Episode 462: Supporting laid-off employee and how to rebuild culture after layoffs

Soft Skills Engineering

In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions:

1. One of my employees is probably getting laid off, what do I do!?!

   I’m a tech lead / manager for a consultancy and a contract reduction means that one of the people I supervise is likely going to get laid off soon! We’ve found new roles for most of my people, but it’s likely that at least one will get laid off.

   I want to help this person out. How much support is typical for a manager / ex-manager to provide in a job search, and how can I go above and beyond without doing too much?

2. Over the last year, my company has gone through 3 rounds of layoff. The engineering culture has changed dramatically. With the fraction of engineers remaining, I am increasingly concerned that it’s going to be me next. The company’s posture is that everything is “business as usual” and there is nothing to be worried about, but this is what has been said all along. Morale seems to be low with low engagement in department initiatives.

   I am looking for some advice here, if I stay with the company – what is a healthy way to engage with the current culture to build it back up (or evolve it into something new)? If I decide to leave the company – how can I set proper boundaries to prepare for leaving, but remain engaged until a new opportunity arises?