05/29/2019
Here's recent input received from a former Intel HR Manager. Our group also spoke with him on the phone.
I read through your posts. While I felt you could have been more succinct, below is my understanding of your engagements with HR. (From my experience they are consistent with what I've seen as a Senior HR Manager in TMG.)
As I understand, you challenged what your felt was a negative review without a solid basis, and that didn't consider a DRA you received for initiating and planning a cost reduction program that saved Intel $46 million.
Apparently rather than looking at the merit of your contribution the HRD solicited negative input, and she/he published "findings" including an accusation that you had absconded with nearly $1M. Moreover the HRD did not publish these findings to you, but saw fit to publish them to folks in your new division? This despite you had exculpatory documentation?
Let me be very clear; this is so antithetical to my and nearly any other rational person's sense of fair play or due process. You don't have to be a lawyer to understand that everyone deserves to confront there accuser. You didn't even know what the accusations were for 3 years! I believe I recall seeing your case and remember. a peer being removed from HR Senior Staff position because it was suspected that he was involved in some capacity with your complaint. He was the director of employee communications as I recall. This was many years ago.
I'd like to say that your's is an isolated case, but I've seen several instances of random or nonexistent processes creating wacky results like yours and the EC director. This lack of process was one of the major reasons I chose to leave to work for one of Intel's competitors. It seems very weird that your manager told you that you'd be IR'd because of your challenging the results of an investigation that your were never briefed on. It's a total break with the FOCAL process. If you've been told your performance is a meets after the FOCAL year this can not be reversed, but apparently was?
The lack of a clearly communicated and adhered to process leaves HRD's in the untenable position of trying to defend the indefensible.
Sadly I have to agree that there are two cultures and the HR culture is one that's based on protecting senior managers and the ever growing set of protected class employees. Paradoxically the victim villain, rescuer dynamic renders all the players powerless.
Intel HR folks live in their own self validating bubble and any one who challenges the status quo from the inside or the outside will be pushed out or censored. Many of them have a special language that ensure's their mutual protection. As the promoters of diversity, HR lack's it for themselves in gender, identity and most importantly diversity of thought.
A short course, directed at HR employees, in critical thinking would be very helpful. So many of the findings they come to show this gap in training.
The influence of HR attorney's has become so ubiquitous that employees would be well advised to bring their own counsel to any discussion with HRD's. AS you inferred all to often there's a hidden agenda in these meetings. There's an urgent need for new leadership in HR.
As I understand you also had a peer on the ATD director's staff who had an ongoing affair with your common boss. This situation also diminishes the credibility of any FOCAL result. I was also peripherally aware of this situation. As I understand it she was shuffled off to another org and he was subsequently promoted to VP. All of these broken/nonexistant processes do indeed ring any notion of meritocracy, hollow.
Sadly it's almost a right of passage for a senior manager to sexually harass women, and if they get away with it they know they've become exempt from the rules of conduct most Intel citizens must adhere to. Also all too often HRD's get promotions for avoiding serious corporate liabilities by brushing aside the misconduct of Directors and VP's. Many of my peers tout on their resume's their skills in avoiding corporate liabilities. The strange nexus between Intel's HR and Lawyers underpins all of the issues you and many more have cited. Sadly people in HR who strive for uncompromising professionalism and integrity either get fired or are so disheartened they quit as I did.
I find it incredible that an employee survey guaranteeing anonymity was not honored. You asking how Intel balances the notion of meritocracy vs. affirmative action is sound and a response should have been given to your organization if they were genuine in asking for input. Having this discussion is the only way to get buy-in for HR policy. HR practice all too often divides people and any sense of unity is destroyed.
I feel your generous offer to develop the requisite process that would enable HR to act in good faith should be engaged. This would enable Intel to get back to the basics that once made it a great place to work.
I think you're idea that there should be process audits of the FOCAL and Open Door policy/procedure should be a key element of the implementation.
It's sad to see the social media manager try to intimidate your attempts to help Intel improve. Did she really say your violating her policy and then refuse to provide the policy?
Realistically, for this initiative to take hold it needs to be sanctioned by the new CEO Bob Swan. He's a principled man and I suspect he would make the adoption of these improvements a priority for HR.
To many of us the decay of the culture throughout Intel is the underlying reason for it's lack luster performance in it's 10nm and 7 nm programs. They lost a two year lead in LTD and now are about 2 years behind.
The leadership in LTD never would have ascended had HR kept an eye on the organization health at Ronler acres. They've lost so many key people and underutilized the skills and talent they do have to an extreme. They adopted a policy of hiring foreign PHD's to do roles better suited to well trained technicians
The stress level in LTD was palpable and the physical and emotional health of it's people is worsening. Work/Life balance is nonexistent. The past leader actually said, "you can have work/life balance or you can be successful - pick one. Spouses of LTD employees are begging their loved one's to quit. Alcoholism, drug abuse is a growing problem in the population at Ronler, and HR is ill equipped to help these employees.
Let's hope the new leadership there will embrace Intel's values and adopt the reforms you and others have advocated for.
Intel's market share is likely to drop precipitously in the next two years. It's going to take at least two years to recover from the hole past LTD leadership has created. They've had 5x the capital and Human Resource that TSMC and Global Foundaries has had. The past three years has been a huge waste and lost opportunity. Sohail was a real do**he. The new guys should be given a fresh look, things can only get better from here.
My new employer has it's issues, but the situation at Intel has become unworkable for both HR and operations employees. It lacks the four pillars of workability - Integrity, Relationship, Enrollment and Existence. The workplan approach you described seemed to bring these key elements together. I've seen it work to good effect, and advocate broader adoption.
I am interested to see how this unfolds. Thanks in advance for preserving my anonymity. Like you I hope HR will embrace the need for continuous improvement and seize upon breakthrough opportunities you've outlined. I still hold Intel stock so I am counting on them to get their act together too It's sad to see employees suffer from the poor leadership, who don't realize, in technology, people are your most important resource. Bob Swan and the new leadership at Ronler hopefully can get their priorities straight.
Good Luck!
