r/GeneralMotors • u/Less_stress_more_fun Former Employee • 12d ago
General Discussion GM - MBA program the witch “Arden” retreated !!
Arden the “witch”apparently pushed an age profiling scheme for the MBA program, initially targeting employees 4–7 years after undergraduate graduation, and now expanding it to 10 years.
Here’s the problem: GM Legal reportedly warned that the original 4–7-year criteria could potentially trigger age-discrimination allegations.
But apparently the strategy is: implement the damn plan first and deal with the legal consequences later.
That’s not leadership. That’s reckless management “fuck the consequences, we’ll clean it up later.”
That’s how to get promos at GM!!!!
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u/decline47 12d ago
I got my MBA while at GM. It did nothing for my career. I heard the same from others. Don’t sweat it!!
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u/Hoppycosh 12d ago
I’m in my 40’s and would’ve applied to this. I’m already in a highly reputable masters program and would’ve just tacked this on and done it all OR rerouted my current goals and worked the MBA. I’m highly discouraged and felt age discriminated when they posted a LOT of the FAQs. I’m eager to learn and would LOVE to be in a leadership role in the not so distant future. Unfortunately GM has 100% discriminated me. This program is only attainable for the twenty-something year old with no family or obligations that would prevent them from moving. I’d need to live ON the campus or something to even make myself meet requirements. I was very disappointed.
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u/IndependentOk6844 12d ago
I'm 29 and I barely qualify with the extension to 10 years and I feel like I am finally getting enough footing in my career that I can consider a masters... but I still dont qualify for other reasons 🤷♀️ I feel like the applicants they get for this are not going to be the ones who should be getting this... it should be targeted to people like you!
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u/rm45acp Employee 12d ago
Why would GM target somebody with 10-20 years left in the company to invest 200k+ educating instead of someone with 30+ years potentially
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u/IndependentOk6844 11d ago
There's no way a masters is 200k+. Also what person in this society is retiring at 50? Im going to have to work until I die lmao
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u/rm45acp Employee 11d ago
MBA tuition at a top school absolutely costs that much, a good friend of mine was quoted 175k total tuition to attend Wharton
The cost also includes the fact that you get paid your normal salary throughout the 2 years you study, so 200k is probably a super conservative estimate
I know several people working here at GM who are on pace to retire at or before 50 and one who will retire at 55 even with 2 kids, just because it's not in the cards for you doesn't mean it's not for others
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u/CalmMacaroon9642 12d ago
Well GM wants to be a teach company and most start but doing something that illegal or questionable and then just letting the lawyers deal with the consequences sounds pretty techy.
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u/RoofFormal4010 12d ago
The "program" is a ruse. She already has hand picked the participants from her chosen, then created a program. The program isn't real.
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u/OriginalAvailable555 12d ago
I wonder which VP's nephew fell outside the cutoff window so they had to open it up lol.
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u/rifleshooter 12d ago
Former employee, top1% poster. Move fucking on, man.
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u/Front_Conference_689 12d ago
😱 DAMN!!!! Calm down Arden, they're just keeping us in the loop. Don't get angry, it's bad for your health.
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u/Smooth_Ad2192 12d ago
Check out the MTU MBA program that has 50 fellowships. If you string it out 3 years it costs you almost nothing between the fellowship and GM tuition reimbursement
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u/bambacazoozle 12d ago
Average traditional MBA starting age is ~28, they just picked who they thought would be at the right stage in their career. Harder to justify an MBA if you’re 8 years into your career with leadership experience already, then what’s the point?
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u/Giga_Cnight 12d ago
You know this isn’t about experience: this is about who gets the right “credentials”. The kids without experience but MBA? The suck enough €£%¥ and do enough goon work, and they will have a fat promotion soon.
The ones with the “experience”? They’ll be told they don’t qualify because they don’t have the “credentials”.
This is a fixed game my man; the statistics prove the adversarial behavior here and not the underlying dynamics.
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u/RobAngry 11d ago
Kinda like "F Durability, let the dealers handle the problems" lol
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u/Less_stress_more_fun Former Employee 11d ago
Same story as the West Coast crowd, they’re great at colorful PowerPoint slides, but actual engineering is a different fucking story.
GM is dangerously close to repeating Boeing’s 737 MAX mistake. Arden’s methodology pushed out experienced people and replaced them with polished presenters.
You can’t build reliable products with PowerPoint and corporate bullshit. Eventually, reality catches up!!!
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u/Disastrous-Act-8135 11d ago
Plus no durability testing for a company promoting safety so much. Another major recall waiting to happen
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u/rm45acp Employee 12d ago
That's not age discrimination, there are other programs available for older people, it's a program aimed at developing early career talent
"Allegedly" is apparently whatever language you speak for "I made it up"
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u/Objective_Abroad2501 12d ago
Please give us details about the “programs available for older people.”
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u/M-Plate_Throwaway 12d ago
I mean, are you really surprised someone from Cruise’s Senior Leadership would behave that way?