For what it’s worth, those are typical questions that would come up on https://softskills.audio/. I’d like to encourage you to submit [0] your question there, even though it likely won’t be picked up quickly enough to help you personally in your current situation.
Ask HN: How to handle a layoff when I already planning on leaving?
11–20 of 41 posts
Re: Ask HN: How to handle a layoff when I already planning on leaving?
#12I know it sounds cold but without knowing more about the company you work for my suggestion is to say nothing and start looking. Unless you have a new job lined up, all the papers signed, and a start date never tell your current company. At best they are happy for you, at worse they are vindictive and either fire you immediately (an no, unemployment is neither easy/simple nor is it much money normally) or make your life hell until you do leave.
There is also no guarantee that your team will be safe if you tell them you are leaving. They might decide to just get rid of the whole team and leave another team whole (instead of taking a pound of flesh from each team). Again, without knowing what your current company is like we can only speculate but tread carefully.
Re: Ask HN: How to handle a layoff when I already planning on leaving?
#13My only advice is to get out one way or another. I'd try to convince your boss to lay you off (yay severance) and keep the subordinates. Either way if you were looking and they were doing lay offs sounds like a depressing place to work. Get out as soon as you can.
Re: Ask HN: How to handle a layoff when I already planning on leaving?
#14Find a good job, lay off the best workers and take them with you.
Re: Ask HN: How to handle a layoff when I already planning on leaving?
#15Not sure if it helps, but let me share my experience.
At the company I'm working for, there is a hiring slowdown (that can turn into a hiring freeze), and the announcement felt like "the writing was on the wall" and I expect that things will get only worse as time goes by. It's a mobile team and I am worried that the whole team will be let go and the company go forward with web only.
I decided to look for another job, had some interviews, and I realized that most other options I am a good candidate for are not significantly better than what I have now.
I decided to improve my "whiteboard" interview skills, get some big wins at the current company to improve my resume, learn a new technology in my free time, improve my open source and public portfolio for another half year and try looking for a job again later.
My point is: do not assume that you'll easily find a better job in no time, especially if your current job is not that terrible.
I'd err on the side of caution and, first and foremost, protect myself: no disclaimers to either the bosses or coworkers.
Re: Ask HN: How to handle a layoff when I already planning on leaving?
#16First, I think this is a pretty clear sign from the universe that it's time to go get that other offer.
If they are good people, it's okay to give extended notice of your desire to leave. A lot of places would love to have time to bring someone else up to speed and for you to wrap up what you're doing. It also means you have an easier time going to interviews and such and can use your current superiors as references. The only case where it is in their best interest to terminate you right away is if they are hemorrhaging and need to cut labor costs fast, but if that's the case your job isn't particularly safe as it is. I would suggest having a conversation with someone who would be a decision maker in such a scenario about long term vision to get a sense of how things would go down if you were to take this approach before taking the plunge.
If you think they might act out of spite, wait until you have an offer. If your giving notice would have prevented a layoff, odds are they're just going to try and rehire that person so it would at worst result in a few weeks of stress. You're not a dick for quitting after a layoff, they're dicks for mismanaging a company to the point they need to lay people off and not being good at determining who to lay off.
Re: Ask HN: How to handle a layoff when I already planning on leaving?
#17I know it sounds cold but without knowing more about the company you work for my suggestion is to say nothing and start looking. Unless you have a new job lined up, all the papers signed, and a start date never tell your current company. At best they are happy for you, at worse they are vindictive and either fire you immediately (an no, unemployment is neither easy/simple nor is it much money normally) or make your l…
I agree with this. I really cannot think of any situation where it would make sense or give a person any sort of advantage whatsoever to not just look out for themselves and make sure everything is in order before even mentioning to the company that you're looking at other opportunities. I'm surprised to see some other comments suggesting giving a heads up.
Re: Ask HN: How to handle a layoff when I already planning on leaving?
#18You could tell your boss you can't bring yourself to lay anyone off so you'll quit yourself. They give you severance, and promote someone from under you without laying anyone off because of the cost saving they'll make without you. Win-win all round.
If they are laying of people for financial reasons, they expect additional people to leave. So you won't necessarily save anyone by declaring that you are going to go, because that is already priced in.
Re: Ask HN: How to handle a layoff when I already planning on leaving?
#19I know it sounds cold but without knowing more about the company you work for my suggestion is to say nothing and start looking. Unless you have a new job lined up, all the papers signed, and a start date never tell your current company. At best they are happy for you, at worse they are vindictive and either fire you immediately (an no, unemployment is neither easy/simple nor is it much money normally) or make your l…
I agree with this. I really cannot think of any situation where it would make sense or give a person any sort of advantage whatsoever to not just look out for themselves and make sure everything is in order before even mentioning to the company that you're looking at other opportunities. I'm surprised to see some other comments suggesting giving a heads up.
If you can feasibly get a severance package, it seems worth the risk
Re: Ask HN: How to handle a layoff when I already planning on leaving?
#20Consider meeting with the VP of HR (not your HRBP) and tell them you’re open to negotiating an exit so the organization can save a headcount.
This is how two extremely talented mentors of mine left BigCorp jobs.