[overgard]

Yeah, working harder to avoid a layoff in a big company doesn't really work out - by the time you know about the layoffs they've probably already made their decisions about who stays and goes anyway. Plus that higher rate of effort might be unsustainable and you end up leaving on your own accord anyway or burning out. Layoffs somewhat change the employment arrangement too for the people that stay: "we pay you the same but now you're expected to do the work of the missing people"

[EPWN3D]

This is broadly true, but there are performance-based layoffs sometimes. The trick is to know whether the next round is going to be a decimation or a restructuring.

If it's a restructuring, nothing you do will save you or condemn you. The decisions are made via spreadsheet, and it's unlikely anyone in your management chain will be involved. In fact, if you're a high performer who's accumulated a lot of compensation, that might paint a target on your back. If you're a protected class, you might get passed over to minimize the risk of legal action.

If it's a decimation, you'll probably have a good idea whether you'd survive.

The takeaway is keep your ear to the ground, maintain some familiarity with where your company spends its money and how executives make decisions, and you might be able to tell what kind of reduction is in the cards and prepare for it. And also, keep relationships up with recruiters.

[dietr1ch]

At Google the random 2023 layoffs left no guarantee that anything you do mattered. Maybe your salary or mouse click activity was wrong, or maybe your entire org was doomed already and you'd be layed off or moved to Bard (Gemini) and your old team would disappear.

[wseqyrku]

> working harder to avoid a layoff in a big company doesn't really work out

If this is where you're at in relation to your employer, that doesn't avoid a layoff, it accelerates the next round, whether or not you're in the batch is just a matter of time.