IBM reviews

I have been working for IBM for over 20 years. There have been layoffs every year, so there has never been any real job security. I have been waiting for years for when it would be my time to get "RA'ed" - nice word for laid off. I enjoyed my team, and I worked from home, so I stayed at IBM, even though it grew increasingly stressful. My manager actually told me that he didn't like to have female employees work for him, he "didn't like the drama." Well, after all of these years, all of the remote employees in my area have been told that they must physically be in a lab (San Jose for me). We have 30 days to make a decision. If we don't relocate to San Jose, then we will have 60 days notice, and then will have to resign, since this is a condition of employment. I feel like I've been punched in the gut. But why am I surprised? IBM has been taking away benefits from it's employees every year. I am sick. There is absolutely no respect for their employees.

- If you work really hard, put in extra hours, and do your best work but no one notices or cares, did you really do well? It's hard to feel like you are valued and appreciated when the only way to get recognized or heard is to threaten to quit. As a designer right out of school I wanted to put in the work to make the best experience for our users, but despite almost 2 years worth of work I left each day feeling like a cog in a huge machine. What would it matter if I left? Nope. -The development and product management organization aren't ready to work with designers. I had instances where the developer leadership flat out wouldn't build our designs. What a waste of time. - You'll move up in the organization (if you are on the right project at the right time and have the right manager to fight for your promotion.) I was told before I took the job that I would be able to move up quickly. I couldn't wait any longer. My manager would forget to give me feedback to be able to improve and rise in the organization. If I wasn't doing well enough to be promoted, please tell me why and what I can do to get better! -Picture this: You are at the entry level of a job and you are tasked with convincing your entire project team(including people who have been at IBM for 20-30 years) that they need to give you extra time to design so you can change things and make an awesome product. As you fight this fight you aren't recognized, promoted to a position of power within the group or anything. All you get is told that you need to do better and that it's your job to turn things around. If you bring up the problems to your superiors they can't or won't do anything so you are forced to continue working on a project that doesn't want to leverage your expertise, doesn't respect you or what you do, and can easily do whatever they want because they are in an office in another state or country. Even if you make headway you're not recognized for the work that is 2-3 levels above your pay grade. - At least when I worked there, the recruitment setup had major problems. People watching portfolio reviews would all be chatting with each other and laughing about the candidate presenting or about something else entirely. Both are unacceptable. When I brought up the unprofessional nature of this I heard nothing but excuses and that it was my problem that I didn't like it. Every candidate deserves respect, but the talent staff didn't seem to agree.