Unisys – “Communication, Governance and Human Resources Management is What Will Be Required for Unisys Going Forward!”

Pros

Unisys Corporation, surprisingly unbeknownst to many is the basis of computing as we know it today and this company deserves more recognition than it is given. Unisys is a company where a seemingly entry-level individual without much in the way of formal education beyond high school can achieve a lucrative career in a corporate technology support role. Continued employment is based on performance metrics and in the end this benefits the company, the client and leads to growth and development and job satisfaction for the employee.

Cons

As a college degreed professional I find it very disburbing how the company is governed, and particularly the lack of accessiblity to the Human Resources Department, should one formally exist. It appears all personnel decisions are made at the field level amongst managers and this aspect is particularly troubling given Unisys is a multi-national corporation with thousands of employees. Extensive utilization of contract personnel allows for rapid deployment prior to completion of background verification and enables an available and flexible work force without term committments and ensures cost reduction due to lack of benefits. Oftentimes these workers are paid a mere fraction of what their client-side colleagues are receiving, yet are expected to produce results presenting Unisys in a positive light. As a take-charge and responsible individual with a client-centric work ethic, I have always been concerned the business is being run like a staffing agency with candidate placement similar to staffing a security guard agency or janitorial firm. The flow of communication in the management ranks could be vastly improved as surprisingly many field managers have never met their colleagues and thus could not be expected to know what is going on in the field. Particularly troubling is that there exists no formal Human Resources Department or access to upper management should there be concerns or issues arise.

Advice to Senior Management

Senior executives should consider realigning this company from the top down and vastly improving the flow of communication both internally and externally. Some of us take client relationships very seriously and enjoy what we do to the betterment of Unisys, however, there is a serious disconnect in the flow of communication to upper management and the lack of HR function. As I see it, Unisys has the strength to succeed in the outsourcing marketplace, but given the current trajectory, I would be liquidating the stock! Also, Unisys needs to improve its name recognition, as much of the public claims to have never heard of Unisys, nor can spell the name of the company, and gentlemen, you'd better "start your engines"!