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SpaceX to lay off 10% of Workforce

latimes.com

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Re: SpaceX to lay off 10% of Workforce

#251

Post by theNJR »

kepano wrote: post #226
TimesOldRoman wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Checking in. Spent 6 years at X and this sounds interesting.

If you are curious you can read more about us here: https://medium.com/fuzzy-sharp/custom-manufacturing-should-b... If you don't find something that fits in our job listings you can also name your own job: https://www.lumi.com/jobs/name-your-job

Oh my gosh. You solved one of the two most painful parts of selling a physical product. I’m frustrated right now just thinking about how frustrating packaging was for me as CMO of a fast growing CPG startup.

Now do this for contracat manufacturing.

Re: SpaceX to lay off 10% of Workforce

#253

Post by kerng »

tuesdayrain wrote: post #129
cyberferret wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seriously, if you cannot see that "fire by email" is far more impersonal and disconnecting than compassionately meeting with the employee 1 on 1 and giving them a definitive exit path along with the financial support to do so, then please do not ever work in HR or be responsible for employing people in the future. To subject ALL your employees to the 50/50 prospect that they will have a job come next working day is t…

As someone who has been laid off, I would have much preferred an email over the awkward 1 on 1 meeting I got with my boss instead. I've been looking at other jobs already and just wanted to move on with my life. Instead I got stuck in a long conversation which was basically him just showering me with pity that I didn't want but had to graciously accept.

I can see why an email is the better option, seems much cleaner and less awkward. I have seen people go to meetings and while they are in the layoff meeting all there access is cut off - so its purely done to lure the poor employee away to avoid any odd mails afterwards. Pretty lame and distrusting honestly.

Space X seems to still trust everyone fully, most companies dont.

Re: SpaceX to lay off 10% of Workforce

#254

Post by fma »

sonnyblarney wrote: post #62
stupidcar wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe, maybe not. Consider it in terms of your own workplace: if you worked on a team of 10, and one person got laid off, would that seem so huge? I think the question is whether this round of layoffs is in response to an acute cash flow issue or just part of long-term financial prudency. They fact that they waited until after Christmas and are providing 8 weeks of pay and benefits makes me hopeful that it's the latt…

10% is huge by any measure.

I work for GM (for now). 15% layoffs were announced before Christmas... No one knows when the ax will drop. Rumor is Monday or Tuesday.

Moral is low and the office has been pretty damn quiet. Meanwhile we just raises earnings forecast today...

Re: SpaceX to lay off 10% of Workforce

#255

Post by kerng »

rhizome wrote: post #71
cyberferret wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seriously, if you cannot see that "fire by email" is far more impersonal and disconnecting than compassionately meeting with the employee 1 on 1 and giving them a definitive exit path along with the financial support to do so, then please do not ever work in HR or be responsible for employing people in the future. To subject ALL your employees to the 50/50 prospect that they will have a job come next working day is t…

I imagine it's possible that dehumanizing layoffs like this will put SpaceX at a competitive disadvantage, its lunch eventually getting eaten by companies who do care enough about their employees to interact with them in person regarding the business of the company and their place in it, good or bad. This would come out in increased efficiencies due to no surprise-axed-or-not email always threatening to land in their…

What is dehumanizing? Either way is awful, but companies have to make tough decisions and communicating those is not easy. Many people prefer an email over awkward semi-genuine HR discussions. Coworkers and manager will reach out afterwards in private and in person if they really cared about the connection.

Re: SpaceX to lay off 10% of Workforce

#256

Post by kerng »

Cyclone_ wrote: post #115
mulmen wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's less cruel? Face to face meetings? Layoffs suck, how is this particularly egregious?

Firing by email is just not a professional way to do things. Imagine if someone resigned by email.

How else would you resign then writing an email? Are you writing a piece of paper? Written seems much more professional then just verbal, leaves no doubts. Sure, you can tell before in person but email seems the best way.

Re: SpaceX to lay off 10% of Workforce

#257

Post by JumpCrisscross »

viraptor wrote: post #39
Deimorz wrote: post #27

According to some comments from employees, the company had an all-hands meeting where everyone was sent home and told to check their email over the weekend to find out if they're being laid off or not: https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/comments/af1n7f/spacex_will_...

Whatever the reasons for the workforce reduction, this way of doing it is just unnecessarily cruel.

> this way of doing it is just unnecessarily cruel

The right way to lay off varies culture to culture.

I worked on a trading desk. 1:1 personal lay-offs followed by security cleaning out your desk seemed unnecessarily cruel. An e-mail out of hours—and an offer to schedule a phone call—seemed far more gentle. In other cultures, the human touch matters. Given SpaceX’s results-oriented culture, their approach seems appropriate. The goal was to prevent those not getting laid off from seeking new jobs while keeping those being laid off from panicking those staying. Letting everyone go home, finish their after-work schenanigans, and then—before recruiters have a chance to nip—deliver the news is a good balance for the relevant parameters.

Re: SpaceX to lay off 10% of Workforce

#260

Post by rleigh »

mulmen wrote: post #61
pointillistic wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To tell people face to face, to have the courage instead of hiding behind the impersonal email. Basic etiquette.

I've been laid off face to face. It's not enjoyable. The logistics of safely laying off 10% of a workforce really prohibits this anyway.

It's not enjoyable, but it's still the right thing to do.

As for the logistics, each member of staff can be talked to by their immediate manager, making it scale easily. Matter of fact, this once happened to me, and my boss was as clearly upset to let me go as I was to leave. But everyone being let go was informed and given their notice as soon as the workday started, so there was no uncertainty or delay.

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