Xyratex – “Great people, generally poor management”

Pros

Great people -- I mean truly wonderful people. Xyratex management doesn't deserve people this good.

The commute is beautiful but hazardous. Hwy 17 is exceedingly narrow, fast, slippery and deer are a perpetual hazard (but especially so in fall and spring). Always use the bathrooom before you commute because you have no idea how long the commute will be -- it could be 30 minutes, it could be three hours. Take a blanket, and make sure you have plenty of gas. Anti-lock brakes are necessary, period. The Scotts Valley facility is beautiful, though very otten foggy and wet.

The people are just incredible, though.

Cons

Xyratex has a very narrow customer base, so business is extremely volatile, and planning is exceedingly difficult. As a result, senior management has pushed production offshore to Malaysia, where the effects of volatility are less onerous. The cost of living in Malaysia is lower, but so are wages, so I wonder how this is thought to mitigate the volatility? What I see is essentially a racist pattern -- we're not laying off white folks, after all.

There are major difficulties making overseas production work, in large part because of a general lack of cohesion between divisions and locations. Each division is a separate fiefdom, and there is little cooperation or even communication between divisions. This is particularly true of standards of work, which varies enormously between locations.

Advice to Senior Management

Look beyond Havant for talent -- you already have awesome under-utilized talent onboard.

There is certainly a culture of fear and intimidation that permeats the Sacramento and San Jose facilities, and I turned down employment there. They have particularly heavy-handed top-down management. As a result, the workers are oppressed and fearful to innovate. These locations would certainly benefit from a change of management.

Move people around for thirty-day stints. This company has cast aside talent wholesale, and that's not sustainable or wise.