It’s not you. It’s us.
It’s not you, it’s the business. Do you have any questions for us?
I was siting at my desk in the spare bedroom of my home on a zoom call getting laid off and wondering do I have any questions? Despite everything I just heard my boss’s boss read from a script, punctuated with throat clearing coughs from the nameless HR representative, all I could think about was the phrase he used to conclude my lay off. Do you have any questions.
I’m not sure why. I sometimes obsess over specific words and the context they were chosen for, yes. But in this case maybe it was shock? In the moment and to this day, that empty phrase bothered me more than what came before it. It’s a throwaway. It’s lazy. It creates an artificial distance and a weird shift of conversational responsibility. Do not put the responsibility to make the next sound on me, instead let’s just soak in this silence together for a second.
In a moment of panic, I felt the same think of a good question pressure you have when a hiring manager ends an interview with “any questions for me?”
How messed up is that? I’m still trying to impress you boss’s boss.
This lazy lay off question creates a predicament. The predicament makes any answer from you feel like a double edge sword. If you do ask a question, what good will it do but prolong a decision that has already been made? The realist in me accepted the reality of the situation the moment I saw nameless HR representative on the zoom. What else do I need to know? Surely the instructions on how to return my computer will be emailed to me. And if you don’t ask a question, there is a vague sense that you gave up without a fight, or somehow they got the last laugh, or another irrational thought hole. Or all of the above.
If I could go back I would have said no, and thanked them for the last 6 years. Just to end everyone’s discomfort a little sooner.
I’m still a embarrassed of my answer. In my interviewee moment of panic, I said “what do I do with all my current on-going projects? Should I create a handover document? will they not be moving forward?”
Yikes.
As of today, the above conversation and my concerning obsession with a single question was almost 7 months ago.
Here are my lessons as an early career lay off
For those still working: Make sure everyone you interact with at work understands the value of what you’re doing and what your team accomplishes.
This is about outcomes, initiatives or results. Not individual skills or aptitudes.
Keep it simple and repeat, repeat, repeat.
Give yourself a minute
You just ended the call and you’ve been laid off. Close your computer and walk away for the rest of the day.
Take the day to just feel.
You can commiserate with fellow laid off comrades tomorrow.
For this first time since you started working there, EVERYTHING can wait.
Process what this moments means to you and how you feel about it before interacting with anyone at work. It’s going to be an emotional day even if you are an “it is what it is” person like me.
Rejection? or Redirection?
How happy were you with your career before the lay off?
What do you want for your next role or opportunity?
Skills you want to develop?
This is your opportunity to make that career shift you’ve been procrastinating on.
Determine the value of your time
Your time has just been given back to you. The exchange rate of your time is no longer determined by a third-party.
IT IS ON YOU.
Re-discover the value of your time and make the most of it. No one else will but you.
You’ve just lost a major source of structure in your life. Stay organized. Give yourself a job.
Embrace flexibility
Be open to temporary or freelance work while you search for a full-time role.
Don’t hesitate to say yes to a career opportunity you might not have pursued before due to time or compensation.
Expand/diversify your network.
These opportunities can provide income, expand your skill set, and sometimes lead to permanent positions.
