Tech Layoffs, myself included:

Saturday, January 28, 2023

Shoutout to employers making missteps

Layoffs are among the most challenging life experiences, causing more psychological stress than even divorce, according to one study. Losing a job can upend workers’ finances and their sense of self, and layoffs in the world of remote work have in many cases been especially destabilizing, with employer missteps fueling uncertainty and unnecessary unknowns.

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Felt this part a lot too:

Last year ended with job cuts across tech behemoths […] For many of these companies, these cuts followed years of free-flowing perks and flexible work arrangements that were part of what was called a “war for talent.” “That is one of the great contradictions of corporate life,” Ms. Sucher said. “All corporations say ‘People are our most important asset,’ but they don’t really seem to believe that.” “Calling someone ‘talent’ is quite different from calling them a person,” she added. “People aren’t a resource that can be depleted over time.”

Contrast being told “imma checkin with you and share your profile with my network” and never hearing back with how Nokia did it, at scale:

Actions > Words.

Nokia, when it was restructuring in 2011, gave the roughly 18,000 people who would be affected about a year of advance notice and offered them several pathways forward: The company would help them find new roles internally, get new jobs externally, start their own businesses or begin an educational program, among other options. Nokia’s success metrics were whether people had a job lined up when they left the firm, and whether they were leaving with a positive enough impression that they would be open to returning in the future. Nearly two-thirds of people who left knew what their next steps would be. “This is going to be the lasting impression that sticks with your previous employees, your current employees and all future employees,” said Tanner Hackett, chief executive of Counterpart, an insurance technology company that helps small businesses.

One of the most frustrating part is being told “what a great person you are”, “what a wonderful positive energy you bring”, “how much we value working with you”, and “if things were different we’d hire you again right away”…

But you’re still showing me the door so… 🚪💥 🤷🏻‍♂️

I do believe that good vibes/energy pay(s) off in the long term in terms of good reputation.

But short/medium term I’m yet to find a leader that values it at the point of backing someone when times get hard(er)