Career Lessons from the Better.com Debacle
Introduction
This concise review addresses job security nowadays and career maintenance in light of the Better.com debacle.
It’s Not the Medium
The recent firing of 900 people at better.com made headlines.
A good portion of the discussion focused on impersonally firing many people over Zoom.
But our focus should not be on Zoom, the medium.
From endless social media posts, it is apparent that employees’ jobs are terminated in various ways, including in-person meetings, sitting in an auditorium, over the phone call, via a WhatsApp chat, in an email message, and with many working from home due to Covid-19, with Zoom.
Stark Reality
The firing at better.com is a PR disaster.
Especially now, there is more sensitivity and awareness to mental health, work-life balance, workplace psychological impacts, human factors, company culture, and worker rights.
But aside from the timing before the holidays, using Zoom, and the CEO talking and focusing on himself, and other indignations — the firing at better.com represents reality.
Individual firing and mass layoffs are inevitable occurrences. It has always been like this and will continue.
And the reasons for firing could be anything and do not matter. The company can be successful or in a downfall — it does not matter.
People should be let go via personal interaction and individual, one-on-one sessions. Better.com should have handled this layoff as such.
But today’s reality is that loyalty between employees and employers is minimal. Private sector employment is overwhelmingly at-will, and all sides consider workers free agents — no one is bound.
Lessons Learned
So with the inescapable prospect of an abrupt and uncontrolled departure from the job and an uncertain future, what should our focus be on?
➡ First, adopt a mentality that we work for a living and not live to work. A pun easier said than done, but still significant.
Practically this means regularly maintaining enjoyable activities and personal relationships outside of work.
➡ Second, besides staying physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy, relentlessly invest in your work skills and network with like-minded professionals.
There is no better security than having basic timeless skills and valuable relationships at home and work.
Summary
Condemnation of the massive layoff decision, the way it was delivered and handled by Better.com’s CEO, is in order.
But the Better.com debacle is also a warning and wake-up call.
It is your responsibility to prepare yourself for a similar situation, should you find yourself in one.