Recently, my manager expressed dissatisfaction that I was working on a project for another team. I had come into the company thinking it was a place where people would explore where they fit in, and make the biggest difference. That's how it was sold, at least. But my manager, it turns out she thought different. During one company function, she was drunk and giving advice. She said you have to give it up to the person above you, essentially that everyone should know their place and make the person above them look good, in turn for their supervisor taking care of their interests. Basically she's very pro-feudalism.
She's recently tried to put me on a PIP, and when I look at the points I have to improve on, it's written in very vague language, and is all non-technical. As well, she's moving me to another of the company's offices, knowing it will make my commute time triple. This will also put me away from upper management and HR. In addition she's been telling people behind my back to take me off certain projects so I can "focus on my new role".
I really need some advice. I'm close to my 1 year cliff, in fact she even said that's a reason she "looked into my file". What can I do when a manager is trying to make life hard for me under the pretense of giving me a chance to improve? There are other teams, but I haven't heard of people transferring very often. As well, she's senior and so definitely is more valuable to the company than any one person under her, so I doubt picking a fight over unfair treatment would help. I do want to stay at this company if I can, and I feel like I'm being unfairly targeted because I don't have the same feudal career philosophy as her.
TC 120k (Not SWE, in case this affects your analysis and advice, mechatronics/math background)
comments
Start preparing for the worst case scenario and get ready to switch jobs.
Talk to other managers who like you and ask them if they can be your manager instead and/or talk to your manager’s boss and explain what’s going on.
If you are open and honest about what’s going on and the situation doesn’t get resolved from the management level, you would be better off working elsewhere.
Again, they are still protecting the company here.
It was probably a joke gone wrong fro Uber.
Op don’t pay attention to that kind of rhetoric
Ok if it really comes down to saving your job before the 1 year cliff , there are a few legally protected leave you can use. DM me for details
You got hired to be a part of HER team. Yea sure you got sold on the idea that you can branch out but honestly you're pretty naive to not take that statement with a grain of salt. You've been there less than a year and you're showing signs that you don't wanna focus on what you were actually hired to do. We all want to succeed and move up but you really gotta put in the time first before you decide that you wanna move up the ladder. Getting selected for a job is already hard enough as it is and you're showing a lack of appreciation by merely using your current role as a stepping stone to break into another role. Would you like it if the tables were turned?
Anyway I know you're looking for support and not looking to be chastised. You can either:
A) try and kill the PIP
B) GTFO of there and use this as a lesson
Seriously, at least put in a year and half worth of work before you start branching out
EDIT: My bad. I thought this was in Amazon's forum. LinkedIn below is correct. Each company has their own policy.
Regardless of how recruiters sold you the place, most companies are structured with managers managing the work of employees and coordinating cross-team collaboration. Don't go around that role without their buy-in and you'll have more success.
Use friends on your team to keep giving you a heads up, but they'll have to have enough maturity not to approach your manager directly. That will help no one.
The manager is trying to force you out. It's really that simple. It feels more like it's textbook, once HR was contacted for the PIP, and less personal.
However, at some point, the terms of the PIP will be unmeetable.
-- track everyone else on your team
Either people on your team meet the requirements, and you don't, or (more likely) no one will. Turn that shit around on them, and demand that everyone else not meeting the same standards ALSO be put on a PIP. When that doesn't happen, they'll probably switch HR contacts on you to keep a lawsuit from happening. If that happens, again, textbook, that means that you have some room to negotiate.
That's assuming you haven't switched teams or left for another company before that.
If you need to, tell HR higher ups that your HRBP will not be a party to any future discussions or that HRBP (and her manager) will be named parties to a discrimination law suit. You'll need all the emails that documented that hr misrepresented your emails as part of that.
Most companies are building data loss prevention measures now, so you won't be able to save your messages on your last day. Print out as you go. More work for you, even though you barely have any time outside commute and sleep as it is.
You are hired to do what your manager asked you AND take it to the next level. That is your value and differentiator.
If the OP’s manager cares only about how she looks in the org the you are dealing with an unsecured manager.
Best advice, LEAVE ASAP. Very rarely you will win a fight with a manager.
And be sure not to sound like a petulant sore loser lashing back, but just someone who honestly wants to leave clear feedback behind so that there's no confusion and there's maybe a chance for the company to learn and improve from this.
Even if the company doesn't use anything you say, at least you can say that you tried one last time to help on your way out.
And, who knows, maybe one of those higher-ups you have this last honest conversation with will remember you in the future.
Focus ALL your efforts on finding a new position immediately. Do not spend one more minute thinking about her. You are likely about to be let go. Dont sign any severance agreement without it saying that you'll agree that you let on mutually agreed upon terms (meaning they'll never tell another employer you were fired or ineligible for rehire.)
P.S.: Sorry you are going through this. Just know it's happened to many successful people before you. She's a shitty manager and likely feels threatened. Keep your chin up and you will find something better soon. This too shall pass.
I am not what you think I am. You are what you think I am.
2) a report influencing across teams/orgs is exactly what you want in a high performing company
If you’re incapable of managing top tier talent, take a hard look at your abilities and reassess if you’re good enough to be entrusted with others careers.
I’ll remember this comment as a reason to not work at Enovate Medical.
It's obvious: interview elsewhere and leave asap. You're welcome.
I'm wondering if it's legally sound to argue that they are discriminating or wrongful termination because they timed the firing to be right before the cliff. It's an asshole move, but it's not illegal, right?
Lol maybe that was the issue (jk)
-What % of your workload does that 1 project represent?
-Is there a chance that you are not giving your core items the diligence it needs because of this project? Maybe what your manager was trying to say to you is that you could be a rockstar with focus...(I understand that this might not have worded it the same way).
- Are their projects on your managers team you are not taking on because you are tied up on the other project?
- Also, was this one project something you undertook with their support?
What am I hearing you say is that the projects on your team are not important to the company, but the other project is. If that is indeed the case, and you are appreciated for that work, why not move to the other team? If that is not the case, why the reticence to focus on projects on your team?
At the end of the day, it’s really difficult to hire, train and get someone to become productive in role. So if you are indeed delivering, selfishly, your manager is better of keeping you, rather than going back to the hiring table. If your manager is looking at letting you go, it might be good for you to reflect a little bit on what else might be going on.
Why on earth would anyone expect to get hired by a manager/team and be permitted to work on some others teams deliverables, makes no sense at all.