Job Title: Human Resources
Location:
Submitted on: 15-Jul-03
|
|
Job Title |
Workplace
Survey |
| Human Resources |
I am not writing this as an embittered employee, only to tell my story
of what goes on in this organization, so if you are thinking of
accepting a position, you will be aware of the culture, direct deception
I've encountered and people whom are running things with regard to Human
Resources at Bank of America.
I started working within Bank of America in 1997 (when it was still
NationsBank), my managers were competent, my job challenging and I was
rewarded for work. I am a 10 year experienced MBA with extensive
banking experience. After a year I was labeled as "exceeds
expectations", I was promoted, given a 15% raise and an ample bonus, my
internal clients and direct managers lavished praise on me. My second
year I was given a staff and was able to motivate them to perform at
above level expectations, I fired two underachivers and hired two top
performers, once again I was rewarded with an ample raise and
considerable bonus. In 2000 personnel went through a realignment, which
decentralized the organization I was working in, this was done on the
advice of an internal professional development group, which operated in
a detached ivory tower of textbook management processes. Within a few
months, my very capable managers chose to leave the bank, rather than
report into people with no inkling as to what they were doing. These
people were chosen purely out of politics and the new "leaders" of
personnel were mostly ex-consultant types, who could create powerpoint
presnetations, but knew nothing about managing clients or the inner
workings of Human Resources (and I mean that literally), people with no
HR experience were now managing HR functions. Wanting to help the new
organization I let it be known I was interested in a management
position, what with my reputation as an excellent manager and a great
reputation with clients. I was told that my manager would speak with my
clients to ascertain my background, after a month I found out that this
was never done and I lied to in order to placate me, when I confroneted
my new manager, I was told that someone I had met once had decided I
wasn't right for the role. I was never even given a chance to
interview. I was lied to blatantly. Someone in HR, was either
threataned by me or wanted to make a point and decided I would not be
moving up- and that was it, with my old managers gone all my experience
and client praise was useless. I was given a new boss whom had no prior
management experience or direct HR experience. I was told that they
were reviewing salaries in the organization and that I was at the top of
the scale (reason being becasue of my excellent work) and they had some
folks at the bottom of the scale and they needed to not give me
increases so as the rest of the folks could catch up. I explained that
I was a top performer and as such my bonus and base salary should
reflect that, people who weren't rewarded shouldn't be brought up at the
expense of me- they should be fired and replaced with top performers. A
new manager was hired by this new team whom was to say the least
incompetent and unprofessional, within weeks this new manager had
ostracized my old team and pissed off half of her clients, when I let
the manager of the organization know of what was going on and of my
concerns fro my co-workers, I was told that I was the problem and I was
causing trouble and better "watch out". I had to contact the personnel
liason group to protect my job at this point. This manager was
protecting their hire- at the expense of me or anyone else that may make
their decision look bad, unfortunately this new manager was literally
crazy and within a few months, upset the the wrong people after being
given chance after chance- with the same behavior I had let my manager
know about, and was fired. I never recieved an apology or a "hey you
were right- sorry!". I also recieved a paltry raise and was told that
my salary and bonus structure were going to be changed. So the job I
originally signed up for was now paying me about 25% less than I had
made the years before. When I inquired as to why this was I was told to
read "who moved my cheese", when I told my manager that I felt my cheese
hadn't been moved but rather 25% of my cheese had been permanently taken
away, never to be found, I was told I just didn't "get it". If I waited
a few more years I could get back to the salary level I was at two years
ago, I said I didn't think in an organization that labels itself
an "inclusive meritocracy" that that was fair. I received no response.
Please let me reiterate here again, that I am NOT a pain in the neck
employee and all prior jobs that I had I had exceled in, I am the main
breadwinner in my family and all I expect is to be given a fair
opportunity in an organization. I networked into a new opportunity,
which fell right after my bonus was due from my old job. This is when I
found out that in order to court favor with their managers on expenses I
was given the run-around as to who was going to pay my bonus, I was able
to get copies from sympathetic colleagues of e-mails from a manager
stating that if no promises were made than no bonus needs to be paid,
and the confusion would just have to be dealt with (some inclusive
meritocracy huh?). I finally had to appeal to the "personnel center"
and finally my bonus was paid. There is a cancer of backstabbing and
politics within the HR group that really needs to be thrown out,
unfortunately I believe it comes from the top and is permeated through
HR into many other organizations in the bank.
I should've quit years ago, this posting does have a happy ending, I
have just resigned from B of A and accepted a position with a
competitor, at almost twice my base salary. Do I regret my time at HR
BOFA? Let's just say I wouldn't want to do it again, although I did
learn the true ruthlessnes of the organization. Within HR your skill
has nothing to do with your success, your political alliances and
openness to being treated poorly just to collect a paycheck have
everything to do with it.- Good Luck, there are better places to work.
|
|
Bank of America Corp. Interview Surveys
