Continuation of 'write your own job desc..' post
Discussion
Almost a year ago now I posted about the fact our parent company is sucking all IT resources up and I was asked to write my own job description. Well, things have moved on significantly from there.
I wrote my JD, had discussions about it and..nothing happened. No changes at all. Partly because it go blocked by my global CIO and CFO, they were too concerned at the business impact etc (this didn't really upset me a great deal), but CIO has now left and things have changed quite significantly.
This will be long, TL;DR at the bottom.
On August 1st, all UK IT staff were TUPE'd over to our parent (and all pay reviews were pushed to September, so I am not really feeling that positive on getting anything this time). I have had conversations with someone very senior (again, CIO at the parent) about moving or what the roll would be but nothing concrete was decided and since they had NO team that did what I and my team did, I was fairly clear that they should really just let me do for them what I do for the agency I am in (the biggest of all of their agencies).
My team manages all data platforms within this company/agency and its ultimately responsible for them all. We set policies and standards, build it out, manage it, tune it, back it up etc. We are migrating it all to the cloud, and we have already moved a lot but there are still local markets to move. None of the agencies or the parent have a team that does as much as mine nor has the breadth of knowledge and experience (partly because we are the biggest).
As a slight rewind, in 2021, I assisted parent CIO in employing them a member of staff to help them manage/maintain some of their systems (Finance mainly) and I conducted the technical interviews. When this person was employed, even at that time everyone knew the ultimate goal (ie everyone working for the parent) and I very, VERY clearly asked said CIO if I had just employed my new boss (who has less overall experience than me and has never done what I have done/do) and was clearly told no.
Fast forward back to now-ish. Conversations restart in 2022 about moving over, writing job description (which is done) etc and then it all goes quiet until 2023.
May-ish 2023, chap I helped employ starts talking to me in a different way, like I work for him (and note, I am a Director - ooh err) and this leads to a further meeting with the parent CIO where I am informed that yes, I will be reporting to this chap but not to worry, CIO doesn't do things in a hierarchical way and we are all on the same level (yeah, ok) and they really value me and want to keep my business knowledge (will have been here 12 years in December). Oh and job titles don't matter, apparently. This CIO is American, as is the chap I helped employ.
The 'plan' is for an architecture team and then a separate team to do the day to day, at the moment (although allegedly no firm decision has been made). I would in theory be on this arch team. This feels like a demotion to me, since I already do both the former and the later and while I clearly delegate a lot, it makes it easier to manage and keep visibility over the estate when we are the responsible ones. While I don't KNOW exactly how this will shake out, it does sound like instead of being a bigger fish, I will become a small fish with a much smaller set of responsibilities and likely lose the management responsibilities I have.
While I should probably wait it out and see how it all falls, I am disappointed and really quite annoyed at how things have moved. As it happens, my current CIO has indicated to parent CIO that what they are doing is unfair etc but they aren't bothered.
So far I have updated my CV, properly filled out my LinkedIn profile but haven't yet started looking in earnest. The wrinkle here is that in 2017 or so I was given leave to work from home 100%, and we moved up to Scotland. My office is technically in London but I haven't been there since before COVID, and I know that in moving job, I am very likely to need to do some time in an office and if I restrict myself to up here, I doubt I will command even a remotely similar salary.
I knew I would limit myself by moving here (not that the wife really understood this tbh), and at the time it didn't seem like a terrible thing, but clearly things change.
TL;DR -
Parent company is sucking all IT roles into it, I helped employ someone in the parent doing a role that if it had been in mine, would have reported to me, now being sucked in I am going to report to that person. Likely to lose my 'Director' status, and staff. I work remotely so moving role is going to be a lot of a wrench.
Should I stick it out and see how things fall or just work towards an exit before I lose that job title which might make it harder to get into a similar role?
I am probably quite identifiable if anyone from my group reads this which is one reason I haven't said anything externally before now, but that is now their problem.
I wrote my JD, had discussions about it and..nothing happened. No changes at all. Partly because it go blocked by my global CIO and CFO, they were too concerned at the business impact etc (this didn't really upset me a great deal), but CIO has now left and things have changed quite significantly.
This will be long, TL;DR at the bottom.
On August 1st, all UK IT staff were TUPE'd over to our parent (and all pay reviews were pushed to September, so I am not really feeling that positive on getting anything this time). I have had conversations with someone very senior (again, CIO at the parent) about moving or what the roll would be but nothing concrete was decided and since they had NO team that did what I and my team did, I was fairly clear that they should really just let me do for them what I do for the agency I am in (the biggest of all of their agencies).
My team manages all data platforms within this company/agency and its ultimately responsible for them all. We set policies and standards, build it out, manage it, tune it, back it up etc. We are migrating it all to the cloud, and we have already moved a lot but there are still local markets to move. None of the agencies or the parent have a team that does as much as mine nor has the breadth of knowledge and experience (partly because we are the biggest).
As a slight rewind, in 2021, I assisted parent CIO in employing them a member of staff to help them manage/maintain some of their systems (Finance mainly) and I conducted the technical interviews. When this person was employed, even at that time everyone knew the ultimate goal (ie everyone working for the parent) and I very, VERY clearly asked said CIO if I had just employed my new boss (who has less overall experience than me and has never done what I have done/do) and was clearly told no.
Fast forward back to now-ish. Conversations restart in 2022 about moving over, writing job description (which is done) etc and then it all goes quiet until 2023.
May-ish 2023, chap I helped employ starts talking to me in a different way, like I work for him (and note, I am a Director - ooh err) and this leads to a further meeting with the parent CIO where I am informed that yes, I will be reporting to this chap but not to worry, CIO doesn't do things in a hierarchical way and we are all on the same level (yeah, ok) and they really value me and want to keep my business knowledge (will have been here 12 years in December). Oh and job titles don't matter, apparently. This CIO is American, as is the chap I helped employ.
The 'plan' is for an architecture team and then a separate team to do the day to day, at the moment (although allegedly no firm decision has been made). I would in theory be on this arch team. This feels like a demotion to me, since I already do both the former and the later and while I clearly delegate a lot, it makes it easier to manage and keep visibility over the estate when we are the responsible ones. While I don't KNOW exactly how this will shake out, it does sound like instead of being a bigger fish, I will become a small fish with a much smaller set of responsibilities and likely lose the management responsibilities I have.
While I should probably wait it out and see how it all falls, I am disappointed and really quite annoyed at how things have moved. As it happens, my current CIO has indicated to parent CIO that what they are doing is unfair etc but they aren't bothered.
So far I have updated my CV, properly filled out my LinkedIn profile but haven't yet started looking in earnest. The wrinkle here is that in 2017 or so I was given leave to work from home 100%, and we moved up to Scotland. My office is technically in London but I haven't been there since before COVID, and I know that in moving job, I am very likely to need to do some time in an office and if I restrict myself to up here, I doubt I will command even a remotely similar salary.
I knew I would limit myself by moving here (not that the wife really understood this tbh), and at the time it didn't seem like a terrible thing, but clearly things change.
TL;DR -
Parent company is sucking all IT roles into it, I helped employ someone in the parent doing a role that if it had been in mine, would have reported to me, now being sucked in I am going to report to that person. Likely to lose my 'Director' status, and staff. I work remotely so moving role is going to be a lot of a wrench.
Should I stick it out and see how things fall or just work towards an exit before I lose that job title which might make it harder to get into a similar role?
I am probably quite identifiable if anyone from my group reads this which is one reason I haven't said anything externally before now, but that is now their problem.
is it an "Either / or" situation?
I think losing the job title is irrelevant (when you're applying for new roles who is to know what your ACTUAL job title is). I also think that the fact you employed somebody who is your new boss is irrelevant (it's a blow to the ego but nothing more IMHO).
In your place I would start looking elsewhere whilst also waiting to see how things play out at your current place. The WFH is a big issue but plenty of places are offering WFH or a very limited office attendance requirement.
Good luck
I think losing the job title is irrelevant (when you're applying for new roles who is to know what your ACTUAL job title is). I also think that the fact you employed somebody who is your new boss is irrelevant (it's a blow to the ego but nothing more IMHO).
In your place I would start looking elsewhere whilst also waiting to see how things play out at your current place. The WFH is a big issue but plenty of places are offering WFH or a very limited office attendance requirement.
Good luck
Thanks! You are absolutely correct, and I should see how it goes while looking for other roles.
By either/or what exactly do you mean? Stay or go? I am definitely not getting a choice in the move and any chance to influence how this plays out appears to have gone.
I had a meeting with 'new' boss yesterday and came out of it realising I just did not want to work for him. I think part of the issue is that today I am top of the tree in my field within my current organisation, my current boss is fairly hands off and supports me in the decisions made and the direction we take, partly because he trusts me 100% on my expertise and experience in this field. It was clear from this initial meeting that this will not be the case moving forwards.
Because this has dragged on for so long, and been handled quite poorly from their side, it has depressed me quite a bit and killed all of my motivation.
By either/or what exactly do you mean? Stay or go? I am definitely not getting a choice in the move and any chance to influence how this plays out appears to have gone.
I had a meeting with 'new' boss yesterday and came out of it realising I just did not want to work for him. I think part of the issue is that today I am top of the tree in my field within my current organisation, my current boss is fairly hands off and supports me in the decisions made and the direction we take, partly because he trusts me 100% on my expertise and experience in this field. It was clear from this initial meeting that this will not be the case moving forwards.
Because this has dragged on for so long, and been handled quite poorly from their side, it has depressed me quite a bit and killed all of my motivation.
There's 3 parts to the OP that stand out a mile,
t, if you were on the same level you wouldn't be reporting to him.
I wouldn't necessarily rush to move before the "director" title evaporates, use it on CV and if questioned about a title chnage later, point out the re-org has moved the functions to the US and you want to continue at that level rather than accept a stealth demotion.
Monsterlime said:
I will be reporting to this chap but not to worry, CIO doesn't do things in a hierarchical way and we are all on the same level.
Well that's clearly bullst, if you were on the same level you wouldn't be reporting to him.Monsterlime said:
They really value me and want to keep my business knowledge.
More flannel, and doesn't promise anything concrete. Paraphrases to "we need him to do this stuff, but once we've removed the knowledge they're disposable."Monsterlime said:
This CIO is American, as is the chap I helped employ.
American companies like to keep their core functions and important people in America.I wouldn't necessarily rush to move before the "director" title evaporates, use it on CV and if questioned about a title chnage later, point out the re-org has moved the functions to the US and you want to continue at that level rather than accept a stealth demotion.
Do aim to make your timing of departure as inconvenient to them as possible whether that's right now or a little later.
If you can afford it I wouldn't doubt your reemployment potential, last time I did it last year did frustrate and took a few months but had offer of 2 jobs at the same time.....
Sadly I took the wrong one....after exit of the latest short position I will be looking again shortly
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