Quiet Firing - MAC082

Recently, companies have been in cost cutting mode.  The most obvious result of this cost cutting, at least when it comes to your career, is that companies have been laying off large numbers of workers across all industries.  But these very same companies are starting to balk at the negative press associated with "yet another layoff".  This week, I take a look at the subtle ways that companies continue to reduce their headcount in a less public manner.

Return to Office Mandates

During COVID, social distancing and stay at home orders lead many to resort to remote work.  During that time, many companies experienced record revenue and added staff to support future projections.  These activities showed that remote work could be successful and many workers enjoyed the freedom offered by these new policies.  Now that the height of the pandemic has passed, companies transitioned to a hybrid model where some days were worked remotely and some were worked in the office.

I won't argue that there are benefits to being in the office with your co-workers, but now companies are changing their policy to switch from a hybrid schedule to one requiring workers to be in the office five days per week.  The freedom that workers once had has been quickly eliminated.  In some instances, this policy shift may make sense, but in most cases, this change leads to a situation where people voluntarily leave to find an opportunity that still offers the flexibility that they had become accustomed to.

Reduction in Promotions and Frozen Salaries

Beyond return to office mandates, employees are finding fewer opportunities for advancement and smaller salary increases.  When a company is in the process of laying off employees, this often includes cancelling most of the open positions.  For the positions that remain open, you will face additional competition from those on the reduction list as well as everyone else looking for a promotion.

In addition to limited opportunities, many are finding that salary increases are small or non-existent and bonuses are reduced or eliminated all under the banner of controlling costs.  Those expecting some sort of increase to their bank account will face dissatisfaction and demotivation.  And for the company, this could be a way to reduce staff without the stigma of another round of layoffs.

Overworked and Burnt Out

One would hope that layoffs are targeted to areas where shifting business needs have lead to reduced workloads, but they often hit areas that were already understaffed.  Those that remain are often asked to do "more with less".  Goals are set more aggressively in order to recover some level of profitability.

With the constant fear of being "next", people will just accept the additional workload and strive to do everything asked of them, even if it means working longer hours and opting not to take all of their allotted time off.  This is an unsustainable position that will only lead to burnout.

Singled Out

The other factors are things that apply generally to everyone in the company.  But you could also find yourself targeted by your company to encourage you to leave.  You may find that your responsibilities are changing, often in a manner that doesn't align with your career plan and skill set or potentially even having diminished responsibility levels.  Performance reviews may not accurately reflect the level of contributions you have made.  Feedback is not constructive or even offered.

If it feels like your manager is pushing you out in this manner, you may have no choice but to look for alternatives.  There may be opportunities to remain at the company but to transfer to another group.  But, if that is not an option, take advantage of the situation as best you can.  Use any training resources available to you and do your best to remain employed, but begin exploring your options elsewhere.

Navigating Your Options

If you find yourself in a situation where your company is looking for ways to drive people to leave, there may be some things you can do to ease some of the stress you find yourself facing.

Policy may require you to be in the office five days per week, but there may be flexibility in the hours that you are in the office.  Maybe you can negotiate having certain mornings or afternoon continue to be remote as long as you still meet the five day mandate.

If promotions and salaries are not an option, it may be possible to receive other non-monetary benefits.  A change in title doesn't cost the company any money but could add some needed prestige as you explore other jobs.  Having expanded access to training resources can allow you to increase your skills opening up other opportunities previously unavailable to you.

In Episode 053 (https://www.managingacareer.com/53), I covered what you should do if you've been laid off, but many of those same strategies apply if you find yourself being quietly fired.

A career coach can help you navigate these difficult times and set yourself up for future success.  If you need a career coach, reach out to me via the  Contact Form at ManagingACareer.com (https://www.managingacareer.com/contact/).  I'll schedule an introductory session where we can talk about your career goals and determine if we would be a good fit for coaching.  If we are, we can arrange regular sessions to help you put your career on the fast track to advancement.

Are you looking for a career coach? If you reach out to me via the contact form, I will arrange an introductory session where we can talk about your career goals and how I can help. If we're a good fit, we can schedule regular coaching sessions.