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This is the worst. I was at a startup one time that laid off people who had the right skillsets to fill the roles they were actively hiring for. It sucks when t

This is the worst. I was at a startup one time that laid off people who had the right skillsets to fill the roles they were actively hiring for. It sucks when they don’t dogfood current people on the chopping block for open roles.

simplotek 4y ago
> This is the worst. I was at a startup one time that laid off people who had the right skillsets to fill the roles they were actively hiring for. To me this sounds like these firing spirals have zero to do with results and revenue and the economy, and everything to do with conspiring against their own staff.
- mikrl 4y ago
  I recently saw this myself. Woefully under-utilized talent before the layoff, followed by a drastic headcount reduction. Those affected ranged from “yea I can see why” to “complete footgun letting this person go, GG” For me personally, being free and with time now feels amazing. I no longer feel like my skills are stagnating or my brain is curdling. In retrospect, I think the politics may have screwed me…
- wpietri 4y ago
  I think it's far more banal that conspiracy. I think these people are just not very good managers and they don't care much about the people they hire. And that they are rewarded for performing toughness, as indicated by being tough not with themselves, but the people they have power over.
  - simplotek 4y ago
    > I think these people are just not very good managers and they don't care much about the people they hire. The diktat to fire people didn't sprung from the same org level that was tasked to do the firing. Those who ordered X% to be fired didn't even bothered with freezing hiring. In cases like Amazon, apparently they even forbade internal transfers.
- tshaddox 4y ago
  Or they just want to replace the positions with cheaper (probably less experienced) people.
manimino 4y ago
Laying off X% of your staff can be required to raise capital. Gotta show the investors you aren't being frivolous. You can, of course, hire the same people back (assuming they are still willing to work there).
itake 4y ago
Those could be evergreen roles or not active positions. Some companies leave postings open to collect resumes until head count opens up.

simplotek 4y ago

> This is the worst. I was at a startup one time that laid off people who had the right skillsets to fill the roles they were actively hiring for. To me this sounds like these firing spirals have zero to do with results and revenue and the economy, and everything to do with conspiring against their own staff.

mikrl 4y ago
I recently saw this myself. Woefully under-utilized talent before the layoff, followed by a drastic headcount reduction. Those affected ranged from “yea I can see why” to “complete footgun letting this person go, GG” For me personally, being free and with time now feels amazing. I no longer feel like my skills are stagnating or my brain is curdling. In retrospect, I think the politics may have screwed me…
wpietri 4y ago
I think it's far more banal that conspiracy. I think these people are just not very good managers and they don't care much about the people they hire. And that they are rewarded for performing toughness, as indicated by being tough not with themselves, but the people they have power over.
- simplotek 4y ago
  > I think these people are just not very good managers and they don't care much about the people they hire. The diktat to fire people didn't sprung from the same org level that was tasked to do the firing. Those who ordered X% to be fired didn't even bothered with freezing hiring. In cases like Amazon, apparently they even forbade internal transfers.
tshaddox 4y ago
Or they just want to replace the positions with cheaper (probably less experienced) people.

manimino 4y ago

Laying off X% of your staff can be required to raise capital. Gotta show the investors you aren't being frivolous. You can, of course, hire the same people back (assuming they are still willing to work there).

itake 4y ago

Those could be evergreen roles or not active positions. Some companies leave postings open to collect resumes until head count opens up.