Criteria

Discussion in 'GlaxoSmithKline' started by Anonymous, Nov 16, 2008 at 8:19 AM.

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  1. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Does anyone know SPECIFICALLY what the criteria for reps will be? The RTP conference call said nothing. The Philly call said the sales of the last eight quarters will be evaluated.

    A SUMMARY OF WHAT I HAVE HEARD
    They say there is a 3rd party vendor making all of the decisions. I was told that i-rank is the most important variable and accounts for the majority of our score. Winning practices, force rank and geography should come into play as well. I have also been told that managers/RVPs have no say in who stays or goes and that disciplinary actions are not accounted for.

    Post what you know to be true and hopefully that can help us figure out our chances.
     

  2. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    tenure is also used...i don't know whether it is a positive or negative attribute...
     
  3. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    I appreciate this post. Thank you.
     
  4. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Who do you mean by "They Say"? Are these just rumors you've heard from your counterparts? I was on the entire Philly Pharma conference call and they mentioned absolutely NOTHING about a 3rd party making the layoff decisions. That just wouldn't make any sense whatsoever.

    First things first. I know for a FACT that managers had to rank their sales team in ranking order and send it to their RVP the week before the announcement was made. My manager says the RVP will completely have the final say in who stays and who goes. A 3rd party can't look at the intangibles that a numbers spreadsheet displays (such as your insights). Take a working mother for example. She missed 2 quarters of 2007 for maternity leave and the insights don't take this into account so her numbers look terrible.

    The layoffs (according to my manager) are gonna be based on several factors. Geography (hope you have lots of openings in your area), managed care access (states with worse coverage will have more layoffs), amount of managers being de-selected and taking our jobs (shouldn't be too many), performance (irank, sales numbes), DSM's/RVP's ranking/opinion of you.

    Tenure should have nothing to do with who's staying and going. Don't get me wrong, if you are fairly new and haven't made any impression whatsoever with the RVP or DSM, you're probably done. But if you have great numbers right away and have impressed some higher ups, you're right in line with everyone else. Remember, GSK is a corporation like everyone else. Money is the bottom line. You take a young, ambitious sales rep fresh out of training and in the field for 6 months. He/she's been moving market share crazy amounts and is working her tale off. Then you take another sales rep who's been working fro the company for 10 years and is making 30-40% more and doing the same job. The point is that there are advantages and disadvantages to tenure and it's not necessarily a sure thing if you've been with the company for a long time. Let's not forget that Andrew Whitty has a new vision for the comapny and he's completely endorsed and pushed for this new "real world training" program and supports it 100%.

    The bottom line right now is that nobody knows anything except for the RVP's and the DSM's. My DSM happens to have a loose mouth and talked with the team about what's going on. They were all told if they were selected or deselected last week. They have a week to decide if they accept the area they were placed in. The DSM's that were displaced have to decide if they wanna be put into the same pool as the sales reps are be considered for sales/specialist positions. Otherwise, their only other choice is the severance package. So the company and DSM's are to remain tightlipped about who's staying and who's going until they give their final decisions next week. Some DSM's won't be taking the job because the new geographies are huge and they don't want to drive across the whole state when they have to pick their children up from daycare at 5:30. We'll know about the DSM's officially the end of this week or maybe early the following week.

    Your DSM knows they're fate and has had numerous conversations with the RVP about what's going on.
     
  5. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Agree with all this except the fact that irank has not been in place for the time period to be looked at so should not be much of a factor.
     
  6. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    You could very well be right about the IRANK, but my manger told me it's in the group of things to be considered.

    Let's be honest people, we all know where we stand in the mix. You have a good idea what your DSM and RVP (if he/she even knows you) think of you.

    The bottom line is that they're only laying off 10-15% of the sales force and that's not that terrible.
     
  7. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    It is all about sales performance. Tenure, whether the DSM/RVP likes you, or any other measurement has nothing to do with it. Bottom line is that the sales force is "sales" it is not an educational position or a marketing position. Read your job description! If your performance is less than satisfactory. you better be looking for another job.
     
  8. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    But what about those of us who have been with the company for 8 months. My numbers are looking better and my septembers are kicking ass. However, they are not going to be using those numbers. I think I deserve a chance, where as someone who has been around for 5 years and has done NOTHING will probably get to stay.
     
  9. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Good job on this very accurate posting- Except RVPs will be solely making the decision not DSM or a thrid party- just like last year...DSMs have already weighed on it through their FC reports.
     
  10. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    If you know for a FACT that managers force ranked, what criteria did THEY use? Insight reports? Their usefulness to the pod/district/DSM? FCRs? If we are being slotted into positions by our RVP, who has the same info that the DSM has, why did the DSM have to force rank us? I call BS, although it was a nice try...
     
  11. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Afraid I'm gonna have to call "BULLSHIT" on that one. Sales has absolutely NOTHING
    to do with it. Look around.. your gonna see multiple time president club winners get
    kicked to the curb.
     
  12. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Go right ahead and call bullshit. I'm honestly just trying to help out. I have a manager that spoke with his/her team last Friday over breakfast. They were notified last Tuesday night and have a week to decide their fate.

    Yes. RVP's have the same sales number as DSM's. However, they don't ride along with the sales reps like the DSM's do. Take my team for example. There are 2 people who have historically done very well from a ranking and sales perspective, but they're terrible reps that don't work at all. They're dead weight and reap the benefits of good teammates and great geography.

    RVP's don't know if a teammate is horrible and difficult to get along with. Maybe they cause team conflict on a regular basis? My point is that the DSM 100% ranked their sales team couple weeks back. They didn't know why at the time, but it didnt' take a genious to figure it out.
     
  13. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    My manager told me that sales numbers were the only significant variable, and that the formula from the 3rd party vendor is a secret no one knows, but that it utilized little if any subjective criteria, aka winning practices or force rank. I could see this as a smokescreen to reduce law suits.

    She also told me that the performance window looked at for managers was 8 qtrs, so the reps would likely be the same. They have converted at least the last eight quarters from winners circle to an i-rank for each of us.
     
  14. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    The people that have been around for awhile and are not producing good sales numbers (most importantly in the last 8 quarters) are at greatest risk to being let go. If you are new and doing a good job then you are in better position than anybody with bad numbers over the last two years no matter how much tenure they have - you can count on it. So don't sell yourself short as you will probably be kept.
     
  15. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Does anyone have any real for sure info.? All I am reading is assumptions hear say and bullshit. This sucks, lets not just fuel a fire. We are talking about real life people with bills and a job market that is very bad and to top it off Christmas coming and possibly coming with a Pink slip.
     
  16. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Which RVP is making the decisions? The old one or the new one? Our current RVP got displaced, but did tell us he would be in on the selection decisions. How much input would he have I wonder?
     
  17. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Food for thought. As with other Companies, GSK is going to base their decision making process based primarily on a factor that will cause the least amount of lawsuits after all is said and done. Other companies have used geography and where you live relative to the center of the designed territories, as this primary factor. From there they use the other items as tie breakers. Generally they rarely use a force ranking from DSM because this is subjective and won't hold water in court. They do use year end ratings for a series of past performances to provide some relative comparison. The problem is, you will never know what the criteria they are using without a court battle and only then will they be required to give you that information.
     
  18. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Right On. Former DSM here-at every business meeting with the RVP- "People" are always discussed- Reps are forced ranked, honest conversations take place, preceptions are fostered about reps...the forced ranking prior to this re-org is another way of having checks and balances.

    Here's the Caveat-Unfortunately it's often a subjective process and if either the DSM or the the RVP doesn't like you- they will create an image and justify it anyway they want. Because I know GSK management intimately- most of the time if there is justification for ranking a rep lower ie poor skills, attitude, work ethic and/or teamwork- BUT NOT ALWAYS.
     
  19. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Listen everyone. Take it or leave it. I'm the original poster, and this was actually my first thread ever. I'm not one to post and I've always checked cafephama out for some light reading and giggles. But it's killing me reading everyone's speculation as to what's going on. I'm just doing the right thing and passing on what I know after talking with my manger last Friday. EVERYTHING IN THIS POST COMES FROM THE MOUTH OF MY DSM WHO'S BEEN SELECTED TO HEAD UP UROLOGY!!!!!

    Let's remember that my manager wasn't supposed to say ANYTHING to the team but decided to because she's a human being with feelings. Here's a summary of what's going on (100% accurate):

    1.DSM's contacted last Tuesday and told if selected or deselected. They have until this Tuesday to decide if they're taking the job wherever they were placed. Now I know everyone assumes they'll take the job. However, the territories have all been realigned. With the new setup, managers will be traveling throughout numerous territories for field contacts. This is a lot of driving for working mothers with kids in daycare that need to be picked up by 5:30. This is the predicament my manager is in.

    If a manager was de-selected last Tuesday, they have the option of being thrown into the pool of candidates (with us sales reps) and being considered for the open sales and specialist positions. They don't automatically get to choose the job. The reps and sales positions haven't even been looked at yet. Yes, we all know a manager once was a great representative to make managment. So they will almost definately get a specialist job. But at this point, they either say yes they want to be considered for a demotion to rep or specialist or take the severance package and leave. ***Believe it or not, my manager told me several managers she's spoken with are really pissed off and are planning on taking the severance package and moving on. It's funny because these DSM's push the "winning practices" on us all day long and brainwash us to sell Avandia and not to take no for an answer. Meanwhile, they're getting ready to kill themselves at the thought of being back in the field and detailing primary care doctors. LOL!

    2.After DSM's choose their fate by next Tuesday, RVP's will make it official and fill any open slots in mangament. However, it wouldn't make sense for many DSM's to turn down the job if they were selected. RVP's are really waiting to see which de-selected DSMs are choosing to be demoted and put back into the sales rep pool. DSM's will be able to tell the team "officially" by the end of next week after this is all done. My manger actually told me our RVP told her it might even run into the following week of Thanksgiving before it's public.

    3. Now the important part. First off, let's not forget they're only laying of 12% of the sales force. Let's say 15% to be on the safe side after displaced DSMs. If it were divided evenly amongst the 50 states, that would be 20 people per state. Now don't forget people, that's 20 people from each state including not just your side of the company, but PHilly, RTP and Neurohealth. States, such as New Jersey, with great managed care and big money making potential (national ranking) will NOT have the same amount of layoffs as states with less potential. The odds are in YOUR favor. If GSK were laying off 50% of the sales force, maybe you should be nervous. But they're not. For now at least : )

    3. The RVP has the FINAL say in which reps stay...PERIOD. Why wouldn't they? Afterall, whoever remains are a reflection of him/her and will drive sales in their region. Unfortunately for some though, their RVP for many years who've they've made a GREAT impression on has been deselected or moved to another area. That old RVP will remain a "critical" factor in the decision making. Afterall, they are the ones that know each and every rep in the region. THe new RVP has the final say, but we're all just numbers and social security numbers to them.

    Again, your DSM has been reporting to your RVP on a weekly basis your performance and any problems with you or your team. We can all talk about the "bullshit" criteria that corporate GSK throws out there. For instance, my manager told me that when they talked to the RVP last week, they asked about the selection process. The RVP stated the usual bullshit reasons: sales performance, geography, therapeutic knowledge, winning practices, etc.
    *But we all know where we rank on our team and what our reputation is in the region. Let's remember that they're not laying off a million people. There is always a slacker rep on each team. The RVPs know who they are. Trust me.

    Unfortunate as it may be, it all comes down to your reputation. Once again, your DSM has been either talking you up or down with the RVP over your entire tenure with GSK. Your fate is sealed. Your DSM ranked you against your sales team weeks back. It's part of your package that they're looking at.

    A lot has to do with timing as well. If you've been kicking butt as of late? Perfect timing.
     
  20. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    OP, what do you think of a non-performer that has been on STD several times (mental health) and maxed out on maternity leave. Is this an excuse for non-performance? Would your RVP select based on legal concerns?