So I quit... of course Shannon we already knew that... well they asked me to write about what they could have done to keep me here as an employee... well here's what I wrote...
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State Farm policy changes, specifically the California Zone succession planning, is what led me to start seriously considering other options outside of the company. From the beginning of my employment, the employee morale has been discouraging. I came in vibrant, energetic and full of ambition. Management seemed to encourage this and often times I was told I had potential to do great things with this company. However, as time passed, promotions were given to others due to their tenure with the company and my desire to move up was met with lack of support from my immediate supervisor. Ultimately, my hopes to move up in this company were diminished. I have felt from day one that State Farm management saw my potential and told me that I have the competencies they seek in future management, but when it came down to it, I was told I "needed more time with the company" and to "keep doing what I am doing". The fact of the matter is, I came into State Farm with management experience and when interviewing for the CSSS positions, I was interviewing for the same position I had already had at a prior company when I was in college.
There were several disappointments for me along the road. I was given countless developmental opportunities, but as my optimism changed, those opportunities began to feel like extra work to keep me busy and to get more work out of me without having to pay me more money. Eventually, I stopped feeling proud about working here and was greatly unchallenged. Slowly the contrast between my happiness with my personal life and my professional life was too great to ignore.
The first real disappointment was when I moved over from Auto Co. to Fire Co. While working in Auto Co. my TM had me listed as "Ready Now" for management and I was given full support to interview for positions as they became available. When I entered Fire Co. my TM changed me to "Ready with Development". I agree that maybe I was not ready for a Fire TM position, but it did not make sense to me that I could be "Ready Now" on Friday and then "Ready with Development" the following Monday. This was the beginning of the end for me. During my time in Fire Co, I had asked to participate in opportunities that I recognized as developmental opportunities, and on more than one occasion I was not supported. I had also asked to put in for a CSSS position in another Zone and was told that my TM would not approve my posting. This opportunity passed me by as the Zone was only interviewing candidates who were listed as "Ready Now" and still after over a year my TM in Fire Co. had me listed as "Ready with Development".
Then in the fall of 2009 the succession planning for the CA Zone was revealed to employees. This was another disappointment. In my review of the job postings enterprise wide, I have yet to see another Zone that has this same policy, specifically the mobility piece. The succession planning says that in order to be in the management candidate pool one must be mobile to anywhere in CA plus 1-4 other zones. This is unreasonable to me and for many reasons is not possible. In order for me to be mobile I would have to be willing to move for a mere 7% promotional increase and my significant other would have to be willing to give up his higher paying position in San Francisco to do so. It amazes me that in 2010 a company would implement such an old fashion policy. The fact of the matter is this day in age people are not in a household where there is only one career minded individual, especially in California. State Farm's policies are and continue to be out dated and implemented without the needs of the employees in mind. I understand that some of these policies are implemented knowing that the company might lose people, but the idea should be to lose the people the company wants to lose, not the ones they don't.
So after feeling unsupported, over worked, under paid and like there was no option to move up, how could I not begin to consider other options? Really and truly it is State Farm's policies and management that allowed me to entertain the idea of leaving. It appears to me that there is a "generational gap" and that State Farm has not figured out how to appeal to the younger generation, in both product/sales and employees. This is not a day in age where employees stick with one company their entire careers, especially the young, educated, talented ones. Should State Farm want to close that generation gap and retain young talented employees, they might want to have a few young, talented people not only help create new policies, but also have a few young talented people in management to show other young, talented people that getting into management is possible.
What State Farm could have done to keep me from leaving? The answer is simple; they could have recognized my talent, my competencies, loyalty and passion and have promoted me. Had they done that I would have never entertained the idea of leaving and wouldn't feel like I was wronged.
Though I am disappointed, I am not bitter. I wish that the cards could have fallen differently. I offer my experiences and suggestions in hopes that in the future it may help State Farm retain young, talented employees.
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Yes I said old fashion just like Peggy in Mad Men and now, for the next 2 days, I plan to take liquid lunches like they do in Mad Men... I already quit, they already paid me through Friday... and now you know why I quit... any questions?
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