Lina Chickering Reeth’s Post

I have never been so proud to have left a company as I am now. I took a risk taking a pay cut but found it necessary for my mental health and self esteem. I had a gaslighting manager who cared about administrative throughput rather than developer productivity. Seriously, if you made individual Jira tickets for clicking little switches on a config site and closed them out, you got more kudos than the engineer that made and setup the switches under a single ticket. There was a culture of productivity at all costs, championed by managers, reflected by menial metric collection. The resentment towards upper management was always there. It was kept at bay by some of my mentors; people who I admire and respect that taught me how to navigate corporate culture and keep my head down and work. I hope they are still there or are in a better company and position in their life; one where their freedom to speak their minds isn’t hampered by a looming work visa keeping them on their toes. Now, three companies later, I am on a core algorithm team writing some of the best code of my life. People that know me know I don’t like denigrating old employers and rarely do; even Intuit, despite what this post implies. Don’t get me wrong; I had good and fun times at Intuit. Those memories I’ll always hold dear and the skills I’ve learned are invaluable to my career. I have been laid off in a company before, but that was never as emotionally impacting as I’m seeing now. Now, I am the happiest I’ve been in my career thus far with a company that sets me and my coworkers up for success and discusses ideas, not people. Shame on you, Intuit. “We care and give back”, my ass.

Back in 2013, I joined Intuit straight out of college as an automation engineer in a desktop product. Had a great run for five years, but eventually decided to leave the company because wanted to explore the industry and learn more about myself. But nothing compares to the pivotal moment when decided to return last year taking on a mid-leadership role.  https://lnkd.in/gqvaUSeh As an engineer, have high expectations in projects, which is actually one of the reasons of returning back to Intuit. If had to tell you more about my experiential learning, then one particular year at Intuit stands out. It was the year that Intuit transitioned to AWS from its existing data centres and the India team got a massive project to work on! I was lucky to be part of an incredible team of engineers who took the opportunity to learn AWS as a new domain. Not restricting myself to a single domain has helped me learn frontend, backend and CloudOps. So when the AWS project came around, we dove headfirst into learning everything there was to know about the AWS stack. It was tough, but so worth it adding another domain to my skillset. I’m inspired by all the leaders who empowered me to take on new responsibilities in the early years of my career. And that’s the other reason to come back to Intuit. I want to pay it forward and give back by becoming that enabler for growing engineers in AI and mid-market tech stack. Being focused on making an impact, I’d say don't limit yourself as an engineer. Explore various domains, discover new horizons, and fulfil your purpose in innovation! 

Today marks my 🔟-year anniversary at Intuit. I didn't know it was a big deal until people started saying nice things about it. In a world where people only stay at a company for an average of 3.9 years, I'll chalk this up as a W! What I've learned: - Birds 🐦 of a feather ... - Fly with the smartest, kindest, & most driven people in the world & you'll become one too. (People at Intuit are all that & more) - Find your passion 💕 - If you like what you do & the people you do it with, you'll do the best work of your life; the opposite is also true ... I've done both. - Bruised bananas 🍌 make the best bread - Bring your whole self (this is my favorite Intuit value) ... bruises & all. Lean into what what makes you uniquely you - then put a spotlight on it & shine! People always follow the light. Bright lights are EVERYWHERE at Intuit! - Advocate ✋ for yourself - If you want something - say it, do it, ask for it; people aren't mind readers, and most people genuinely want to help. - Be the 🚵♀️ leader you want - Titles don't make leaders; people do. Think about how you want to be led & then demonstrate those characteristics as you work with others. - Nurture 🤗 your relationships - Spend time every day supporting those you care about & lifting others up. I've had so many people support & look out for me in so many ways - job opportunities, advocacy, friendship, sounding boards. Find them, hold them close, & remind them often that they have an ally in you. - Say yes 👍 to the unknown - Doesn't matter how deep the water is as long as you know how to swim. I never did the work I'm doing today until 3 years ago, but I said WTH and went for it. So glad I did. - Don't put too much energy ⚡ into the a-holes - whatever it is, it always comes out in the wash; just play a better long game Work Highlights 🎆 - 3 different roles in 3 different business units (all in comms) - 3 promotions - Global leader of the Intuit Women's Network - 6 Super Bowl campaigns - Countless events & brand launches - Crisis communications in every way, shape, & form - Engagement strategies from the C-Suite to the customer (it's all fun!) - Building, growing, & evolving how we communicate at every turn And most importantly, a big thank you to all of my brilliant, wonderful, kind current & former colleagues at Intuit. You have changed my life for the better & impacted me in more ways than you will ever know! I wouldn't have made it 10 years without you! (Too many to list; here's a start ...) Lisa Greene-Lewis Alejandra Molinari Kali Fry sarah peterson Kellie McGraw Kelsie Gwin Julie Miller Greg Johnson Sasan Goodarzi Erica Terry Derryck Jimmy A. Hernández Cassie Divine Karen Barson Stephanie Magaña Karla Uribe David Talach David Hahn Michael Hitchcock Shawna Kirby Bari Kleinman Sunil M S Mikey Cramer Crystal Mayers Christian Deleon Rodrigo Salas Gutierrez Ashley Szalwinski, CISM, CISA Caroline Rheubottom Jasmine Mirajkar Ted Callahan Jessica McCracken 💜

There Intuit, I fixed it for you. Most people have heard that Intuit has decided to lay off 1800 people. "It is never easy to say goodbye to our colleagues and friends and we are committed to treating everyone who has been impacted by these changes with the compassion and respect they deserve." OK, this makes sense. But then.... "We’ve significantly raised the bar on our expectations of employee performance, resulting in approximately 1,050 employees leaving the company who are not meeting expectations and who we believe will be more successful outside of Intuit." But my honest question that came that came from Ron Shevlin's post was why sneak this little passive aggressive comment into the post? There was absolutely no need to add that additional nugget. It added no context or value other than to say "we're laying off a ton of people but actually for some of them...it's their fault not ours so it's not so bad" Talk about walking into a trap of your own design. How does this get through marketing/legal/executive team without someone saying "maybe this isn't the smartest idea when dealing with people's livelihoods?" I mean how does this even get past a spouse or family member without someone bringing this up. And are we going to just gloss over the fact that they are moving the goal post mid-game so they can justify laying off more individuals to fix their balance sheet? How do company executives continually fail in their responsibilities yet somehow continually blame their employees for those failures? *sigh* the way brands continue to shoot themselves in the foot when it comes to laying off their people is just mind boggling to me.

Intuit recently laid off 1,800 employees, labelling most of them “underperformers” in their press release. It was an…interesting…tactic, and I have questions. Some things I like to think about when developing a comms strategy: - Who am I serving with this narrative? - How will this narrative resonate with my audiences - investors, customers and employees? - What will people learn about us as a company when they read this? - Are we being authentic? - Does this narrative embody our values? Did Intuit bother thinking through any of these things? Coming to you live from San Francisco with my thoughts.

In 2020, Intuit laid off employees, claiming they were staying ahead of the COVID curve. Now, in 2024, they cite “underperformance” as the reason, aiming to appease Wall Street imo. The company I admire, Intuit, has laid off people who helped create the culture I valued. Cleansing talent twice in 4 years isn’t about performance; it’s about leadership style. Having worked with exceptionally talented individuals at Intuit, I urge those affected and prospective employers not to be misled by the underperformance narrative. Breaks my heart that anyone at Intuit is now replaceable—something that the company never stood for. To my affected Intuit friends, whether you need a listening ear, help with resumes or a referral at Clio - Cloud-Based Legal Technology, I’m here for you. I still believe we are #StrongerTogether!

"There's no place like home" - indeed. Have you ever thought about going back to work for a former employer?  I've done it, twice, and it has paid off each time. It's been one month since I returned to the Intuit Israel family, and I couldn't be happier about my decision. 🏡✨ As I settle back into familiar routines, I can't help but reflect on my journey. During two years away, I gained invaluable experience, met talented individuals, and explored new areas, enriching my professional development. My returning to Intuit, was driven by the unique sense of belonging, celebrated collaboration, and impactful opportunities that align with my values. One of the things I value the most is the Intuit “Win Together” culture. Here, collaboration isn't just encouraged; it's celebrated. The emphasis on the "how" along with the "what" creates an environment where everyone can thrive and succeed together. Another aspect I value today even more than ever is the work with a top external tech stack, pushing limits and accessing cutting-edge technology. However, the  most rewarding part of returning is my pivotal role at the company and knowing my work significantly contributes to Intuit's success. If you are smiling right now it might be because that’s exactly what you’re looking for in a workplace, so I’ll take this opportunity to invite you to explore open roles on the Intuit career page: https://lnkd.in/dPaFMHdp Just a few days ago, I faced a technical challenge with my team. As they proposed solutions, I realized we needed a fundamental revisit of our Domain-Driven Design principles and ubiquitous language. This pivot allowed us to redefine our goals and achieve rapid alignment across different teams, sparking an impactful cross-company project.  This blend of familiarity and new challenges is enriching. It's great to be home where I know the culture and people, yet my fresh insights add value making this return a unique and rewarding journey. Here are some valuable insights I've gathered from my experience: 1. Leaving a company can provide you with fresh insights and experiences. When you return, you bring a wealth of new ideas that can be beneficial both for you and your employer. 2. Often, when you return to an organization, you're stepping into a more strategic role with greater impact. Your new skills and perspectives position you to contribute to the company in ways you might not have before. 3. Coming back means reconnecting with former colleagues and leveraging existing relationships to achieve professional goals. I want to thank everyone at Intuit for welcoming me back with open arms. Let's continue to power prosperity together and make a difference in the lives of millions! In the picture is Scott Cook, Intuit's founder, whom I had the pleasure of meeting 7 years ago when I joined the company first time. #CareerGrowth #IntuitCareer

Intuit is laying off 1,800 employees as AI leads to a strategic shift. CEO Sasan Goodarzi wrote an email to employees announcing the “very difficult decisions my leadership team and I have made.” Goodarzi wrote that Intuit’s transformation journey, including parting with the 1,800 employees, is part of its strategy to increase investments in priority focus areas. “We do not do layoffs to cut costs, and that remains true in this case,” Goodarzi wrote. Intuit plans to hire approximately 1,800 new people with strategic functional skill sets primarily in engineering, product, and customer-facing roles such as sales, customer success, and marketing—and expects its overall headcount to grow in its fiscal year 2025, which begins Aug. 1. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gqePks9c

Is there an award for the worst layoff ever? 🏆 Intuit might just clinch the title for hitting rock-bottom in the industry. 🥇 I’m talking about the genius move of labeling 1,050 out of 1,800 employees as “underperformers.” Seriously? First off, it’s almost impossible to call out this level of BS. Here’s the message I want to leave: “Underperformance” is extremely subjective. Your manager or boss could be incompetent or just plain bitter. It happens more often than you’d think. Don’t judge people by the labels someone slaps on them, and definitely don’t judge yourself by it because it can be total BS. Let’s be sane, self-reflective, and diligent. But remember, labels can be truly evil. Looking for a silver lining? At least one company has shown us the toxic environment it fosters. Thank you, Intuit, for waving that red flag loud and clear.

🌟 6 months at Intuit 🌟 These 6 months have been full of learning. I won’t lie—the beginning was tough. There was a lot to learn—new tools, new processes, and a new domain. But step by step, things are falling into place (still learning, though not gonna lie 😅). However, here are 5 key lessons I’ve learned so far: 1️⃣ Customer First Before releasing a feature, hundreds of checks are done to make sure it works perfectly for the customer. It’s all about solving problems and making their experience better. 2️⃣ Quality Matters Writing good code is a must here. Everything we build is made to last and perform well. 3️⃣ Testing is Everything Nothing gets released without proper testing—unit tests, post-merge checks, you name it. This ensures nothing breaks. 4️⃣ Small Steps, Big Impact Big tasks are broken into smaller ones so progress can be made step by step. This way, we keep things smooth and bug-free. 5️⃣ Speak Up Got a thought or a better idea? Share it! It’s always encouraged, and often, it leads to better solutions. Grateful for the journey so far and excited to keep learning and growing! 😊 . . . . . . . . . . #intuit #job #grateful #learning #experience #coding #softwareEngineer