I helped oversee layoffs. Then I got laid off myself.
An HR professional helped plan layoffs at a media startup. Six weeks later, he was laid off himself.
Bobby Powers, a leadership coach in Seattle, shared his experience of overseeing layoffs at a media startup and then getting laid off himself. The process was soul-crushing, as it involved putting humans in a spreadsheet and making tough decisions about who to let go. Powers and his boss had to coordinate with the executive team to create a list of employees who would be affected by the layoff.
They tried to preserve humanity in the process, discussing how the layoff should be handled and ensuring that employees had time to say goodbye to their colleagues. The layoff calls were held via video conference, and the team aimed to give employees some time to message their friends and family before the call. Powers' job was to try to preserve humanity throughout the layoff process.
Shortly after the first layoff, he received a promotion and was making more money than ever. However, about a month and a half later, he was laid off again, causing him to reflect on the process from both sides and develop greater empathy for those going through a job loss.
Written by urgent.news from Business Insider's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
