I really don’t get this criticism of “laying off over Zoom.” What are they supposed to do, visit them in person at their home and infect them with Covid while laying them off? All meetings are over Zoom now.
A manager 1:1 or immediate-working-team video call would have been more respectful way to end a working relationship, no? Something that includes some amount of personal communication/conversation rather than a mass broadcast anonymous message?
Treating someone as a person, rather than a resource. If it were happening to you, what would you hope for?
You are making a lot of assumptions, one is that the managers weren't laid off too. In that case, there is nobody to do a 1:1 with.
Do you know the worst thing about a layoff, knowing that people are being laid off and not knowing what's happening to you or the details of the layoff. In your scenario, the first few people who were laid off are very likely going to reach out to their work friends and soon everyone knows there are layoffs, but no one knows who's getting let go. So you do you prolong this suffering, or do you make it quick and provide a way to ask questions afterwards? I think quick is better.
I've been through an in person layoff, and nobody spends time with those who are leaving. We did the visit each person and tell them their fate, and it sucked. But we spent only a few minutes with each person, because we had to make it relatively quick. Everyone had to wait in their offices to find out their fate.
No matter what way you choose, there is always going to be an armchair quarterback saying the way you did it is wrong. Layoffs are hard and there is no way to make everybody really happy about them.
Or even better, I'd hope for a written email explaining the detail instead.
I never encountered a layoff. But I encountered several rejections after on-site interviews.
And, every time, the recruiters insisted on talking on the phone. It wasted my time. Scheduling a phone call required scheduling it the next day and finding available time and etc.
Just tell me the outcome. Personal communication is great, but it shouldn't waste people's time.
I'd be happy with the generous severance package and move on with my life. But do you honestly care about a generic exit interview? Do you think any employer cares that much? Seems like a total waste of time for everyone involved given the circumstances.
I think that makes sense if you assume the manager were not let go. But in a layoff case, they usually chop the entire org, which is as huge as 100+ people.
Treating someone as a person, rather than a resource. If it were happening to you, what would you hope for?