Corporate culture's a'changin - how much caution? (employees, consulting, applying)

[Serious Conversation]

Here's some background. I work for a "very large regional employer" that was formed from two large regional employers within the last six months. This was a mega merger, involving multiple layers of government. Little has changed operationally from my perspective until last week.

I work on a small IT team of four people that supported around eighty software applications for one of the merger participants. The corporate culture was conservative, but relaxed. Unless you were on call, there was no expectation of holiday work. My manager was very hands-off. Excellent performance review and a close relationship with my internal customer department. I'll be there two years in August. There has never been a ripple in the pond.

The merger was supposed to be a "partnership of equals," but feels like a takeover. The other firm's head remained as CEO. Executives on the firm I was at have largely resigned or retired. I work in IT, and our CIO was kept - the other firm's CIO was sacked. A layoff recently occurred, hitting about 30% of the other firm's IT division, and none of my firm's.

My team's software suite is being end of life'd by the vendor. We are bringing our data into the other system's software suite. This is supposed to take until EOY. We are supposed to become analysts for the new software suite, and this is essentially a job change for us. We were relocated to the other firm's office last week to support this project effort.

Here's where it gets hairy.

1) I was on PTO Friday (scheduled before this move/project timeline was announced) and informed the new colleagues from the other side of this in person last week. I told one of the senior analysts from the other side directly that I would not be there Friday. I checked my email tonight and I got a meeting invitation from him Friday morning for a Friday evening meeting.

He knew I was out and invited me to a meeting he knew I was not going to be present for. This makes me look bad.

2) Project emails from the "other side" are flying at all hours. I received a construction update at 10 PM last night. The help desk contacted me today in a nasty email saying "they've been trying to reach me for days" regarding an issue. This is a sanctioned corporate holiday. I talked to the help desk Thursday and the call center rep agreed to dispatch a desktop support guy. It does not look like the IT problem is resolved. I worked help desk and desktop support for over five years - I could fix this in an hour if allowed. Middle of the night emails are also going out from the consulting firm that is PM for the project.

It was rare for anyone to send off hours emails before the merger. It seems to be the expectation now.

3) I report to a director. The manager on this project, from the other side, reports to my director. This manager was quizzing the director over our skills. We're moving to a suite none of us have training on. While formal training is supposed to occur, the questions the manager was asking seemed to be worded in such a way to make us look inferior to her current staff. My director is saying everyone, including the current staff, all need to go for in-person training.

I don't have all the skills this manager is looking for. Our senior-most analyst has been with the legacy system for over thirty years, and is the only HR/Payroll expert on staff - has led multiple HR software conversions for employers in the thousands of EEs, is an expert for our legacy HR system that has only a handful of clients nationally, and is basically an adjunct developer for the vendor. She's also worked in our infrastructure departments, and for our current vendor as a senior analyst, in a variety of capacities.

There is probably no one in the entire organization with her level of expertise, yet the manager's questions appeared to be trip-ups.

4) In general, benefits were cut. A hospital system two hours away starts new hires out at the same amount of PTO that it takes ten years to earn here. 401k matching is on-par. HSA matching, holidays, all that is below super-regional similar systems. We've lost 6% of IT staff in three or four months to one hospital system in an adjacent state, from a VP to line level analysts. No one seems to have confidence in a long term outlook here.

The regional economy is weak. I make $60,000. There is no way I could make that here if laid off. Management knows there is no competition, so there is no incentive to do better.

5) I was the IT analyst for a specific department. These folks relied on me for my direct job, to lower end work like desktop support that I'd do because I knew how, to personal computing advice.

Management there basically disintegrated. That executive was bumped out, promptly retired, then was rehired on a part-time basis. His deputy left. Various other managers have quit, been fired, or shuffled around. There is no real knowledge of who is in charge now.

I love my office location. It's in the hippest area of a college town. Great outdoor recreation within ten minutes. I make good money for local standards. But I don't like this other place's culture. They were for profit, we were not. There is also some concern about retribution from the other side having taken a 20%+ headcount cut, while our side.

I have several options.

1) We should be sent next month for certifications in this new software suite. These could prove valuable. I doubt anything significant will be done before this training period is complete. I want to get these then apply.

2) I'm already casually applying for stuff in a few metros I want to be in. Pay is the biggest stumbling block. I make more than many of these Southern towns are willing to pay for IT analysts.

3) Try to make a go of it. There are larger process issues locally that make me think things will fail. On a personal level, I want to leave anyway.

Thoughts?

[High Altitude]

I don't know enough about IT to give you any real advice, but good luck, I hope you find something better.

[Marie Joseph]

It sounds like you have a good job that would be enjoyable if the merger (takeover) had not happened in the way that it did with all of the toxic after effects.

The other company's culture that merged with yours definitely seems very dysfunctional to seem the least. It seems like the other company lacks a concept of work-life balance by setting the expectation that IT should now answer middle-of-the-night emails and frowns upon not being available on employer-recognized holidays. It's kind of surprising that there is that expectation; generally there is one on call IT person for smaller places I've worked or an actual call center to help resolve IT problems for off shifts. I've never heard of an expectation that ALL of the IT department being expected to be available 24/7.

Unfortunately benefits cuts sometimes occur with M&As. There is a disclosure statement on all benefits plans giving companies the right to alter/discontinue plans at any time. This of course does them no favors in retaining good employees as you are seeing.

Right now it sounds like there is a lot of jockeying around for position and a lot of uncertainty. I've been in your position a few times in the past and I've made various decisions with differing outcomes but I can't tell you what to do.

I worked in the past at a company that underwent a M&A and was in a similar mess to yours. I stayed and it smoothed out--and all was okay. My most recent company (a manufacturer) got bought by a stupid venture capitalist firm and started showing all the signs you are seeing at your company. I started to look around for a job but wasn't fast enough and got laid off along with a bunch of others in April. Oops. It can work out in a variety of ways.

If on a personal level you want to leave anyhow--then it sounds like you have made your mind up. I didn't really want to personally leave my last company but knew that the ax was gonna fall ::

So you make a good salary for the area; I am familiar w/ Johnson City and 60K is good bank for the area. You have pretty broad experience it sounds like and have been in the field long enough so it's not like you are someone who would need extensive training to catch on.

I would probably start doing a subtle job search in the area and think about if you are open to relocation or commuting. I'm kind of in the same situation as Erie is not a robust job market. I have no desire to leave here and am open to a LOOONG commute If you can hang out and get that training in the new platform then that will be helpful since it is another skill you can put on your resume. My last employer did me the favor of paying for Six Sigma black belt training for me and SAP power user training. Get as much as you can out of them. If you are not on LinkedIn, get a profile on there.

It also doesn't hurt to casually ask about opportunities that people you know may know about where they work. It's an easier form of networking.

Good luck with your situation; I know it's not a comfortable one to be in.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by Marie Joseph

It sounds like you have a good job that would be enjoyable if the merger (takeover) had not happened in the way that it did with all of the toxic after effects.

The other company's culture that merged with yours definitely seems very dysfunctional to seem the least. It seems like the other company lacks a concept of work-life balance by setting the expectation that IT should now answer middle-of-the-night emails and frowns upon not being available on employer-recognized holidays. It's kind of surprising that there is that expectation; generally there is one on call IT person for smaller places I've worked or an actual call center to help resolve IT problems for off shifts. I've never heard of an expectation that ALL of the IT department being expected to be available 24/7.

Unfortunately benefits cuts sometimes occur with M&As. There is a disclosure statement on all benefits plans giving companies the right to alter/discontinue plans at any time. This of course does them no favors in retaining good employees as you are seeing.

Right now it sounds like there is a lot of jockeying around for position and a lot of uncertainty. I've been in your position a few times in the past and I've made various decisions with differing outcomes but I can't tell you what to do.

I worked in the past at a company that underwent a M&A and was in a similar mess to yours. I stayed and it smoothed out--and all was okay. My most recent company (a manufacturer) got bought by a stupid venture capitalist firm and started showing all the signs you are seeing at your company. I started to look around for a job but wasn't fast enough and got laid off along with a bunch of others in April. Oops. It can work out in a variety of ways.

If on a personal level you want to leave anyhow--then it sounds like you have made your mind up. I didn't really want to personally leave my last company but knew that the ax was gonna fall ::

So you make a good salary for the area; I am familiar w/ Johnson City and 60K is good bank for the area. You have pretty broad experience it sounds like and have been in the field long enough so it's not like you are someone who would need extensive training to catch on.

I would probably start doing a subtle job search in the area and think about if you are open to relocation or commuting. I'm kind of in the same situation as Erie is not a robust job market. I have no desire to leave here and am open to a LOOONG commute If you can hang out and get that training in the new platform then that will be helpful since it is another skill you can put on your resume. My last employer did me the favor of paying for Six Sigma black belt training for me and SAP power user training. Get as much as you can out of them. If you are not on LinkedIn, get a profile on there.

It also doesn't hurt to casually ask about opportunities that people you know may know about where they work. It's an easier form of networking.

Good luck with your situation; I know it's not a comfortable one to be in.

Appreciate the thoughtful response.

One of my colleagues was going to barge into my boss' office last Thursday. I told her to think things over and just calm down. I don't think my immediate director is being elusive, but I do think the whole merger and its after effects have been poorly planned. A lot is getting lost in the fog of war. I do support the overall mission of the merged entity, and think it's the best thing for the area.

Other internal teams are hungry for staff. Our infrastructure teams are thin. I have enough infrastructure knowledge that I could be plugged in without much hassle.

To me, the benefit cuts are baffling. The stated goal is to compete with similar firms nationally, but the benefits do not compete with most regional firms within a half day's drive. As the only provider in town, they are a monopoly, and I guess they're acting on that, but those with an ability to move can and will in this good economy.

[bobsell]

Maybe it is time to consider relocating to another area. Just make sure the cost of living is similar or lower when you get pay.

It is better to get a lower paycheck if one has a lower cost of living than a higher paycheck with a much higher cost of living.