#employeeengagement

This is optional. But it's optional.

It's anonymous. Almost.

Published by: BofA Executive Director 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

Its a check in not a mid-year.

But we are still doing ratings and stack-ranking people and calibrating to the smell curve.

So the real change is, employees dont get a say or the ability to send their accomplishments. As if that would have mattered.

Nice.

Let's do it, you've got to do it. but it's optional. It's anonymous, I promise, for real.

Exxon Quarterly Employee Survey by 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?

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

1. 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

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

1. 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

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

1. 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

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

1. 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”

1. 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

AI fraud salesmen have c-suites thinking that people managers are redundant and everyone will need to be at least half focused as an individual contributor. With the growth of complexity across business and the number of tools, regulations, policies, and the turnover/attrition environment, people managers have never been a more critical role. They own the direction/vision of their segment, keep workers focused (by reducing friction and distractions) and ensure the appropriate people are where they need to be and enthusiastic to be there. They are supposed to make sure everyone below them knows their purpose and can see a clear line of sight to get there. How many people at Fiserv today feel like they have a clear understanding of their role and their specific purpose AND feels like they will be appropriately recognized for meeting it.

Exactly what @b3+1kvwscm9b said.

We've undermined the trust you have that your specific expertise and contribution will be valued, that you will grow and advance your career, and that this will be a place where you can actually have an impact. -- Andrew Bosworth of Meta

I dont care about Wall Street analyst and media hype.
I am curious about what folks in the trenches think.

" spend time with your family take your kids to that soccer game"

Also DF: let's Implement "productivity" tools and surveil our employees.

How productive are you the last 2 weeks? Are you able to focus or get anything accomplished? Are they actually watching what we are doing at this time? In her email Tanya McNally wrote "For our people leaders, our ask is to afford your eligible team members the space and time to contemplate whether the VSP makes sense for them".

What is being said there?

Try to print :-)

I assumed we would never have one again. I'm certain they will take the feedback to heart and change and improve (sarcasm)

A pointless organisation (GVS)
Led by a pointless guy (JP)
An all hands that should have been an email. Cringe worthy fake enthusiasm, as a business do better no one cares about his favourite food, Greece or any statue

We deserve terrible leaders when we ask terrible questions

I wonder how many of us is lacking motivation to be productive now. Personally I am just waiting on the outcome of the VSP. I have no motivation now since this has came up. I have tried to be productive up until this but I just can’t get motivated enough to go above and beyond like before. It’s a struggle to remain focused.

Why is that everything at IBM needs to orbit around a bunch of useless execs? And they are always having fun with ridiculous videos, such as this current one about watsonx challenge.

South Dakota's labor secretary believes Artificial Intelligence can help the state's workforce. The state faces a longstanding challenge with a very low unemployment rate. AI may streamline operations and allow workers more time. The DLR prepares workers through reskilling and upskilling programs. No AI-related layoffs have occurred in South Dakota as of May 15.

https://www.sdpb.org/business-economics/2026-06-16/state-labor-official-believes-ai-could-help-south-dakota-workforce-challenges

After over a decade in corporate banking, I’ve realized that one of the most frustrating things about modern corporate culture is when performance expectations become increasingly subjective.

It’s one thing to be measured on clear outcomes, production, quality, deadlines, or objective standards. It’s another to be told you need more “critical thinking,” more “ownership,” more “judgment,” or more “independence” without clear definitions of what success actually looks like.

What I’ve experienced is a shift away from structured work and toward ambiguity. Employees are expected to make decisions with incomplete information, navigate constantly changing expectations, and somehow know exactly what leaders want even when the target keeps moving.

The irony is that the people doing the work are often asking for clarity because they genuinely want to succeed. Instead, they can be labeled as needing too much guidance or not being independent enough.

At some point, organizations have to ask themselves whether they are creating environments where people can succeed or environments where expectations are so subjective that almost anyone can be told they aren’t meeting them.

I’ve always believed that if someone knows what success looks like, most people will work hard to achieve it. The challenge is when success becomes a moving target.

Maybe it’s not that employees don’t want to perform. Maybe they’re exhausted from trying to hit goals that are difficult to define in the first place.

My department’s leader recently sent a note to all staff with directions to update our “My Career Story” in the HR portal area. She said the “critical fields” to update were education, external work history, career preferences, and relocation/work preferences.

Seems kind of odd. Anyone else agree?

When is the next Beat. I am missing the commentary. That one person really made my day.

Did you like the Beat updates?

a joke

In an internal memo to employees on Friday, Zuckerberg attempted to lift their spirits in what appears to be a notable failure to read the room. Specifically, the billionaire promised to host a companywide AI hackathon in July — only to get brutally shut down by workers who were in no mood for such a thing.

https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/mark-zuckerberg-orders-employees-start-123539264.html

What would make you think, hey, this might not have been such a bad thing after all?

How are we paying for this??

We're increasingly relying on very junior resources who often arrive with a great deal of confidence but very little context. Many are obsessed with visibility and impressing VPs and Directors, spending more energy crafting narratives and projecting competence than actually doing the work required to build it. Everyone seems eager to have an opinion on everything, despite being fresh out of school and lacking the historical context or operational understanding behind why certain decisions were made. Questioning assumptions is healthy; dismissing experience before understanding is not. Leadership often mistakes polished communication, executive presence, and confidence for capability. Those who manage perceptions rise quickly, while other carry the load. To make matters worse, some are very well connected, merit isn't always what drives opportunity. just look ate the recent hires.

Has anyone else dealt with environments where visibility is valued more than substance? Performance Vs perception he-l.

Hi Bank of America peeps. A few of us from Truist are checking in. Mike Lyons was just named our new incoming CEO. What was it like working for him during his time there? Solid leader? How did he handle culture, trust, accountability, and employee engagement?

Any flexibility on remote work or work-life balance, or was it more old-school in-office?
It's fair to say morale is quite poor right now, and many of us are looking for signs that things can improve with no expectations of instant miracles. Curious if you noticed any positive shifts over the longer term under him, even when changes got messy. Good, bad, or ugly, we'd appreciate hearing about it.

Hi PNC folks. A few of us from Truist are checking in. Mike Lyons was just named our new incoming CEO. What was it like working for him during his time there? Solid leader? How did he handle culture, trust, accountability, and employee engagement? Any flexibility on remote work or work-life balance, or was it more old-school in-office?

It's fair to say morale is quite poor right now, and many of us are looking for signs that things can improve with no expectations of instant miracles. Curious if you noticed any positive shifts over the longer term under him, even when changes got messy. Good, bad, or ugly, we'd appreciate hearing about it.

Hi Fiserv folks! Several Truist people stopping by your forum. Mike Lyons was just announced as our incoming CEO. What can you tell us about working under him? Decent guy overall? How was his leadership style? Transparent and approachable, or more top-down? Did he allow any real flexibility with remote/hybrid work or was it mostly strict in-office?

Things have been challenging at Truist for quite a while, and morale and confidence in leadership are at some of the lowest levels many of us have ever seen, so we're realistic that a new leader won't fix everything overnight. From what we've heard, he stepped into a tough spot at Fiserv too. For anyone who was there during his time, did you see things starting to improve on culture, trust, accountability, employee engagement, or work-life balance, even if the transition was difficult or painful at first? Any honest long-term thoughts? Good, bad, or mixed? Appreciate the real talk.

Leave all zeros for Pulse. get your leadership fired before they lay you off!

dont listen to the people who say otherwise. those are likely bad leaders who are afraid of being downvoted

What we get at Voyix:

• Suggestions to take public transportation and allow extra travel time on game day
• Game day experience at GHQ

Tells you how much Voyix cares about its employees🙄

Meanwhile, Elon:

Elon Musk: There are no lords and peasants at Tesla. Everyone eats at the same table.

“I actually know the people on the line, because I worked on the line, I walked the line, I slept in the factory, and I worked beside them. So, I'm no stranger to them.

There are many people at Tesla who have gone from working on the line to being in senior management. There are no lords and peasants. Everyone eats at the same table. Everyone parks in the same parking lot.

At GM, there's a special elevator only for senior executives. We have no such thing at Tesla.

We give everyone stock options. Many people who are just working the line, who didn't even know what stocks were, we've made them millionaires.

And I just want to say that I'm incredibly appreciative of those who build the cars, and they know it.”

New York Times DealBook Summit, 2023

Layoffs not totally surprising. The dead silence from any level of leadership is the more telling aspect. This round immediately after the close of the voice of the employee surveys!

How many are actually giving the bad feedback in your pulse surveys? Are you giving the real, or just leaving the boxes open?

15 Signs Your Company Stopped Investing in You

You'll see 8. Your boss won't mention any.

You haven't been told.

The behavior changed anyway.

Here's what to watch for:

1. Your career conversation stopped being scheduled.
   ↳ What isn't scheduled isn't happening.

2. Your boss stopped asking what you want to learn.
   ↳ The question follows the investment. Both stopped.

3. Cross-functional projects stopped coming to you.
   ↳ The invitations dried up because the plan did.

4. You're not in the budget planning conversations.
   ↳ The invite list shows who matters upstairs.

5. Your review stopped including growth language.
   ↳ "Meets expectations" is a quiet decision.

6. Your one-on-ones got shorter and less frequent.
   ↳ Time spent is a signal you can measure.

7. You get steady work. Your peer gets the launch.
   ↳ Stretch goes to who they're still investing in.

8. The training budget went to your direct report.
   ↳ The bet shifted. Nobody told you.

9. New hires are being mentored by your peers.
   ↳ Mentorship signals who still has runway here.

10. The capex you proposed went to your peer.
    ↳ Development capital follows people, not roles.

11. Your boss stopped introducing you upward.
    ↳ Sponsorship is the resource that runs out first.

12. Your skip-level got canceled twice in a row.
    ↳ The cancellations are the message.

13. Your conferences got cut to local only.
    ↳ Travel budgets are a clean signal of priority.

14. Your development budget got smaller.
    ↳ Some budgets don't get cut. They just vanish.

15. You're reading this and recognizing 8 of them.
    ↳ The pattern has been speaking for months.

https://scorecard.plantmanagerblueprint.com/

Looks like Voyix is rolling out a skills assessment starting Jun 16. They emphasize this is not a test, yet it's conducted through HackerRank which is described as "the market-leading coding test and interview solution for hiring developers".

Did they change how it’s tracked? Before I recall them just caring about the 8 week average, do they care about weekly average now?

If I go all 5 days this week, and next week I go in once, wouldn’t my weekly average be 3? Or do I need to go in 3 times a week to avoid any complaints or issues?

One thing this place is doing right is double matching charitable contributions for Founders week. If you’re able and willing, this is the perfect time to make a donation and have every $1 become $3 to the organization you donate to.

Anyone seen this on Workday under your Overview section? Did they send out any emails that I may have missed?

Says it’s not mandatory but “encouraged.” Translation: do it anyway

AI/ML Engineers, Technical Managers, Architects, Reliability Engineers, Operations Engineers, Quality Engineers, Software Engineers, Data Engineers, Dev Ops, IT, Etc

Tired of wearing more and more hats instead of the company hiring more resources and constant threat of layoffs? We can no longer voice our opinions. Survey, feedbacks, Townhalls are all BS

End white collar slavery and improve quality of life.

https://cwa-union.org/

Does anyone else think it’s odd that there was a survey question about how long you intend to work with Verizon….

Almost like the survey isn’t anonymous.

Sense my sarcasm

How low can it go further? Pulse survey at this time?