Layoff Journal Week 20 - Doing the Hard Work
You can tell that summer vacation is over: hiring managers are back in town and conversations are moving much faster of late. I’ve increased the amount of work I’m putting into job searching, networking, and interviewing to get things rolling again. I was still actively searching throughout July, but things were moving much slower then. In my spare time, I’ve also been working to create a more rigorous schedule at home.
I check my LinkedIn alerts, email, and other places for any updates daily. I schedule networking coffee, lunch, and beers with former coworkers and others in the industry each week to stay abreast of how things are going and who’s hiring. I’m working on a side project to sharpen my technical skills.
On the personal side, I’m exercising each morning (even in this Texas heat, the mornings are at least manageable.) I’m reading “No Rules, Rules” to understand Netflix’s culture a bit deeper than just the old Netflix Culture Deck. I’m also enjoying some CrunchLab kits with my kids as they turn their brains on before school starts next week. The days are busy, but we’re making the most of each of them.
Hard Numbers
17 people were laid off from Y Combinator (and an additional seven from Sequoia Capital), in a rare move for VC firms. (source explaining why this is particularly interesting)
10x more people quit after a layoff than after other forms of attrition. Source
7,400 Zoom employees are returning to the office. #irony source
Encouragement for Hard Work
"I do not know anyone who has got to the top without hard work. That is the recipe. It will not always get you to the top, but should get you pretty near." — Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister
I strive for minimalism in many aspects of my life (reducing, reusing, recycling, but also owning less stuff,) and this article on a minimalist's perspective on work was encouraging. The reminders that work not only provides us with meaning and produces valuable goods and services but that it’s a good example to our kids and is a forcing function for personal growth were encouraging. (3 min read)
Hard Work Comes Intrinsically
In a handful of interviews recently, I’ve had the chance to explain my perspective on motivating teams to do their best work. For me, the first thing to get right on motivation is driving intrinsic value. Intrinsic motivation refers to doing an activity for its inherent enjoyment rather than for some separable outcome (source). At Indeed, we regularly pointed to the mission, “We Help People Get Jobs,” to motivate individuals and teams. As I interview at various companies, I’m trying on their missions to understand whether I can be excited about that work and outcomes, and secondly, to see if it’s something I can excite others around.
Beyond just force-feeding that mission to everyone on the team every day, week, all-hands, Q&A, whatever, the mission must be lived out in the outcomes. Sharing stories of people getting jobs, new products that helped whole new markets of job seekers find roles, and successful teams with customer-centricity helped motivate everyone on the team. I’ve seen many ex-Indeedians land great new jobs, and I’m so excited for them. It’s a reminder that there are jobs and hiring is happening. It’s an encouragement to me that we’re each going to find the next right position (hopefully soon.)
Beyond the intrinsic motivation of the company mission and the anecdotal evidence to support that mission, I have said for years that “you aren’t truly managing someone until you know what non-monetary reward you would give them for a job well done.” Put another way, you should know people so profoundly that you can think of a gift you’d give them as a bonus. Not a cash bonus, pay bump, or gift card. What motivates them? Maybe it’s cycling, coffee, or time with their kids. Perhaps the best reward for them is that new board game they’ve been waiting for (wink, wink, nudge, nudge.) Knowing this allows you to align the company and team goals with their motivations and to get the best work out of everyone on the team.
So, whether corporate, anecdotal, or personal motivation, focusing on intrinsic motivation is always the first step in my playbook.
Is Hard Work Paying Off?
I can’t say for sure, but I did have a final round interview last week. That is progress. Beyond that company, I had several other first-round discussions. Hopefully, some of those will continue forward this week as well.
I was looking at my stats and have applied to or seriously considered (at least) 54 positions in the last 20 or so weeks. Of those:
18 - Positions I explored but decided not to apply to.
29 - Companies ghosted/auto-rejected me.
3 - Organizations rejected after an initial screen (e.g., I only spoke with the recruiter.)
3 - Companies gave me only first-round interviews (at least one interview beyond the recruiter).
1 - Company invited me to second-round interviews (callback with a larger panel of interviewers.)
0 - offers.
4 - Companies currently in various rounds of exploration (two in the final round and two early interviews.)
Fun
Final Words
If I can help with your search, please get in touch with me. Please give me feedback on what you like or don’t care for in this newsletter, and I’ll adjust. For total transparency, I have no affiliation with any of the tools, companies, or resources I share. These are my impressions, not tainted by any outside influences.
https://onlynewmistakes.com/
Are my efforts listed under #18? Don't know how old your kids are but this company did a great job keeping ours interested in science and tinkering: https://www.kiwico.com/ (I am not affiliated, just a fan)
Good luck to you, ‘cause it never hurts.