My layoff story of February 2024: 1. I started sending resumes and noticed I was being underpaid. 2. My manager's manager was constantly complaining about my behavior. 3. I was laid off with a +3 months' salary as a severance package. 4. I got a new role being paid 20% more in the same month I got officially fired.
And yet we have people mindlessly forcing kids into the world and have brainless TFR grifters like Musk complaining that people aren't having enough kids
A company in the USA will find any reason to get rid of you if they don't like you or want you around. And they'll do the same to protect you and cover things up if they like you or if you're "in" with the right people.
I was laid off in 2021, I did everything you said. I learned extra skills, never complained & alway produced more than my share. I found out people were talking about me behind my back. It was gossip and rumors, so it was the trouble makers that got me on the lay off list. Sometimes you do everything right but the odds are stacked against you. But it ended up working out, I got another job fairly quickly & the company is great. I am much happier. It is just depressing how companies can throw you away like garbage.
I believe that is happening with me. They hired me knowing my experience and knowing I’ve never done this position in this industry (I was at a not for profit previously). I’m at a large company now, and they can not say anything nice about me even though I’m trying and am actually doing quite well compared to how the position was previously.
I work in HR and have been pulled into meetings when managers decide who's getting laid off. No joke, I've literally heard a manager give negative feedback on an employee because "they work their scheduled hours but nothing extra." So...they do their job? I've also heard a manager talk poorly about an employee because they got sick and took maternity leave.
I wonder, given the abysmal ethics of your managers, and given the fact that some of their reasons for firing are straight up illegal, do you still work there?
Yo! Just wanna say THANK YOU because after being laid off and unemployed for almost five months I now have a job that pays way more. You truly helped me with what questions to ask in an interview.
Performance has little to do with it. I was a top performer in 2021 and 2022, and was on track to receive another top rating and a promotion in 2023. Instead, the business unit was gutted because of a change in direction by the executive team. Seven months and counting trying to find a new job in the semiconductor industry.
You have to keep in mind performance is different than value. If they don't "value" your performance, it won't matter how good you are at your job. The purpose of this video is to reduce the chances of getting laid off.
I had one coworker hit with the layoff we saw when the first lockdowns hit. I fully suspect that the "layoff" was just cover for letting go of people they wanted to fire but didn't have enough paperwork.
You can be given a raise for being a high performer and still end up on the layoff list. I guess the moral of the story is to be tight with leadership, have a backup plan, and have an emergency fund, but don't kill yourself working so hard to pay for the boss's yacht!
Great video. Excellent point about being the squeaky wheel. NEVER complain about ANYTHING to leadership. It doesn’t matter how correct you are or how logical your complaint may be, they will ALWAYS find a way to pin it back to you. Like the penguins from the movie Madagascar, “smile and wave boys”
>NEVER complain about ANYTHING to leadership I've learned to get around this by never disagreeing without also offering them a positive/superior alternative. That works a charm. Complaining without offering anything more it the kiss of death.
@@item6931 Exactly and very good point, but this is a slippery-slope as this can back fire by garnishing unwanted attention on you. This happened to me once when I brought a very logical, yet simple solution to an issue for my team. Leadership (VP and above as I am in a Director role with direct reports) liked it so much, they assigned an executive sponsorship for our team’s portfolios and made my life a living hell. I now stay just enough under the radar and reach out to leadership’s hand only if mission critical.
@@SeaCrestInNOut we've had mass layoffs before. You act like 08, the early 90s, early 80s, late 70s or the depression didn't happen. This is nothing new. This countries been spoiled with a 15 year economic boom, there's going to be layoffs at some point.
The problem is that perfect employees get laid off too and only slightly less often than the slackers. These strategies will only improve your odds a tiny bit.😢
@@s99614 Those days are long gone I think. Everyone is working harder for less. All the buzz on media are things like, "Will people have to work into their seventies?" etc. I don't think it's clickbait. Matches my personal observations.
In China, they will not hire 35 and older. (The market is saturated, so they want new hires that are younger, can be paid less, and don't know they're getting abused)
There are lots of agencies that are hiring and looking for candidates for major companies without the hassles of those annoying interview questions and hiring managers.
@ALifeAfterLayoff lol, not my style. I keep a low profile and do my job. But the position I'm in they do not make redundant. I will keep looking for alternative employment though.
@@ALifeAfterLayoff It depends on how much you hate your job, but if you leave you won't get that sweet payout. I was at my job for 10 years.....they're gonna pay to get rid of me. Back up that truck.
Being friends with upper management is super handy in these times of crisis. You are always protected from layoffs. During times of prosperity, you receive a raise or a promotion. Why wouldn't you want to be friends with upper management?
I've been at my job for 16 yrs. I am friends with upper management but have still not been promoted or gotten more than a .40 raise. So, not always the case
@pedromarques9267 As someone who is new in comparison to senior employees, who have been there for well over a decade, was their best man at their wedding, God father to their son, and what have you, they are not looking to make new friends. Idk, it's just an observation I made, and I just put my head down, work, and never complain. I still get my annual raise, bonuses, and other perks.
Companies are turning into toxic workplaces thanks to the massive layoffs. Bosses, CEOs, managers, directors are abusing employees more. build a huge F-U fund.. like multiple years. be able to walk away from this job, they say 6 months, I have 5 years.
"Be invaluable." There is no such thing as an invaluable employee. Oprah Winfrey was fired as a TV anchor. Steve Jobs was kicked out as CEO of Apple. Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper because he wasn't "creative" enough. Yes, the man who created Fantasia was not "creative" enough. Mark Calaway was fired from WCW because he'd "never draw a dime". Who is Mark Calaway you ask? You might recognize him as the Undertaker.
Quite honestly, the only way anyone avoids being laid off is by being a C-Level, a shareholder, or a family member of one of those. That's it. Literally. Some companies are moving the goalpoasts for performance to keep pushing people under whatever the "acceptable" standard is (see nationally known employers recently in the news as but one example) and/or shareholders just keep demanding more and more EPS for the next quarterly earnings call. This advice isn't terrible, in a vacuum. But it doesn't really speak to the nature of Vulture / Late Stage Capitalism, which is the real problem.
My company went through and clean house with their C-suites, SVP, and DVP. So, no position is really safe. They hammered hard on upper management and then went on to Sr. Director and Directors. I worked for a F500 company.
@rloeun1 that's fair, however I will note that in many cases, people at that level of their career either likely made enough compensation that a job loss isn't a potentially disastrous situation, and/or sometimes they will come with super generous severance packages (IE "golden parachutes") Additionally, typically, people who made it to that stage of their career are often quick to find new work, or other revenue streams such as speaking engagements or other forms of "freelancing". Not that those people aren't impacted by such layoffs either, they are, but it's not an apples-to-apples comparison when it happens to front-line individual contributors and lower/middle management.
So, companies float layoffs endlessly to scare you into killing yourself for nothing, saying nothing bad, getting a ‘’meet expectations’ anyway as the boss can’t rate & they’re told no gets an ‘exceeds’ regardless & then you get laid off anyway after you’re hospitalized for working 18 hour days. If they’re going to can you it’s a numbers game, none of this will help.
Not gonna lie, Brian. The past 2 years seem like a terrible version of The Hunger Games where you feel as though it's inevitable you will be on the losing end.
If you suspect you'll be getting laid off then build up a good enough safety net to fall back on. I got laid off from my last job amid the pandemic and built a good enough safety net such as claiming unemployment insurance. And then I was proactively applying to jobs for at least 3 months and got 2 job offers. The first one I had for 6 months and the second one I've had to this day. This all drives me back to what my late grandfather foretold me that there will be many twists and turns that transpired at my past job with COVID shutdowns and getting a lot of reassignments till they let go, and then many opportunities will arise in the future which also transpired in having gotten hired for a PT job and a FT job. You could tell he was a very wise man, plus he also told me to put in a good performance and take it one step at a time.
Mm no. A company will find any reason to lay you off, not being the favorite is a good way to get laid off. I’ve seen people who were doing so much for the company get laid off, while they hired people they favored and then had the audacity to complain about the profits going down… I wonder why
Yeah, he's giving way too much credit to upper management. They're not good at determining objective employee value and only think about the ones who brown nose the most for them.
I understand your point, but keep in mind that your manager is as human as you are. We humans are usually better at remembering how others made us feel than what they actually did for us.
@@pedromarques9267 The problem is when you've got people who objectively suck at their job but are still able to get promoted, while the person who does all the work isn't getting promoted.
@@pedromarques9267 That is an excellent point. I've always made sure that I do the "social rounds" and knock on doors or visit cubicles purely to have a fun little chat that is totally non-work related. No matter how busy, people seem to appreciate it a lot. To be honest so do I: I'm not a work robot. I'm pretty sure (but can't prove) that it is a major reason I will have been at the same company for ten years in June.
This is insane! You are screwed if you do, screwed if you don’t. I am just going to work like if I am going to be laid off and when a better opportunity presents itself, I leave lol
My grandfather stayed up-to-date throughout his career with anything new in his field, and he was never worried he would get fired, and he also never was (he was an engineer).
Great video. Sometimes these tips can almost seem obvious by themselves, but having them in a list and reflecting on them is the best way to mindfully implement change into your work.
I disagree with some but not all of your points. As someone whose past company is on there 6th or 7th layoff they are indiscriminately laying off people. I have seen people at all levels, in all salary brackets, and tenure being laid off. Companies do not care about their workers they care about making sure the shareholders are rich as are the C Suite. I think and feel we need to call this out more. The truth is no one is safe.
I'm a bit surprised you didn't mention the one I've seen most often: first in, last out. The employees with less time in the company are often axed early. But that likely ties in with a lot of what you described e.g. it's harder to be indispensable to the company if you haven't been working there long. Still, I've seen a lot fantastic people let go - better than the ones who survived - and I can't put it down to anything else besides they hadn't worked for the company as long as the others.
Great tips, as always. So, I work for a large global bank. Financially solid, but a bunch of people in my particular department got laid off last month. I “survived” this first round, but I’m spooked by it so I’ve updated my resume and started looking. Most (but not all) of the people laid off weren’t just the under performers. In fact, I am baffled by why they chose who they did, which makes me think I could be next. There was no transparency, no warning and these people were here one day, gone the next. This first round of lay offs to me is a red flag. Rather than play the game of avoiding the lay off list (a game where I don’t the rules), I’m just going to find another position, resign and move on!
I am so lucky to be employed by the Federal Government. Yes the Federal Government does have reduction in force. Seniority and performance matter when the Federal Government does a lay off. I got tired of the layoffs. They are way too stressful. Yes there can be government shutdowns but that does not include all Federal Employees. I love my job. I couldn't have a better job.
Being invaluable not true. I've known people that were the only ones that knew the role/software in the company, including myself, and they were laid off. Companies look at $$ and that's it. If they can hire someone for 20k less a year, then in the long run it's worth it to hire cheaper labor. If a consultant comes into your company it's time to find another job asap.
I have seen all these individuals got laid off due the below reasons, and I deeply believed that they deserved to be laid off when workforce/society disuse them. How to bring yourself onto the "Layoff List": 1. Be a problem introducer and not a problem solver (Be Unproductive) 2. Be a laggard where people have to come to you and beg for your work and task commitment (Be Non-Proactive) 3. Be a complaintive person and bring negative and toxic environment into the team (Be Toxic) 4. Be non-responsive/lack of communication and ignore most of the verbal, text, and email communication (Be physically present but mentally absent) 5. Be the person who resist change and resist new skill sets and knowledge (Be laid-back)
I know i have job “security” from getting laid off because i’m lower management doing middle management work and able to run three departments unsupervised. They know having me around allows them the option to fire my managers and peers to free up payroll. It’s already happened. They also know im not a “squeaky wheel.”
Being a top employee has not done me any good. I have been PIPped for no legitimate reason. Usually this is done so the bosses can get themselves big fat raises. When I have in demand skills, it has done me no good.
The most insidious thing about layoffs going forward is that most of these positions are never coming back. If you lose your job to AI now, your current career is doomed because you cannot reskill faster than a billion dollar team of the world's best programmers to make AI systems take those jobs as well. It would be wise to start considering a blue collar future, even if you think you're secure in your field because unregulated AI systems will replace most office work by the end of the decade.
It's very clear... just be proficient in office politics. Job skills are much less important... It is the reason why we all participate in Christmas party although we all hate it.
There is something more to it. A person's good relation with whom. In Lee Iocca's book he mentions that Henry Ford fired Bill Atkins...their top car designer at Ford...just because Bill was in good terms with Lee. Since Bill was talented, he got a job at the competitor Chrysler car. Later on when Ford fired Lee, and Lee joined Chrysler, he mentioned " finding Bill in Chrysler was like finding a tall cool bottle of beer in a hot dessert."
Their are certain companies that operate this way. I feel fortunate enough to work for a pretty decent company. Steer away from the Googles, Facebooks Microsofts of the world basically the publicly traded stablished big firms. I work for an established company, however it very rarely conducts layoffs, the last were in 2009, during the last great recession, no layoffs during Covid and if they do it's rare, I have not seen it my almost two years.
Given the state of the US economy, trust me, layoffs should be coming. My company also hasn't laid off workers during the pandemic, but then they lost 40% of their revenue this year, and the company shrank by 30%.
Don’t like how Bryan encourages you to leave your job often so that you get more money, raises, or promotions. A steady “boring” job is the best job especially if you’re in your sweet spot already and you have a great manager/team. Don’t chase the extra money because it’ll wear off fast. Over 80% of people regret leaving their job during the great resignation. The grass is not always greener on the other side.
How do you recommend dealing with an illegal non-compete? If you do get laid off, you're frozen for a year or two. If you legally pressure the company to cancel their illegal non-compete, you're moved up the layoff list. I know my approach, but want to hear yours.
I'm retired now, but I recognize a few things that either got me laid off or kept me from being laid off (at least in the current or upcoming round of layoffs). Definitely being a complainer got me on the list at least once. Visibility or lack thereof also saved or cost me.
I see enough instances where employees ended up in underperformer pile simply because they someone in management don't like them, or management needs a scapegoat to for someone else they like better (or are sleeping with). If they cannot find anything on you, they will just make up something to make it sound like they are twirling their thumbs at work. HR only cares about headcount when it comes to layoffs so as long as they don't sound outrageous, it's good enough a reason to let you go.
There is nothing you can do. Look at the amount of people getting laid off. 10K 15K, 20K. They can't all be complainers or low acheivers. They close their eyes and cut.
In one of the places I used to work, it was last person in, first person out no matter how good you are, so no need to up your productivity because it wouldn't matter
Very common, simply because it is low hanging fruit that managers can leverage to avoid selecting individuals. It is the uninformed or beta manager's go to.
It's funny how your entire list was essentially about maximizing leverage for the employer and minimizing leverage for employees-it's almost like corporate oligarchs are conspiring for a deliberate recession 🤔
Some good stuff here, and I make sure to remind myself never to get complacent or complain too much. Thankfully at my current healthcare office job, there are several things that I think work in my favor of making me an unlikely target for any future layoff lists: 1) I'm low-hanging fruit. If they're coming for people like me or my coworkers, then the business is desperate, and probably is screwed. 2) Because I have experience in dealing with difficult patients and touchy insurances and insurance situations, I've become invaluable in "plugging leaks." 3) I have a very friendly relationship with my bosses and their bosses. 4) I've outlasted at least half of our crew, and undertook a special training class that was all about efficiency, etc. So I think in my case, that gives off the sign that yes, I am committed and want to stay at the business.
What about a situation where you have superior domain knowledge making you colleagues fearful and jealous of your abilities and conspire to get rid of you.
I want to be the first one to be laid off. More times than not, it means the company is not doing well and the company is now a loser. Time to bail for greener pastures. Don't stay with loser companies. How do you know your company is a loser? It is doing constant/multiple rounds of layoffs.
The most important thing to do to avoid the layoff list is to make sure you're are not a white hetero male over 50 with lots of health care costs draining the companies self insurance accounts. Oh trust me they measure that despite claiming not to. So, what to do? Well, I mean other than improving your performance and skill acquisition, which is never enough these days. How can I say this? You better start drafting an office announcement email about your transition to a non-binary neuro-diverse trans person. Include a picture of yourself in makeup and a dress. Best of luck with that.
Ive seen a handful of people get a job. Except me. 10 months in. My coworker got laid off 7 month after me. Got a job in a month. Im 12 interviews in, nothing. However im in software dev. she was just a project manager so im sure less competition.
I think a large number of these layoffs (specifically in tech) are due to change in tax code section 174. It software development way more expensive from a labor standpoint.
Thanks. It seems that they are targeting random set :) Though it it their right. Anyway there is no cure but just to stay skilled, have savings and aim for a larger, brighter goal, then just working for another "amazing" hypocritical company.
I was laid off from my previous job because "I didn't gel with the colleagues", as told by my boss. I simply did my job and went home at the right home while other workers would stay for more hours and make the office a picnic spot. Obviously, I was interested in my work instead of their stupid gossips.
What I do is I try to get to know as much as I can about my boss's family, wife kids extended family friends and what they like to do and I remind them like did you do so and so with so and so I call it the godfather effect. 💀
Mine straight up uses Google Forms for surveys where you have to input your name and mail address. Abd they spam forms to fill in on every trivial occasion like your thoughts on a random meeting during the day.
Self assessment is NOT EQUAL to how valuable you are. It just shows the level of your self esteem. It has nothing to do with how well you do your job. So that is total bullshit.
If you were in a job you didn’t like at a company that is struggling, assuming you were looking elsewhere, would you coast and get laid off or would you work harder and apply the advice not to get laid off?
Learn as much as you can because that goes with you if you quit or get laid off. Work hard, do your best, but accept that if some C-suite character want to improve the bottom line for his own gain you may be on the list regardless, nothing personal. Can't be worried about it and play these BS corporate games, I have work to do. 😁
At this point, if you’re going through potential layoff just change jobs because you don’t want to get low pay forever and also have to kiss butt all day
Nothing that you stated will avoid being laid off. Maybe (that's a big MAYBE) it will reduce the risk of getting laid off. I've seen entire teams that where very performant getting laid off. Reason: middle management (who, we don't know who the fuck they are), decided that this team is "too expensive", so they all got fired, just like that.
My layoff story of February 2024:
1. I started sending resumes and noticed I was being underpaid.
2. My manager's manager was constantly complaining about my behavior.
3. I was laid off with a +3 months' salary as a severance package.
4. I got a new role being paid 20% more in the same month I got officially fired.
@gordon9177 Yes, if management had waited a bit longer, I would have presented my resignation and lost the right to a severance package
That's awesome but it is typically worse for most people.
Answer: you don't. Your job security is your ability to go out into the workforce and get another job.
Be electrician near a college town.
Charge 80 dollars on these idiots who can't change a lightbulb
Be a plumber. Charge 112 dollars to snake a toilet
@@cpK054L no joke, then start your own plumbing company and just manage your people without doing any hard labor yourself.
@@cpK054L turd buglers up.
@@srujan00 you need a master license in order to do that on many states
What a sad state we are in when we have to play these types of games to keep a job. It's pathetic.
The games we have to play to *get* a job is worse.
Don't play the game. Find a demand in the market and try to fill it yourself.
I know and I'm always left wondering WHY???? Are they using AI that much more? Are some of the businesses struggling? What the heck is it?!
And yet we have people mindlessly forcing kids into the world and have brainless TFR grifters like Musk complaining that people aren't having enough kids
@@SurpriseMeJTBy the time I find it I'm too late (every time). 🤣
A company in the USA will find any reason to get rid of you if they don't like you or want you around. And they'll do the same to protect you and cover things up if they like you or if you're "in" with the right people.
I have heard this. Harder to do that in the UK.
@@Barbarian646 It's American culture.
Exactly. They exported in Europe
Work is just high school electric boogaloo.
not in the government. it's very difficult to fire or lay off someone that works in the government
I was laid off in 2021, I did everything you said. I learned extra skills, never complained & alway produced more than my share. I found out people were talking about me behind my back. It was gossip and rumors, so it was the trouble makers that got me on the lay off list. Sometimes you do everything right but the odds are stacked against you. But it ended up working out, I got another job fairly quickly & the company is great. I am much happier. It is just depressing how companies can throw you away like garbage.
I totally can sympathize with you and feel you.
Never trust a company, always assume they're looking for a way for get rid of you. Because they probably are.
I believe that is happening with me. They hired me knowing my experience and knowing I’ve never done this position in this industry (I was at a not for profit previously). I’m at a large company now, and they can not say anything nice about me even though I’m trying and am actually doing quite well compared to how the position was previously.
💯
Very much so!!!!!
Yeah, the executives are always trying to find ways to keep cost down and labor is typically the biggest cost.
I work in HR and have been pulled into meetings when managers decide who's getting laid off. No joke, I've literally heard a manager give negative feedback on an employee because "they work their scheduled hours but nothing extra." So...they do their job? I've also heard a manager talk poorly about an employee because they got sick and took maternity leave.
Yep - it boils down to an opinion and feelings. They are making people suffer based on feelings.
I wonder, given the abysmal ethics of your managers, and given the fact that some of their reasons for firing are straight up illegal, do you still work there?
Oh boy, you'll have a field trip working in Japan because this is just normal here..
Put that manager on the list ad a joke.
My last company even laid off a DIRECTOR. No one is immune
Isnt that illegal???
Yo! Just wanna say THANK YOU because after being laid off and unemployed for almost five months I now have a job that pays way more. You truly helped me with what questions to ask in an interview.
Performance has little to do with it. I was a top performer in 2021 and 2022, and was on track to receive another top rating and a promotion in 2023. Instead, the business unit was gutted because of a change in direction by the executive team. Seven months and counting trying to find a new job in the semiconductor industry.
I was laid off in 2008, 2021, and 2023 after changes at the top. In 2023 my department was decimated. There was no way to prevent that.
You have to keep in mind performance is different than value. If they don't "value" your performance, it won't matter how good you are at your job. The purpose of this video is to reduce the chances of getting laid off.
@@ALifeAfterLayoffPlease do a video on temp/staffing agencies and shady shit they do to contract workers. Why do companies use temp agencies?
@@user-lu6yg3vk9zwere you a tech contractor?
@@user-lu6yg3vk9zI second this.
I had one coworker hit with the layoff we saw when the first lockdowns hit. I fully suspect that the "layoff" was just cover for letting go of people they wanted to fire but didn't have enough paperwork.
A lot of time that is exactly what it is....
One of the tactics that corporates do is lay off employees so that they can rehire the same job title but adding more tasks and less pay usually
Just like the return to office push. It's really all about getting rid of people they know won't go back to the office.
You can be given a raise for being a high performer and still end up on the layoff list. I guess the moral of the story is to be tight with leadership, have a backup plan, and have an emergency fund, but don't kill yourself working so hard to pay for the boss's yacht!
Great video. Excellent point about being the squeaky wheel. NEVER complain about ANYTHING to leadership. It doesn’t matter how correct you are or how logical your complaint may be, they will ALWAYS find a way to pin it back to you. Like the penguins from the movie Madagascar, “smile and wave boys”
Love the username and avatar!
Yikes. They might as well hire robots at this point then.
>NEVER complain about ANYTHING to leadership
I've learned to get around this by never disagreeing without also offering them a positive/superior alternative. That works a charm. Complaining without offering anything more it the kiss of death.
@@item6931 Exactly and very good point, but this is a slippery-slope as this can back fire by garnishing unwanted attention on you. This happened to me once when I brought a very logical, yet simple solution to an issue for my team. Leadership (VP and above as I am in a Director role with direct reports) liked it so much, they assigned an executive sponsorship for our team’s portfolios and made my life a living hell. I now stay just enough under the radar and reach out to leadership’s hand only if mission critical.
@benjackson7872 why do you think Elons making robots. So these sociopaths don't have to hire regular normal humans.
This is so exhausting. It’s a good video. But all of this is so exhausting.
To hell with this, if they are going to lay you off it will happen also just because they don't like you
This is how far we've come? Living in constant fear of being laid off?
I'm sure quality of life is going backwards for most people, and has been for many years tbh. Insecure employment is a major contributor.
@@item6931 Insecurity in employment leads to decreased performance.
Remember the days when you could just do your job and not worry about all this? Pepperidge Farms remembers.
Pepperidge Farms remembers when they were acquired, then laid people off.
Those days have never existed. Layoffs are part of the business cycle. Always will be.
Pepe Farms remembers.
@@HH-le1vi Yes, but not en masse like we're dealing with now.
@@SeaCrestInNOut we've had mass layoffs before. You act like 08, the early 90s, early 80s, late 70s or the depression didn't happen. This is nothing new. This countries been spoiled with a 15 year economic boom, there's going to be layoffs at some point.
The problem is that perfect employees get laid off too and only slightly less often than the slackers. These strategies will only improve your odds a tiny bit.😢
Seen it myself - every single employee I knew that was let go was 56 + and no one was on a PIP, no performance issues. Ageism is real.
You should have enough money to retire by that age.
@@s99614 In a perfect world yes, but divorce, late parenthood or caring for parents can derail that plan
@@s99614 Those days are long gone I think. Everyone is working harder for less. All the buzz on media are things like, "Will people have to work into their seventies?" etc. I don't think it's clickbait. Matches my personal observations.
I had the same problem everyone at my company who was laid off was under 30 and over 50
Step 1: don't be old
In China, they will not hire 35 and older.
(The market is saturated, so they want new hires that are younger, can be paid less, and don't know they're getting abused)
Define old
@@YM-ex8hhthey know what AOL is
@@YM-ex8hh over 50
Step 2: Make sure you are a full-time employee. Part-time workers are always first to lay off Part-timers.
We also need a video on "how to be on the layoff list" and get severance payment
Yup, I dont want to sound ungrateful, but I would love to be made redundant. It wont happen though.
Do the opposite of this video :)
(BTW, the market is awful right now. Are you SURE you want to be laid off?)
There are lots of agencies that are hiring and looking for candidates for major companies without the hassles of those annoying interview questions and hiring managers.
@ALifeAfterLayoff lol, not my style. I keep a low profile and do my job. But the position I'm in they do not make redundant. I will keep looking for alternative employment though.
@@ALifeAfterLayoff It depends on how much you hate your job, but if you leave you won't get that sweet payout. I was at my job for 10 years.....they're gonna pay to get rid of me. Back up that truck.
Performances doesnt matter because if you have been in the company for many years and are friends with upper level management, you are protected.
Being friends with upper management is super handy in these times of crisis. You are always protected from layoffs.
During times of prosperity, you receive a raise or a promotion.
Why wouldn't you want to be friends with upper management?
I've been at my job for 16 yrs. I am friends with upper management but have still not been promoted or gotten more than a .40 raise. So, not always the case
@pedromarques9267 As someone who is new in comparison to senior employees, who have been there for well over a decade, was their best man at their wedding, God father to their son, and what have you, they are not looking to make new friends. Idk, it's just an observation I made, and I just put my head down, work, and never complain. I still get my annual raise, bonuses, and other perks.
"You like your job? Get up on that chair and bark like a dog. Go on. Get up there! Now bark. BARK!"
Companies are turning into toxic workplaces thanks to the massive layoffs. Bosses, CEOs, managers, directors are abusing employees more. build a huge F-U fund.. like multiple years. be able to walk away from this job, they say 6 months, I have 5 years.
I am avoiding any unnecessary layoff, but I still plan to look for another job after working 2 years in my current one.
"Be invaluable."
There is no such thing as an invaluable employee.
Oprah Winfrey was fired as a TV anchor.
Steve Jobs was kicked out as CEO of Apple.
Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper because he wasn't "creative" enough. Yes, the man who created Fantasia was not "creative" enough.
Mark Calaway was fired from WCW because he'd "never draw a dime". Who is Mark Calaway you ask? You might recognize him as the Undertaker.
Quite honestly, the only way anyone avoids being laid off is by being a C-Level, a shareholder, or a family member of one of those.
That's it. Literally.
Some companies are moving the goalpoasts for performance to keep pushing people under whatever the "acceptable" standard is (see nationally known employers recently in the news as but one example) and/or shareholders just keep demanding more and more EPS for the next quarterly earnings call.
This advice isn't terrible, in a vacuum. But it doesn't really speak to the nature of Vulture / Late Stage Capitalism, which is the real problem.
My company went through and clean house with their C-suites, SVP, and DVP. So, no position is really safe. They hammered hard on upper management and then went on to Sr. Director and Directors. I worked for a F500 company.
@rloeun1 that's fair, however I will note that in many cases, people at that level of their career either likely made enough compensation that a job loss isn't a potentially disastrous situation, and/or sometimes they will come with super generous severance packages (IE "golden parachutes")
Additionally, typically, people who made it to that stage of their career are often quick to find new work, or other revenue streams such as speaking engagements or other forms of "freelancing".
Not that those people aren't impacted by such layoffs either, they are, but it's not an apples-to-apples comparison when it happens to front-line individual contributors and lower/middle management.
So, companies float layoffs endlessly to scare you into killing yourself for nothing, saying nothing bad, getting a ‘’meet expectations’ anyway as the boss can’t rate & they’re told no gets an ‘exceeds’ regardless & then you get laid off anyway after you’re hospitalized for working 18 hour days. If they’re going to can you it’s a numbers game, none of this will help.
B. You again sir are talking the truth about today's job market. As you say, being the CEO of my career. At any age. Total mindset sir. Well done.
Not gonna lie, Brian. The past 2 years seem like a terrible version of The Hunger Games where you feel as though it's inevitable you will be on the losing end.
If you suspect you'll be getting laid off then build up a good enough safety net to fall back on. I got laid off from my last job amid the pandemic and built a good enough safety net such as claiming unemployment insurance. And then I was proactively applying to jobs for at least 3 months and got 2 job offers. The first one I had for 6 months and the second one I've had to this day. This all drives me back to what my late grandfather foretold me that there will be many twists and turns that transpired at my past job with COVID shutdowns and getting a lot of reassignments till they let go, and then many opportunities will arise in the future which also transpired in having gotten hired for a PT job and a FT job. You could tell he was a very wise man, plus he also told me to put in a good performance and take it one step at a time.
Mm no. A company will find any reason to lay you off, not being the favorite is a good way to get laid off. I’ve seen people who were doing so much for the company get laid off, while they hired people they favored and then had the audacity to complain about the profits going down… I wonder why
They always keep the side chick's around and kick the others out, like in restaurants, lousy good looking servers that can't carry a tray, !😮
Yeah, he's giving way too much credit to upper management. They're not good at determining objective employee value and only think about the ones who brown nose the most for them.
I understand your point, but keep in mind that your manager is as human as you are. We humans are usually better at remembering how others made us feel than what they actually did for us.
@@pedromarques9267 The problem is when you've got people who objectively suck at their job but are still able to get promoted, while the person who does all the work isn't getting promoted.
@@pedromarques9267 That is an excellent point. I've always made sure that I do the "social rounds" and knock on doors or visit cubicles purely to have a fun little chat that is totally non-work related. No matter how busy, people seem to appreciate it a lot. To be honest so do I: I'm not a work robot. I'm pretty sure (but can't prove) that it is a major reason I will have been at the same company for ten years in June.
This is insane! You are screwed if you do, screwed if you don’t. I am just going to work like if I am going to be laid off and when a better opportunity presents itself, I leave lol
So much wisdom compressed into a short video.
My grandfather stayed up-to-date throughout his career with anything new in his field, and he was never worried he would get fired, and he also never was (he was an engineer).
Great video. Sometimes these tips can almost seem obvious by themselves, but having them in a list and reflecting on them is the best way to mindfully implement change into your work.
I'll watch this once I get a job.
I disagree with some but not all of your points. As someone whose past company is on there 6th or 7th layoff they are indiscriminately laying off people. I have seen people at all levels, in all salary brackets, and tenure being laid off. Companies do not care about their workers they care about making sure the shareholders are rich as are the C Suite. I think and feel we need to call this out more. The truth is no one is safe.
Exactly! What matters is the share price and investors. Nothing more nothing less.
Definitely bored with my current job but have had little luck with landing another. I’ve tried to use that time to work on a new skill
Layoff in may 6, usa is going to hell, imma migrate with my Malaysian girlfriend to Malaysia..
I just got an offer for an IT jobs! I’ve been watching your videos all the way back since 3 years ago. Thank you so much for the tips!
Good tips keep that resume up to date . And keep your network wide open.
I'm a bit surprised you didn't mention the one I've seen most often: first in, last out. The employees with less time in the company are often axed early. But that likely ties in with a lot of what you described e.g. it's harder to be indispensable to the company if you haven't been working there long. Still, I've seen a lot fantastic people let go - better than the ones who survived - and I can't put it down to anything else besides they hadn't worked for the company as long as the others.
Great tips, as always. So, I work for a large global bank. Financially solid, but a bunch of people in my particular department got laid off last month. I “survived” this first round, but I’m spooked by it so I’ve updated my resume and started looking. Most (but not all) of the people laid off weren’t just the under performers. In fact, I am baffled by why they chose who they did, which makes me think I could be next. There was no transparency, no warning and these people were here one day, gone the next. This first round of lay offs to me is a red flag. Rather than play the game of avoiding the lay off list (a game where I don’t the rules), I’m just going to find another position, resign and move on!
I am so lucky to be employed by the Federal Government. Yes the Federal Government does have reduction in force. Seniority and performance matter when the Federal Government does a lay off. I got tired of the layoffs. They are way too stressful. Yes there can be government shutdowns but that does not include all Federal Employees. I love my job. I couldn't have a better job.
Being invaluable not true. I've known people that were the only ones that knew the role/software in the company, including myself, and they were laid off. Companies look at $$ and that's it. If they can hire someone for 20k less a year, then in the long run it's worth it to hire cheaper labor. If a consultant comes into your company it's time to find another job asap.
In 2008 my management position was eliminated and replaced by an entry level role paying half as much.
It's funny how almost everything he listed off was giving up all the leverage to the employer.
Know a guy that was an operations VP for a hospital in NJ. He'd been there for like 20+ years. They laid him off a year or so ago without warning.
I have seen all these individuals got laid off due the below reasons, and I deeply believed that they deserved to be laid off when workforce/society disuse them.
How to bring yourself onto the "Layoff List":
1. Be a problem introducer and not a problem solver (Be Unproductive)
2. Be a laggard where people have to come to you and beg for your work and task commitment (Be Non-Proactive)
3. Be a complaintive person and bring negative and toxic environment into the team (Be Toxic)
4. Be non-responsive/lack of communication and ignore most of the verbal, text, and email communication (Be physically present but mentally absent)
5. Be the person who resist change and resist new skill sets and knowledge (Be laid-back)
I know i have job “security” from getting laid off because i’m lower management doing middle management work and able to run three departments unsupervised. They know having me around allows them the option to fire my managers and peers to free up payroll. It’s already happened. They also know im not a “squeaky wheel.”
Being a top employee has not done me any good. I have been PIPped for no legitimate reason. Usually this is done so the bosses can get themselves big fat raises.
When I have in demand skills, it has done me no good.
The most insidious thing about layoffs going forward is that most of these positions are never coming back.
If you lose your job to AI now, your current career is doomed because you cannot reskill faster than a billion dollar team of the world's best programmers to make AI systems take those jobs as well.
It would be wise to start considering a blue collar future, even if you think you're secure in your field because unregulated AI systems will replace most office work by the end of the decade.
It's very clear... just be proficient in office politics. Job skills are much less important... It is the reason why we all participate in Christmas party although we all hate it.
It s hard to be honest for us who like to do a job and go in our world
An absolutely brilliant video, Brian!
There is something more to it. A person's good relation with whom. In Lee Iocca's book he mentions that Henry Ford fired Bill Atkins...their top car designer at Ford...just because Bill was in good terms with Lee. Since Bill was talented, he got a job at the competitor Chrysler car. Later on when Ford fired Lee, and Lee joined Chrysler, he mentioned " finding Bill in Chrysler was like finding a tall cool bottle of beer in a hot dessert."
Their are certain companies that operate this way. I feel fortunate enough to work for a pretty decent company. Steer away from the Googles, Facebooks Microsofts of the world basically the publicly traded stablished big firms. I work for an established company, however it very rarely conducts layoffs, the last were in 2009, during the last great recession, no layoffs during Covid and if they do it's rare, I have not seen it my almost two years.
Given the state of the US economy, trust me, layoffs should be coming. My company also hasn't laid off workers during the pandemic, but then they lost 40% of their revenue this year, and the company shrank by 30%.
@pedromarques9267 they are already here lol.
Don’t like how Bryan encourages you to leave your job often so that you get more money, raises, or promotions. A steady “boring” job is the best job especially if you’re in your sweet spot already and you have a great manager/team. Don’t chase the extra money because it’ll wear off fast. Over 80% of people regret leaving their job during the great resignation. The grass is not always greener on the other side.
How do you recommend dealing with an illegal non-compete? If you do get laid off, you're frozen for a year or two. If you legally pressure the company to cancel their illegal non-compete, you're moved up the layoff list. I know my approach, but want to hear yours.
Ignore the non compete and don't update your LinkedIn.
I'm retired now, but I recognize a few things that either got me laid off or kept me from being laid off (at least in the current or upcoming round of layoffs). Definitely being a complainer got me on the list at least once. Visibility or lack thereof also saved or cost me.
Thank you for sharing your experience here. I was laid off for the first time two months ago for being the complainer as well.
I see enough instances where employees ended up in underperformer pile simply because they someone in management don't like them, or management needs a scapegoat to for someone else they like better (or are sleeping with). If they cannot find anything on you, they will just make up something to make it sound like they are twirling their thumbs at work. HR only cares about headcount when it comes to layoffs so as long as they don't sound outrageous, it's good enough a reason to let you go.
There is nothing you can do. Look at the amount of people getting laid off. 10K 15K, 20K. They can't all be complainers or low acheivers. They close their eyes and cut.
not really they just look at a lot of factors other than peformance like Brian mentioned. He also didnt mention they are cutting remote workers too.
In one of the places I used to work, it was last person in, first person out no matter how good you are, so no need to up your productivity because it wouldn't matter
Very common, simply because it is low hanging fruit that managers can leverage to avoid selecting individuals. It is the uninformed or beta manager's go to.
It's funny how your entire list was essentially about maximizing leverage for the employer and minimizing leverage for employees-it's almost like corporate oligarchs are conspiring for a deliberate recession 🤔
right now it is employer makret so you have to kiss butt a little untill it turns around
@@novadhd No!! You have to kiss a lot of ass in the private sector!! Not so in the public sector!!
If a company is ready to do a layoff, nothimg you are learning in the next few days is going to matter in stopping it.
Some good stuff here, and I make sure to remind myself never to get complacent or complain too much. Thankfully at my current healthcare office job, there are several things that I think work in my favor of making me an unlikely target for any future layoff lists:
1) I'm low-hanging fruit. If they're coming for people like me or my coworkers, then the business is desperate, and probably is screwed.
2) Because I have experience in dealing with difficult patients and touchy insurances and insurance situations, I've become invaluable in "plugging leaks."
3) I have a very friendly relationship with my bosses and their bosses.
4) I've outlasted at least half of our crew, and undertook a special training class that was all about efficiency, etc. So I think in my case, that gives off the sign that yes, I am committed and want to stay at the business.
I survived 2 layoffs on my job before I retired. I am so grateful for my pension I can't see strait!
I think having positive _social_ relationships with the decision makers is quite protective.
How to maintain that balance all time ?
@staedtler0021 Not sure you can keep good social relationships with anyone 100% of the time! But I think making an effort helps a lot.
ABL
Always
Be
Looking
Be involved in company activities. For example, golf.
What about a situation where you have superior domain knowledge making you colleagues fearful and jealous of your abilities and conspire to get rid of you.
Also, when your boss asks you to write documentation, you're pretty much done and have less than a month to find a new job. True story 🤣
Good one, Brian! Your content is valuable!! Thank you.
The only sure way to avoid a layoff is not to be an employee.... Ask me how I know.
Basically don't do anything they don't like.
Like go to the restroom and the water fountain...
If your boss asks if you have a second job, beware!
Post reviews online if treated unfair. Helps other people avoid getting involved in the company.
I want to be the first one to be laid off. More times than not, it means the company is not doing well and the company is now a loser. Time to bail for greener pastures. Don't stay with loser companies. How do you know your company is a loser? It is doing constant/multiple rounds of layoffs.
I have, at some point, been targeted at literally every job I have been at.
The most important thing to do to avoid the layoff list is to make sure you're are not a white hetero male over 50 with lots of health care costs draining the companies self insurance accounts. Oh trust me they measure that despite claiming not to. So, what to do? Well, I mean other than improving your performance and skill acquisition, which is never enough these days. How can I say this? You better start drafting an office announcement email about your transition to a non-binary neuro-diverse trans person. Include a picture of yourself in makeup and a dress. Best of luck with that.
I was too squeaky.... I learned my lesson well.
Ive seen a handful of people get a job. Except me. 10 months in. My coworker got laid off 7 month after me. Got a job in a month. Im 12 interviews in, nothing. However im in software dev. she was just a project manager so im sure less competition.
Being a high performer means nothing in today's job market. I constantly "met or exceeded expectations" and still got laid off!
I think a large number of these layoffs (specifically in tech) are due to change in tax code section 174. It software development way more expensive from a labor standpoint.
Thanks. It seems that they are targeting random set :) Though it it their right. Anyway there is no cure but just to stay skilled, have savings and aim for a larger, brighter goal, then just working for another "amazing" hypocritical company.
I was laid off from my previous job because "I didn't gel with the colleagues", as told by my boss. I simply did my job and went home at the right home while other workers would stay for more hours and make the office a picnic spot. Obviously, I was interested in my work instead of their stupid gossips.
Im in a union, bare min is good enough. And they only layoff based on senority
LOL @ performance reviews/appraisals being anything but complete works of fiction designed to CTA of management 🤣🤣🤣
What I do is I try to get to know as much as I can about my boss's family, wife kids extended family friends and what they like to do and I remind them like did you do so and so with so and so I call it the godfather effect. 💀
Best way to avoid a layoff: start a business. 👍🏽💯 #SideHustle #EscapeAndEvade #EscapeWorkplaceToxic #OfficeSpaceLife
How to get laid off in business.
#marketshift #governmentmessups
Has the American workplace transformed into the Soviet Union at this point.
Lol. You obviously dont know how communism worked during the soviet era.
Nah you gotta be cutthroat! If you know you’re doing better work than others, just tell the boss to fire them and pay you more 😂
Pro tip. Any survey. Don't every complain or give bad marks. They know it's from you.
Mine straight up uses Google Forms for surveys where you have to input your name and mail address. Abd they spam forms to fill in on every trivial occasion like your thoughts on a random meeting during the day.
All employers are watching this rn lmao
Self assessment is NOT EQUAL to how valuable you are. It just shows the level of your self esteem. It has nothing to do with how well you do your job. So that is total bullshit.
The best way to avoid this is not be loyal & start looking for a job. Why because employers are not loyal themselves.
So all the "quiet quitters" are getting loudly shitcanned? 🤣🤣🤣🤣
If you were in a job you didn’t like at a company that is struggling, assuming you were looking elsewhere, would you coast and get laid off or would you work harder and apply the advice not to get laid off?
Learn as much as you can because that goes with you if you quit or get laid off. Work hard, do your best, but accept that if some C-suite character want to improve the bottom line for his own gain you may be on the list regardless, nothing personal.
Can't be worried about it and play these BS corporate games, I have work to do. 😁
At this point, if you’re going through potential layoff just change jobs because you don’t want to get low pay forever and also have to kiss butt all day
Nothing that you stated will avoid being laid off. Maybe (that's a big MAYBE) it will reduce the risk of getting laid off. I've seen entire teams that where very performant getting laid off. Reason: middle management (who, we don't know who the fuck they are), decided that this team is "too expensive", so they all got fired, just like that.
Naa this is snake oil. Your performance has nothing to do with layoffs. It comes down to many factors, like politics, close to the VP or salary.
We wouldn't have these issues if it weren't for our free trade agreements and unlimited immigration.
The best time to look for a new job is when you don't need one.
I'm jealous of the European laws that employees there have and the time off too.