Straight Truth: Layoffs are a relief for some managers

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May 23, 2023

In a time of frequent layoffs, I want to share something that is not talked about much.

Communicating clearly to an employee who is not meeting expectations can be awkward, unpleasant, and even risky.

With agreement: there can still be sadness or distress.

With disagreement: there can be anger, argument, and lasting animosity.

With misunderstandings or intent: there can be accusations and lawsuits.

Layoffs largely free a manager from these constraints.

"It's not you, we're just downsizing." HR takes care of the outplacement. It can be emotionally distanced and not "personal." Performance feedback is a critique of the work; a layoff can be positioned as "circumstances."

For many managers, it is a chance to remove people without confrontation:

The strong performer who is difficult to work with.
The protected class of person where a lawsuit is feared.
The difficult or emotional person the manager cannot face confronting.
Or even just the person the manager never really liked.

There are many otherwise good managers who are too kind, too afraid of conflict, or too untrained to actually manage problem conduct. For them, while they may feel bad about a layoff, it represents a chance to take action from behind a cloak of "it's not my decision, don't be mad at me, this came down from corporate."

I share this because in a time of frequent layoffs, realize that your manager may not be truthful with you about why you were chosen. In fact, they may work hard to tell you a story that feels safer to them, while at the same time feeling relief that you will be moving on. Look closely for other reasons you may have been selected and you may learn something you can use in your future.

Audience Insights

As will be the case with all posts in this series, I first post my answer, above, on LinkedIn, and then my audience comments. I have consolidated additional ideas worth considering, including:

In the case where the entire team/org is impacted, you can feel reasonably secure that it was about corporate need for the function, not something specific about your behavior.
To make it clear (as many readers have raised this point), no rational person can explain things like the Twitter Massacre as being performance based. That is just Billionaires Gone Wild. But in cases where a few people are "trimmed" from many teams, which is a common type of layoff, it is often dependent on the perceived traits of the individuals.
A sign of a “helpful” manager is someone who sets clear expectations in advance, makes it a point to have performance feedback be a regular part of 1:1s (discuss what is below the bar, at the bar, and above the bar using real examples from your team/org), and coaches you when your performance falls below expectations.
If you report to a manager who does not take these actions, consider proactively integrating these topics of discussions / check-ins during your 1:1s (you ultimately own the 1:1 agenda). To effectively do this, it is important to show that you are open to feedback and being vocally self-critical. Remember: “the only person responsible for your career, is you.”
Note: if a manager is willing to have a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) conversation, then they are likely not the type of manager who needs a layoff as an excuse.

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