#employeeengagement

I have worked here for over two decades and this is one of the more frustrating periods I have seen. The actual workload is manageable, but the constant politics between departments and leadership make the day feel heavier than it needs to be. We're spending more time avoiding conflict than solving problems. Most of the conversations are tense and few are comfortable speaking openly anymore. A few coworkers who used to be very engaged now barely participate unless they have to. It's exhausting, and for all the wrong reasons.

They expect you to eat, sleep, and breathe work. If you're willing to give up your evenings, your weekends, and any semblance of a personal life, you'll probably do fine. If you want to see your family or have hobbies, good luck. Is this a Cisco-wide issue? I was thinking of applying internally, but I don't want to end up in a same environment.

What a load of sh!t this all is. You don’t care about any of us. If you did you would have respected our survey feedback last year. People want flexibility, none of the other BS does anything for anyone.

What’s up with these events today like they have been a long time tradition? What’s the point of hyping these irrelevant events? What the he-l is a swoosh cup? Is there anything more irrelevant than a Nike Mile? Perhaps they trying to cover up the fact how fun JDI days used to be?

Are people actually going to JDI day or do some people use it as a day off? I really don’t have that much interest in going, and I think my team is kinda doing whatever. Wondering if it’s abnormal to not partake or how people approach JDI day especially considering where the company is at. I’d rather have saved the money of JDI day and split the cost up as a bonus between everyone lol

Please provide what was discussed. Not all Wellmed folks were invited . Managers are nowhere to be found and my whole team is having computer issues.

Stank tried to spin the metric that 79% of the employees that did respond felt committed and engaged and used that number as support for his policies. He did not share the next metric that if only 79% of those who responded felt engaged/committed, then it is a easy assumption to make that really only about 60% of the total work force felt committed and engaged.
Remember, the C-Suite will ignore the responses that do not support their ideology and strategy, and outright lie about what the employees really feel is important.
499/600 and 875/900 are the real survey numbers.

Would like to hear from any non-ELT GP on here. I assume those remaining support the culture changes. Do you? Is there something we aren’t getting?

Honestly curious.

I absolutely loved todays call and how Xeroids have to be coached on basic concepts as if they are something"New" to drive toward goals and functionality that Lexmark had already been performing and achieved over a decade ago.

SMH - I seriously don't know how a 120 year old company allowed it's workforce to be taken over by employees that just set on their hands collecting pay checks instead of driving these basic practices.

Is there any truth behind a mid year focus on impacting remote employees? I heard there is but can’t comprehend how we can continue to lose people while the scope of work increases. ODW isn’t helping with workload (at least yet) and using AI only provides a temporary security blanket to speed some things up (while quality goes down).

I've been doing this work for a very, very long time, and the best managers I ever had were the ones who listened more than they talked. They cared about their people and helped us succeed. These days, it's all talk and no substance. I don't even bother with all hands meetings anymore because there's never any real information or direction.

Get those coffee mugs ready. And please be onsite to enjoy the viewing parties in person.
Thank you for your attention to this critical matter.

HR.

I've worked at several companies over the years, and I have never seen anything quite like the culture of secrecy that exists here. Management hoards information, doling out tiny scraps only when absolutely necessary. They don't trust any of us to handle bad news or make decisions, so they treat us like children instead of empowering us to do our jobs well. The result is a workforce that's disengaged, frustrated, and constantly in the dark about where the company is actually headed. It's frustrating, to say the least.

The damage caused by the Stinky 8/1/25 email can never be undone.

For most employees, the message was loud and clear: your concerns don’t matter. Your feedback doesn’t matter. Your time, family, commute, and quality of life don’t matter.

Whether Stink intended that message or not, that’s exactly how it was received. Totally thoughtless, inconsiderate, unstable, emotionally charged, and power drunk.

The result of Stinks decisions and policies has been years of declining morale, disengagement, frustration, and a workforce that feels increasingly disconnected from the people making the decisions.

Now another survey is coming up.

Don’t forget how Stink responded the last time employees spoke honestly. The reaction said more than the survey results ever could. We now know he’s totally unstable and a loose cannon.

If you believe trust has been damaged, say it.

If you believe the culture has deteriorated, say it.

If you believe rigid policies are driving away good people and hurting engagement, say it.

This is one of the few chances employees have to be heard. Use it.

If you have time, this is a great interview on the issue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXiOO-nKqpw&t=1s

Has anyone been promoted in their current role without needing to switch jobs or apply for a higher title job posting

How is it going heritage Pioneer peeps?

What have you seen in company plan that is insightful? What insight can be shared on plans for employees?

Looks like a downward trend. How long before leadership is getting culled? Or is miserable results acceptable now?

In the past, after the survey, managers would actually share the results with the team. So how about this year’s survey? Because so far, all I’ve heard is absolutely nothing. Please share if you have heard something about the survey.

ELT, GPs and other senior leaders - Please watch Company Retreat on Prime before you do anything more. It's the sequel to Jury Duty and raises many themes we're all experiencing now. Watch how your families react. Notice which characters resonate with you, your (age appropriate) children, and spouses. Notice who the bad guys are and why.

Associates on this forum, please watch it too, if only to remember what a workplace family can be like, to mourn what we're losing, and laugh a bit too. Remember, most people are GOOD people and not solely in this life for money. Yes, it's a fictional story, but the themes are real as can be and at once topical and old as time.

I’m curious to hear honest and objective opinions from others about why so many employees seem unhappy at Truist. What is it about the employee experience that feels so negative? Is the culture at Truist actually worse than other banks, or is this just how banking is everywhere now?

To be fair, Truist did help me gain valuable experience in a field where I wanted to build my career. For that, I’m grateful. But looking back, I honestly feel like it would have been better for my career if I had stayed only 2–3 years and moved on.

From my perspective, long-term growth and advancement opportunities here seem extremely limited. Leadership constantly talks about “upskilling,” “career development,” and “training,” but in practice there are very few promotions or meaningful opportunities to advance, at least in my area.

I’ve been in the same role for years now and feel completely stagnant. I’m no longer learning or growing professionally. At this point, it feels like I just log in, do the work, check the box, and move on with my day.

What’s concerning is that I’ve become so complacent that the idea of being RIF’d almost feels like it would be a positive because it would force me to move on and try something new while collecting severance. I’ve never felt this disengaged in my career before.

What makes it worse is that many people on my team who have been here a long time seem mentally checked out as well. The overall environment feels stagnant and low-energy.

Interested to hear from others, what do you think drives the negative employee experience at Truist? Is this unique to Truist, or just the reality of large banks today?

Shoulda popped that in the survey.

As we spent the last decade offshoring and laying off our vteam family, I was energized and excited to learn how AI unlocked is how we scale our most important investment - our people! This is such impactful work. Because when the Vteam thrives, Verizon thrives - together!

There is no question AI is changing how we work, but emotional intelligence will always shape the why. The future belongs to organizations that value both. AI is the how. EI is the why. And nobody cares about people like Verizon. I am very grateful to be part of this best in class culture OS! Let’s go team!

Not even a single manager in this company seems to work on anything other than “stakeholder management” and preparing presentations for leadership.

Meanwhile, the individual contributors who actually get the work done are excluded, discarded, and overlooked, while their work is celebrated only to stroke the egos of so-called leaders. That’s the reality of Verizon today.

THe timing of the Pulse survey is straight out of the deeply flawed HR playbook cooked up by MaryYoYo Chardonnay.

https://www.theregister.com/on-prem/2026/05/28/kyndryl-takes-employees-pulse-while-cutting-off-circulation-for-some/5247246

Most employees appear disengaged, simply completing their assigned responsibilities and leaving at 5:00 every day. There is little motivation to exceed expectations because most people feel that exceptional effort is neither recognized nor rewarded through promotions, raises, or bonuses. This has proven to be the case at Truist.

Employment is ultimately a two-way agreement between employer and employee. However, the expectation at Truist often seems to be that teammates should consistently go above and beyond in every aspect of their work. In reality, employees are compensated to perform the duties outlined in their roles. As a result, most (including myself) have adopted the mindset of doing only what is required for their role, since additional effort does not appear to lead to meaningful financial or career advancement.

Well said, @a7+1krek386h.

I started quiet quitting, and I remembered why I was doing my job in the first place. I went back to doing just my job, the work I was actually hired to do, because I was getting close to quitting over how overloaded I’d become. My plan was to quiet quit while I looked for something else.

Six months later, my energy is back, I’m actually interested in my work again, and I genuinely like what I’m doing. At the beginning there was some pushback, but I held the line with “I’m too busy” and “I’m doing my job,” and eventually people stopped bothering me about taking on more.

The funny part is that I don’t even want to leave anymore. Turns out a huge part of what was making me miserable was how much extra work I kept piling onto myself. Go figure.

Participation is optional. Answer any, all, or none of the questions. Totally anonymous.

Pinky promise.

Dell Quarterly Employee Survey
By the VP of Sarcasm and Irony

1. On a scale of 1 to 5, how excited are you to provide feedback that will be carefully reviewed, summarized, ignored, and filed away forever?

2. How confident are you that leadership already knows the survey results before you submit them?

3. Which follow-up action do you expect after this survey?

A. A thoughtful action plan
B. A vague email about “listening”
C. A slide deck proving engagement is up
D. Another survey asking why survey participation is down

4. How valued do you feel when management asks for honest feedback and then explains why your feedback is wrong?

5. What is the main purpose of this survey?

A. Improving the workplace
B. Measuring employee sentiment
C. Creating the appearance of concern
D. Supporting someone’s promotion packet

6. How much do you agree with this statement: “My feedback directly contributes to leadership bonuses, even if it contributes to nothing else.”

7. If this survey leads to action, which action is most likely?

A. More meetings
B. More dashboards
C. More corporate language
D. More reminders to complete the next survey

8. How safe do you feel being completely honest in an anonymous survey that somehow still knows your department, level, manager, location, and employee group?

9. Which phrase would you most like to see retired from the survey results email?

A. “We hear you”
B. “Actionable insights”
C. “You spoke, we listened”
D. “We are committed to transparency”

10. Would you recommend this survey to a coworker?

A. Yes, if they enjoy performance art
B. Yes, if they need a break from real work
C. No, but I’ll forward the reminder anyway
D. Only if leadership completes one too

I lifted this off Mattel's board as it was trending, I am claiming no credit but I do find it funny.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-05-20/ceos-at-novo-nestle-push-work-cultures-into-results-mode

"Now that the latest Colleague Engagement Survey has closed, it is important to reflect on the strategy behind it. Evidence suggests that these 'colleague engagement' tools are increasingly being repurposed as diagnostic filters for layoffs.

• Treat Surveys as Legal Documents: Do not view these as 'safe spaces.' Anything you wrote can and will be used by an algorithm to assess your 'retention value.'

• Identify the Push: When leadership becomes obsessively focused on survey participation rates with multiple VPs and Directors badgering staff for 'opinions', it serves as a critical RED FLAG for an impending organizational 're-alignment,' signaling that they are gathering the necessary paper trail to justify a workforce reduction in the next 8–16 weeks. This predatory use of feedback doesn't just destroy morale; it marks a total collapse of corporate integrity, proving that the company views employee honesty as a liability to be exploited rather than a resource to be valued.

#WorkplaceTransparency #CorporateCulture #EmployeeEngagement #JobSecurity #HRTrends #LeadershipWarning #CorporateIntegrity #TheSurveyIsATrap #LayoffAlert #ToxicWorkplace #RedFlags #ProtectTheWorkforce #WorkplaceRights #EmployeeRights

A good project for a long holiday weekend would be to create FIS Bingo cards. What are the endless terms, names, even phrases that have been used to beat employees to death in meetings and emails. Or meetings that should have been emails. Go ahead, do your worst.

Where is everyone? I thought we were all 5x8 RTO. Maybe all took vacation.

Cool inspiring events last couple of days. A window to what the best of Nike is all about. And what's possible.
Serena was freaking awesome. Authentic, empowered and empowering... she's the GOAT alright.
Wanted to note some positivity going into holiday weekend, so it's not all just bi--hin and moaning. I'm guilty of that as much as anyone else on this forum. But also want to show gratitude. Phil's email was a call to action but also a road map to greatness.

Anyone else take issue with the ‘motivational’ video shown at the last town hall?

Our CEO really woke up today and said, “You know what will inspire the team? Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas.”
So now all of us watched a heavyweight upset from 1990 like it’s a mandatory corporate TED Talk.
Nothing says “Q2 synergy” like a grainy VHS quality uppercut.

To be fair, the message was supposed to be about resilience, grit, and “getting back up when you’re knocked down.” But here’s the thing: Mike Tyson isn’t just a boxing legend — he’s also a man who was convicted of se-----y as--ulting a woman. That part matters. It’s not a footnote. It’s part of the real story, and it deserves acknowledgment, especially in a workplace where safety and respect for women aren’t optional values.
So yes, the Buster Douglas upset is iconic. Yes, the metaphor could have worked. But maybe — just maybe — there are motivational examples that don’t require HR to brace for impact.
In the meantime, if next week’s “inspirational clip” is from Tiger King, I’m calling out sick.

The company can pull images from flock cameras. Heres a website for anyone curious how often license plates are pulled and how much access this and other companies have to this data that is for sale.
https://haveibeenflocked.com/

What was the Trust in Leadership score this time? I didn't see it in Gina's email. Did it go up or down?

9 Simple Ways To Recognize Your Team

(The stuff that’s not in any handbook)

1/ Stop Micromanaging Them
→ Trust is the ultimate recognition.
→ Hire smart people—then let them work.
→ Oversight ki-ls ownership.

2/ Promote the Competent, Not the Loud
→ Results speak louder than self-promotion.
→ Reward outcomes, not volume.
→ Quiet excellence deserves the spotlight.

3/ Give Them True Autonomy
→ Treat them like adults.
→ Let them decide how they work best.
→ Freedom fuels performance.

4/ Pay Them What They’re Worth
→ Money talks louder than pizza parties.
→ Certificates don’t pay bills.
→ Fair pay is real appreciation.

5/ Fire the Toxic Performers
→ One bad attitude drains ten good ones.
→ Protect the culture, not the culprit.
→ Removing them lifts everyone else.

6/ Don’t Be a Je-k
→ Decency is rare leadership currency.
→ Respect costs nothing.
→ Kindness compounds influence.

7/ Give Them Time Off (and Mean It)
→ Burnout isn’t a badge of honor.
→ Disconnect means no Slack, no guilt.
→ Rested teams outperform exhausted ones.

8/ Listen to Their Ideas
→ Ask, pause, and really hear them.
→ Implementation proves respect.
→ Listening drives innovation.

9/ Publicly Give Credit (and Take None)
→ Celebrate their wins loudly.
→ Success is theirs—failure is yours.
→ That’s real leadership.

Recognition isn’t a bonus. It’s a culture and culture decides who stays.

Is it completely anonymous or does is it a little more descriptive like- “one person scored 1 on question 1”