Valleywag
Stuart Scott, Microsoft's former CIO, is not the only Microsoft employee unceremoniously being shown the door. Some staffers who are putting in their notice are being escorted off campus immediately. Why? Because they've put in their notice to join Google. In Microsoft's eyes, Google is Enemy No. 1. Anyone leaving Redmond for the search leader is a threat. Not because they'll scurry around collecting company secrets — as if Google's interested in Microsoft's '90s-era technologies. Departing employees, however, might tell other 'Softies how much better Google is. If an employee is leaving for Amazon.com or another second-tier employer whichdoesn't make Microsoft so paranoid, they'll probably serve out the traditional two weeks of unproductive wrapping up. So if you're planning on leaving Microsoft for Google, pack up your belongings and say goodbye to friends ahead of time. There'll be no cake and two weeks of paid slacking for you. And, Microsoft, don't expect former employees who are treated like security threats to ever want to come back, even after their Google stock options have vested.
Microsoft not letting the door hit former employees on their way to Google
Read More:
1:11 PM on Thu Nov 8 2007
By Tim Faulkner
17,085 views
6 comments
Comments
I thought that happens to everyone who leaves or gets laid off?
I had this happen to me once (not Microsoft but a similarly competitive environment). Giving two weeks notice benefits the company not the employee. When you've been given the bum's rush like this it not only pisses you off, but it pisses off all the friends you have in the company.
Net effect is that eventually people stop giving notice and simply announce to their boss that today is their last day.
I don't think it ethical for a company to treat departing employees differently depending on where they are headed. If MS is doing this, well, par for the course I guess.
@macbeach: Oh, come on. You say you're going to a direct competitor you already have your cube cleaned out.
Grow up.
Actually Tim, if you'd read my post carefully (or even cited it), you'd see this isn't exactly the case. If you give notice from the Search group that you're going over to Google, the direct competitor for that group, you're asked to leave immediately. No, you're not escorted off campus immediately and there's no walk of shame.
It isn't so much because they're afraid that whomever is going to Google will say what a panacea Google is compared to Microsoft and cause other employees to leave, but because they're worried that it'll be two weeks of randomization as people shuffle into the soon-to-be-Googler's office and waste time trying to change his or her mind or asking why or whatnot. Going to a random company to do something different is something everyone can understand, going to a company to do essentially the same thing isn't.
I still think it's a bad policy and called them out on it, but it's far from the police state you make it out to be.
@bbucy: What company isn't a direct competitor to Microsoft? They've got fingers in enough pies that it's reasonable to expect that almost any departing employee will end up at a direct competitor of some sort. It's thus reasonable to have policy which handles that case without creating bad blood.
Macbeach is right, it doesn't make sense for the company to treat valued employees that way. One is therefore forced to draw the conclusion that the author wasn't a valued employee, perhaps instead he was a performance problem that just hadn't been dealt with yet.
This vindictiveness, persumably from tears not being shed at his departure, does however demonstrate a lack of good communication from his old manager.
Start a discussion:
Login with your username and password below. Or comment on this post via email.
Forgot your username or password? New User?