Here's What HP Employees REALLY Think About New CEO Meg Whitman (HPQ)

Meg Whitman has been at the helm of HP for the last five months.Last week we asked HP employees to weigh in with an assessment of their new boss, and how she's been handling the scandal-plagued company.Having been burned by the past three people holding the corner office, HP employees are guarded in their review of Whitman.They know her CEO credentials are good, but not perfect. When Whitman joined eBay in 1998, it was a $4 million company with 30 employees. When she left in 2008, it was an $8 billion giant with 15,000 employees. During her tenure, Whitman routinely landed on "best CEO" lists and was even inducted into the U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 2008.But she was no turnaround queen. EBay's growth slowed during her later years. And her $2.6-billion purchase of Skype in 2005 famously flopped.So what do her current employees think about Whitman? Read on to find out ...Ray or Meg: who's really running HP?Several employees told us that Whitman and her boss, Executive Chairman Ray Lane, like to play up their close relationship. "I've never seen or heard Meg without it being 'Meg and Ray' yucking it up.  I don't know who is running the company...Ray?  Meg?  Ray and Meg?  Ray and Meg and the Board?" said one. The employee said this doesn't make him trust Whitman more. "Annual reviews were just completed. I received another "Consistently Exceeds."  My bonus was down 30%.  My stock grants were down 60%, not to mention the deterioration of the value of a share. Over the past four years my base comp was reduced 5% for two years. (That's from a Hurd mandate to please shareholders and the Street)," he told us.  "Other than finally getting the 5% back, I've received a single 3% raise.  That's 3/4% per year.  Are people happy?  Hell, no. Nothing has changed, and there are no indications of any hopeful outlook in the future for HP employees."Many employees are cautiously optimistic We heard a lot of hopeful messages from employees, too. They want Whitman to succeed but are not convinced."I am cautiously optimistic," one told us. "She appears to understand the basics and has a good head for dealing with organizations and people. She won over the sales force. She's investing in our research and development with money and her attention. She turned around a room of 40 angry vice presidents in under 30 minutes about HP and its future."Plus several employees noted with glee that Whitman "told the executive team they need to sit in cubicles not big offices with doors."They like that Whitman smiles. She's personable. "She appears to be enjoying what she's doing and willing to be with the people.  (This is a shift from the last two CEOs).""Overall for the time spent so far, I give her high marks." Like, is she too Silicon Valley?Many employees also told us that "Whitman has a lot of dysfunctional business groups to clean up."They are concerned that she can really lead a company as large and as conflicted as HP."She needs to win over some non-US countries. (She comes across very Silicon Valley,)," one said. "She still has a lot to learn about this large and complex company; without understanding the details, strategic decisions can be faulty."See the rest of the story at Business InsiderPlease follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.See Also:An Inside Look At Facebook's Offices When It Was Just Starting To Take Over The WorldThe Only Seven Countries In The World Where Facebook Isn't The Most Popular Social NetworkThis Is Why You'll Be Jealous You Didn't Go To Stanford: Inside StartX

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