open up. Lots of positive conversation, but no cash. Not ideal jobs, but jobs I can do well or very well, and they think so too, so at least I am in the running.
Was flown elsewhere for interview at a big firm this week (8 interviewers, back-to-back) - for a lower job than my past 6 years of work. After some great discussion, the hiring manager said they weren't offering relocation for this job, and I said that wouldn't work for me, and flew back home. Got some miles out of it, I guess.
Actual recent interviews for MSFT contractor role - looks like I might get this. Have same or higher level of experience as hiring manager and next level up. Hourly contract rate is 71% of prior Microsoft hourly base rate. COBRA coverage will jump from subsidized 35% rate to full cost in January, and this will further cut into the low pay rate, but I want to work. Several friends have said we are "lucky" to be able to have gotten by this long, but it wasn't luck, it was a lot of saving, and now that is nearly decimated, all in one year.
Reading all the bonus and stock awards was a little tough, but I'm sure you earned it. In 15 years of work, I had never gotten less than maximum bonus and stock awards at my prior employers. Still feel stupid for not knowing that would change overnight.
Will take the contract role if offered, and then I will be a -1 from the many remaining unemployed in the 1400.
"I got approached by Amazon, does anyone have any opinion on working there?"
Amazon's interviewers are annoying - big on thinking they know everything, but they don't seem that bright. If you are a PhD or Masters in Computer Science, they like that, and also high up retail background - like a pal who was a Nordstrom buyer before she went to Amazon. Their hiring process seems self-defeating, like Microsoft's often is. I made it to a "final 2" earlier this year. When I asked the hiring manager what she expected from this job in the next six months, she said "nothing, really, it takes that long to learn how we do things here." The former MSFT-now AMZN recruiter later told me that they thought I couldn't keep up with their "fast pace" which seems hysterical, given that the group doesn't actually do much. Everyone I met thought a lot of themselves, so that's nice for them. They don't seem open to new technologies or new ideas. I do have a friend working for them in Europe who likes it, and the former Nordstrom buyer did a big remodel of her house using Amzaon stock. Some people have to travel a lot, as my kids have friends whose Amazon parents are always gone. Two recent-hire pals say the parking and food are terrible, and they like their jobs just okay.
The people with retail background think the tech people are ignorant, and vice versa. Jeff Bezos is an idiot, but they are big. They didn't tank their site again this year at Thanksgiving weekend, so that's something.
re: amazon
I got looped by them, i met with all former Micrsoft people (which I didn't find value in having occur).
I had the job from the hiring managers perspective (who was loopee #1). The last guy was clearly a deadwood from WinCE who talked more about himself and asked more about whom i worked with at MS. The one non-MS guy was the dev director who clearly wanted me for a dev mgr role.
I was perfect for the job but seems they got unofficial feedback or disliked my current team or simply felt I was tainted by MS experience or didn't like i was intersted in the dev mgr role. Who knows, very impersonnal experience.
strange interview process though, i also talkd to 3 different recruiters first one said after my phone screen thank you but no thank you, the hiring manager advised not to worry, i got a second recruiter to contact me about the same role and then looped me. I get a 3d recruiter to cold call a "piss off mate" message... a 4th recruiter contacted me about a role in the same team.
he former MSFT-now AMZN recruiter later told me that they thought I couldn't keep up with their "fast pace" which seems hysterical, given that the group doesn't actually do much.
nice, they are a cheap company and use the "fast pace" to qualify lack of quality. I didn't get a position there, but found out so much during the loop I was going to say "not interested" .. but in the interest of "dont burn the bridge" i went through and found a cold call the following week on my phone "not interested and we can't give you details"
Several did mention that their role was too junior for my skills, and that they are not seeing the senior roles open up. Lots of positive conversation, but no cash. Not ideal jobs, but jobs I can do well or very well, and they think so too, so at least I am in the running.
and
Actual recent interviews for MSFT contractor role - looks like I might get this. Have same or higher level of experience as hiring manager and next level up. Hourly contract rate is 71% of prior Microsoft hourly base rate.
The above is similar to what I've encountered. Jobs are far from ideal in level and pay rate, but I can do them and I'm tired of unemployment and tanking savings. They pay more than pouring coffee and file clerking, which are other things I can do that are even greater steps down in career level.
I hate the idea of accepting what is effectively more than a 45% cut in pay once lack of bonus, stock and benefits is considered, and worry about what that will do to my ability to get back to my old salary and level post-recovery.
At only 38, I'm not ready to start the long, slow career downshift people usually do in their late 50's when they have trouble getting work at their historical level. But I'll save most of the worrying for when I'm actually experiencing this dilemma, which would take a job offer.
I notice a lot of great 12+ year employees being laid off and/or given 10% in preparation for next round I’m guessing. Are there stats available on the demographics of those impacted to date? There seems to be no loyalty or appreciation for years of service. You are only as good as your current manager says you are. Lord help you if they simply just don't like you.
I recently left the company to go get my MS in CS. I personally tried to be ethical about my leaving and give plenty of notice and finish off my projects and loose ends. I was told I would get at least the contents of my review in the mail and some amount of bonus, but that never happened.
I also got contacted by Amazon, but not really interested in them either.
Overall I was disappointed with the lack of creativity and amount of over-practicality I saw at MS. But I guess that's what ships products. I'm probably just a foolish idealist.
anyone can tell me how come a manager dares to put a lot of LIES in people's review comments? how come a manager thinks he has the powerful right to do this? should the upper management protects its employee or protects the bad manager? why there exists such a bad manager? what if the public knows about this? why microsoft cannot get rid of the bad managers? why???!!!
anyone can tell me how come a manager dares to put a lot of LIES in people's review comments?
Simple answer: Because they know no one will stop them. Not every manager would do this, I don't think. But those who know that their manager is beholden TO THEM in some way know they can get away with it and then do. I hear ya, brother. It happened to me, too. I embarrassed him in front of an exec with proof to the contrary, after my manager wouldn't listen to me when I wanted to discuss the matter in private, and the comment was removed. So, errrrum, was I in Round 1 last January. Won the battle, lost the war.
how come a manager thinks he has the powerful right to do this?
Because he/she has something on his/her manager, and/or he/she has gotten away with it before.
should the upper management protects its employee or protects the bad manager?
In corporate America, this "should?" is a pointless question, because debating this point will not alter reality.
why there exists such a bad manager?
Because the company won't can them.
what if the public knows about this? why microsoft cannot get rid of the bad managers? why???!!!
The public has likely encountered similar issues in their non-Microsoft workplaces, so this is not a surprise. Sorry, they're all over the place, particularly in larger companies where politics can be more important than competence and delivering.
RE: 12+ year 10%er's.
That's exactly where I am. 12 years at MS, my first low performance review ever, A/10. I started shopping my resume around the day after my 9/15 review. I've had two phone interviews, one in Seattle area, one out of area. I'd really like to find a job while I still have a job.
On the topic of Bad Managers...... Several of them survive and also Grow in the company. Usually happens if his/her manager and HR is equally bad. Or he/she may be focussing all efforts on keeping Manager "happy". But usually they wont survive for too long. So don't loose heart.
"I hate the idea of accepting what is effectively more than a 45% cut in pay once lack of bonus, stock and benefits is considered, and worry about what that will do to my ability to get back to my old salary and level post-recovery.
At only 38, I'm not ready to start the long, slow career downshift people usually do in their late 50's when they have trouble getting work at their historical level. But I'll save most of the worrying for when I'm actually experiencing this dilemma, which would take a job offer."
I was your age when I was leveled by the dotcom bomb. It took 5 years to get back to the pay level. Have to admit partly because I was overpaid during the dotcom daze.
Focus on getting back in the game and not where you were.
1400 update: minus one from the list of unemployed. Did get the contract job at 71% of old base. Prefer not to do the personal calculation one of you was willing to do, to see what percentage of former total compensation that is, although that 45% figure is likely about right. Somewhat hopeful that there may be a regular blue badge role from this along the way. It's been a long time since I was paid this low of an hourly rate, but I am indeed glad to have it.
No vacation, no sick leave, no insurance, no bonus, no stock, no prime card - Hey, we can't afford to go out to dinner anyway - no disability or life insurance, etc. Paying own health insurance through COBRA premiums to protect my family, so that cuts even more from the realized net.
Great news is that my federal income tax is going to be really low this year - for a while there, it was looking like the federal tax I paid in 2008 was going to exceed my entire income for 2009. Always earned too much for the child tax credit, but this year we will get it. Total income including unemployment and the rest of this year paid will put me at less than half of my 2008 income.
One weird tidbit: when our transmission failed in July, I realized I can't get a car loan without a job. I had of course realized we can't refinance the house at the current low rates, but somehow never thought about what if we need a replacement car, with the loan we'd need to buy it. Thankfully, the new transmission is working well.
GOOD LUCK to everyone seeking work. I hope something good is just around the bend. Keep your spirits up, remember all the good stuff you know how to do.
Does anyone know if a FTE can get Unemployment Insurance if he/she gets managed out?
Does anyone know if a FTE can get Unemployment Insurance if he/she gets managed out?
--
generally yes.
"Does anyone know if a FTE can get Unemployment Insurance if he/she gets managed out?"
Yes, if you are managed out, not due to cause (fired due to something against policy, such as stealing, etc.) you are generally entitled to unemployment benefits. As long as you do not voluntarily quit like leaving for a new job, you are entitled to benefits. Key is you want to be discharged or constructively discharged, not just quit for no reason. Read Undercoverlawyer.com with the details. He's an employment atty and publishes information for each state.
"Does anyone know if a FTE can get Unemployment Insurance if he/she gets managed out?"
If you are laid off, either in a large layoff or on your own, you are eligible for Unemployment Compensation (Unemployment Insurance is what employers pay). I was laid off in the 1400, and received unemployment (which does not go far, believe me). Layoff is what they call "lack of work" as the reason. If you are fired (terminated for cause) you are usually not eligible for unemployment. If you are canned just because Washington allows it, but NOT because you stole things or harassed people or whatever else might fall under "cause" (basically means they were right to terminate you, because you did things that were severely detrimental to the business), then you are eligible for unemployment. If you quit instead of being fired, you are often eligible for unemployment, but it takes more work.
If you quit because you feel like it, or because you think you might get canned or laid off, then you are on your own - otherwise everyone would do it.
Some FTEs were kicked off this month because of under performance. Does anyone know if they can get layoff package, like two months salary for this kind of termination? Are they qualified for Unemployment Insurance if not doing bad thing like stealing....
I might get kicked off because this reason.
L64 in a recently acquired company in another time-zone so this is my first review.
A/10
4% bonus
Nada stock
Guess I should be moving on?
I was recently handed a development plan with impossible targets/estimates. Is it just a pretext to manage employees out?
Does anyone have experience in this regard? How does it turn out at the end? Can it go either way or is it a oneway street?
I was recently handed a development plan with impossible targets/estimates. Is it just a pretext to manage employees out?
It was for me. And the joke was, when I managed to meet the impossible targets through Herculean efforts, they found other things along the way that I did wrong (much more minor than bigger mistakes others made) to use to justify the end they wanted.
My advice: Ask them why they've set the targets in the way that they've set them. Explain your perspective on what more achievable targets would be and why they're reasonable, non-slacker targets. If they're willing to change them, great. If they're not, don't bust your tail, because the outcome is predetermined.
Enjoy the free sodas. Take advantage of online training opportunities and, if you're in Redmond, in-person ones. Give your work a professionally-justified amount of effort, but don't go overboard. Keep track of when they're being unreasonable, as you might be able to use that later to negotiate severance. Get your resume and references in order. And start looking for your next opportunity.
"Managing up/sideways, sending useless status reports is primary function of these guys."
Cant agree more... Most LT in several Subs are even worse. Apart from this, they do so many internal meetings, Conf calls, and ask for so many presentations, just to keep themselves busy, ... a big drain on productivity of their team members.
I work in a services offshore unit. Most of the LT and Managers spend all their time doing internal meetings, round tables, and "Employee Morale" BS.
Most of them cannot help close a single Consulting Services Deal. They don't understand Microsoft Consulting and MS Technology to review our work. On top of it they keep travelling for "meetings" with LT in Redmond/EMEA just for their personal networking. Sometime these Business trips are planned in line with their family vacation. If you are concerned about LT in WinMo etc, imagine us. We are patient ......
I think lot of our posts are very unfair to Steve B. His challenge is rest of LT and several Region Leaders not scaling up and doing their job.
L62 -> L63 (after a year in L62)
E/20
Bonus: 15%
Stock: 160%
Promo: 13%
Anyone ever been the new guy who got A/10'ed. Did you bounce back, or just bounce?
I joined this company 2 weeks back and I am sick of this place like no other place. I think I made the worst mistake of my life.
Two days before joining the company they changed my hiring manager and my new lead has put me down atleast 4 times in 15 days and atleast 5 times I heard that he didnt want to give me the level and package the company offered me.
If this is the skill of the people managers at Microsoft, god save this company in future.
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