I work at Amazon but still on my old company account. I was rated Least Effective this year and changed teams before my old manager could put me in focus. My new manager has been getting emails to put me in Focus but continues to decline. He has told me we will deliver something by mid-year reviews and he will not have to put me in focus. It is clear to me that my manager has my back but as I understand it’s not like we get a new rating during mid-year. So I am technically LE all year so he will always get prompted to put me on a plan? Is it true that he can decline requests to put me in focus all year? Is it possible to go from LE -> HV2 the next year? 2024 TC: 300k due to stock growth 2025 TC: 200k due to bad rating
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Amazon does quarterly talent review internally.
I thought it was just at mid-year. Are you sure?
My manager always tell us he is attending talent review every few months throughout the year. Not sure if it is org dependent
Leave amazon. Why people continue working at that shit hole?
My new team is a great opportunity with high learning potential
LC and GTFO asap, your manager can't and won't protect you forever
I don’t need forever though, only for 1 year?
I am sitting on another offer but might just stick with Amazon because 2024 TC is so high
When did you transfer teams? Were you in Focus then?
My old manager hinted he was going to put me in focus so I switched before he was able to. I transferred early March and officially applied to new job in mid Feb
Ah okay. It maybe your manager wants you to be in LE so he can save some of his own headcount from LE bell curve. Or it could be that he’s doing it for an ego boost or as a matter of righteousness (there was perhaps a reason why you were going to be in Focus and it so my fair you go through it coz someone else would have to take the hit otherwise). Or it could be both of the above.
This is strange. If you’re LE, your manager is required to put you in Focus (though I’ve learned that orgs can make their own rules for pretty much everything, which is frustrating). To answer one of your questions, the point of the mid-year review is to revisit ratings; it should start around July, IIRC. (Only the end-of-year rating impacts your comp, though.) If you changed teams but not your job code, then your new manager should be able to adjust your rating to reflect your performance since the start of the year. While others may disagree, the point of Focus is to coach the employee to improve their performance. It’s a formal process that requires the manager to do a lot of extra work, so it’s no fun for them, and no one actually enjoys it. This may be partly why your manager is refusing. However, if it’s done correctly, and if you haven’t been performing to the best of your ability, then it can actually be a good experience. Your manager has to document why you’re LE and describe the criteria for you to “graduate” Focus. While you won’t see this documentation, it has to be approved by HR and management. Your manager should clearly explain to you why you’re LE and what you need to do to increase your rating. (Frankly, if your new manager disagrees with the rating, then Focus is a great opportunity for them to document this formally!) They should also meet with you weekly or biweekly to review your progress. Therefore, it shouldn’t be a surprise if you “fail” Focus and end up on a PIP. Also, start doing everything they recommend immediately, because the Focus period is short — you have only two months to accomplish whatever they’ve laid out, and your manager needs to decide at around the 6-week mark if you’re going to graduate. If you do as your manager asks, then your rating should increase, which is a good thing! From what I’ve seen on Blind, everyone seems to think Focus is something that bad managers use as a punishment for employees they don’t like. They talk about it like it’s impossible to graduate, so you should look for another job immediately. That’s certainly one option, but as a former manager, I can tell you that it is possible to graduate, and it can be a positive experience.
What happens if one has changed teams and also the job code (assuming you mean job family here)? Does that put the person at risk and how? What if the job family is a less complex (like SDM to PM non tech).
Again, different orgs can have different rules, so I can’t guarantee anything. Changing job codes can restrict your new manager’s ability to give you a higher rating until you hit a certain milestone (for example, 8 months in your new role). You should feel free to ask your manager about this, though, because there’s no reason for this info to be secret. Just keep in mind that your rating is (supposed to be) determined by comparing your performance to the bar for your level and role, so if you haven’t had much time in your new role, it’s tough for your manager to assess and rate you.
There are often top down mandates for meeting URA targets. It’s hard to push back after a while.
Your manager will in the end have his own back. Ask yourself; if you were a people manager, would you put one of your long standing employees in Focus if they are performing well or would you put the new person who has already received an LE in Focus for the rating that's due in ~65 business days? Your manager, or your skip, has to deliver 5% LE per level and 3% URA across all levels. Can't Pivot people without Focus. Draw your own conclusions
It’s hard to argue with you there. I agree I am an easy target but hoping my manager will have my back. I’ll be looking out for myself in the meantime
Similar situation, I got put in focus. Manager was understanding and supportive, but couldn't do much in the end other than extending focus by 2 weeks. I understand your TC is high this year, so I'd try to stick it out too. But you know the most likely outcome.
Was it in a new team that the new hiring manager put you in Focus or in the existing team?
Would love more details Bloomberg. How similar?
Did you get pipped in the new team or the same team?
Yes I’d love more info. Did you take FMLA? How long was your focus? Did your manager purposely try to screw you so you did not get your stock vest? I’m wondering if my manager will be able to negotiate something with me
What is the reason for bad rating
It is very clear that old manager screwed me. New manager believes me and has seen my old deliverables. Also he sees I am contributing on new team already in a REASONABLY EFFECTIVE (RE) way
If the rating was truly based on Manager screwing you then based your post, new Manager likes you amd get better rating