RE: Will Semiconductor Mergers Help or Hurt Engineers?

tekmeister — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 07:13:20 GMT

It's not clear exactly which engineers the original poster was asking about. I actually take it to mean all engineers and engineering in general, as opposed to just those employed by the companies in question.

The trend for electronics companies to merge and buy out each other is not good for the industry long-term. Less competition means less inclination to innovate, less incentive to reduce prices. As the remaining companies control more of the market share, it also becomes more difficult for newer companies to enter the market.

RE: Will Semiconductor Mergers Help or Hurt Engineers?

DAB — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 18:25:58 GMT

Having been through a merger I can say that you really need to do your homework before deciding if it will hurt engineers.

In my case, the only ones who were disrupted were mostly upper management, both by design and preference.

Everyone who were involved with existing projects were retained, though some did jump ship, and most found opportunities in the new structure.

As an engineer you need to do some research on the acquiring company. Why did they buy your company and what are their goals with the combined operations.

Then you need to assess your current position and ask yourself if you can profit from a change. If you are fending off headhunters offering 25% increase in pay to companies that you are willing to work for, then you might want to look into a change.

For most people, it is really worth waiting around to see what happens. Change occurs very slowly for organizations.

On the safe side, prepare for a potential layoff, do some looking around to see if you have a market for your skills, and just chill out.

As long as you have good work that you enjoy, stick with it. You should always be looking for opportunities both within your current organization and outside.

Sometimes a merger enables you to move into a very good spot in the acquiring company. I know one of our finance VPs got a tremendous job in the new organization.

So get informed and try to calm your itchy feet. It may not be time to run.

DAB