RE: Layoff logistics and etiquette

["Susan W. Gallagher" <SGallagher -at- akonix -dot- com>]

> Perhaps I wasn't clear.
> 
> 6 weeks BEFORE they started the big layoff process, the 
> company was still 
> hiring developers, most of whom were laid off 6 weeks later 
> in the first wave.
>  My point is, wouldn't you think that the powers that be knew 
> they were in 
> trouble 6 weeks before they laid off 25% of the staff?  And 
> if they did, why 
> were they still hiring staff??

Yes, I've seen such behavior. The explanation is that the PTB
know they're in trouble but they don't let anyone else know.
HR goes right ahead and publishes job req's, managers hire,
and everybody's surprised when the axe falls. 

When I was job hunting in Feb and March, I was in mid-interview-
cycle when I learned that a hiring freeze had been instituted --
several times! And, yup, you'd think that they'd know they're in
trouble and not advertise the job. But that doesn't happen.

One very large, very successful software company opened a job
req and closed it three times while I was jobless -- even called
me in for tests and interviews -- only to finally pull the job
req again. I finally got a job, so haven't checked back to see
where they are with the opening now. *And* they sent recruiters
to job fairs while their freeze was on! "What are you doing here?
I thought you were in a hiring freeze???" said I. "Well, yes, we
are, but..."  <sigh>

-swg

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