Sharing Layoffs on social media – is it professional?
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Krissy Manzano: Hi, and welcome to another episode of the Blueprint Roundtable. I’m your host, Krissy Manzano. And today I have Emily Bell and Lizzy Castro with me to talk about an interesting and popular topic are on candidates sharing layoffs on social media.
Krissy Manzano: Is it or is it not professional? Emily, I’ll go to you first.
Emily Bell: Yeah. So I think it’s all on your tone and how it’s handled and approached. if it is just a trash sesh of previous company, even if all of your points are valid, it probably would be perceived as unprofessional. I think it’s important to keep in mind, even when you have a very emotional thing, right, which is being laid off to when you have that emotion presented to the world at large, context might not also translate.
Emily Bell: And so it might come across as just angry, which you’re valid in those feelings, but context is everything. So, I think the professional way to go about it. Is ensuring the appropriate might have context where you’re not, just dumping a lot of grievances out into the world.
Lizzy Castro: and
Emily Bell: a good thing to share.
Emily Bell: I think it does a couple of things. As long as it’s done professionally, it allows other candidates that might potentially be considering that organization to have a. a really important variable data point to in their consideration of joining that company. we’ve seen a lot in 2023 where, you have around a round of layoffs, and then you’re still hiring in certain areas of the company.
Emily Bell: And then that area is also impacted. So I think it allows for open communication in the market, puts more power into the candidates being assessed, and I think it also holds the companies accountable to if you have to go through a round of layoffs, it’s an unfortunate scenario to be in, but it does happen. To go about it in the right way and in a thoughtful way.
Emily Bell: And that is a business decision, but you’re essentially making a business decision that profoundly impacts people’s lives and their livelihood. And so I think that if done in the right way, I think it has a, a positive impact for both candidates and, holding companies to a higher standard, but I’d love to get your thoughts on it, Lizzy.
Lizzy Castro: Yeah, I do agree. I think it’s all about the tone and how you go about it. I personally consider linkedin as a form of social media, just more in a professional way. So linkedin. Yes, completely think that’s the perfect place. I do think in this day and age, too, it’s way more common to see people utilize other social media apps.
Lizzy Castro: And I’m going to specifically talk about, like, tick tock, for example, especially with, like, Gen Z, who probably is going through their first rounds of layoffs ever. I’ve noticed a lot on my for you pages, people making videos and talking about, I just got laid off. This is what happened. And then they actually talk about the experience they have, and they use it in a way to utilize a platform that they maybe have to see what connections are out there.
Lizzy Castro: I think that’s a reflection of a positive way of using it. I haven’t seen many people use other platforms like Facebook or Instagram, for example, but I do think like Emily said, using the right tone, delivering your message the right way, not bashing the company first and foremost is the most important thing.
Lizzy Castro: And I think it can be done in a respectful way where you do get your point across and it can also can help you build a lot of connections.
Krissy Manzano: So, so you both believe it’s professional if done in the correct way, right?
Emily Bell: Yeah.
Krissy Manzano: So one thing that y’all both said that kind of stood out to me was like, not bashing the company, but isn’t posting that, even if you sell the right things, technically bashing the company. Right. Likein a really non discrete way, right? Like, Hey,
Lizzy Castro: I don’t think so.
Krissy Manzano: I’m not talking like, I mean, to be fair, like they kind of are, even if it’s done the right way. So just curious.
Emily Bell: It’s like, it’s a professional way to maybe air some dirty laundry out that,the biggest thing is like, as a candidate in today’s market with social media, you are your own brand else like separate from your company’s brand. And so I think that if you present your brand in a certain way.
Emily Bell: That is the perception, right? And so whether you’re valid or not. And so I think that, for example, when I’ve left organizations before and interviewed other places, there’s a way to air that out in a professional way. That’s translated accordingly. if you’re asked why are you looking, professional way to say that, things aren’t going well is, I no longer really align with their go to market strategies or their business model.
Emily Bell: Does it resonate with me? I don’t feel like I can be successful within that capacity. So it’s like, you’re saying the same thing, but you’re doing it in a way where there’s not as much trigger aligned to it and for a company that’s just done layoffs, I think a reasonable expectation is that, That layoff is going to be publicly known.
Emily Bell: And so you’re really just reiterating what’s already known and you’re saying I was personally impacted. So I see your point and I don’t disagree, but I don’t think it, I think especially if it’s done correctly, I don’t think it’s like bashing the company. I think it’s just saying like, unfortunately this happened and I was affected.
Lizzy Castro: I agree with that because I also think too layoffs are done and it blows my mind. Some companies go about it. Honestly, there’s no perfect way to do it, but there’s companies that go about it the right way. And then there’s companies that go about it the complete wrong way. And just like personal experience, when I got laid off 2 years ago, it definitely like hurt me in the gut, super upset about it.
Lizzy Castro: But I also had such a great time when I was at that company that yes, I did post and say, unfortunately, my time at whatever company it was has come to an end due to layoffs, but then in my message or my post. I also was like, I appreciate the time and the people I was with for that. I’m not bashing the company there.
Lizzy Castro: Yeah. I’m making it come to light that they did have layoffs, but I’m also showing I’m grateful for my time and now I’m open to work. I also know people who have been in awful circumstances who have been laid off and they then posted and it was a horrible situation for the significant person and they did tag the company in it and then the company did come down and get a lot of backlash for it.
Lizzy Castro: So I think it just, it really depends on the situation and how you want to go about it. But yeah, I think it’s always case by case.
Krissy Manzano: What about, so you don’t write anything about the company, but you post the recording of the layoff happening.
Emily Bell: I think that’s a risky move. I think that unless you have
Krissy Manzano: it professional or unprofessional? and let me, let’s say. The company handled it horribly. Horribly professional or unprofessional.
Emily Bell: My whole thing is it’s unprofessional because you don’t have consent of the other people and you’re not showing their, their, face, but people who know them know their voice. And they’re obviously in roles that are associated with this type of action within an organization. So deductive reasoning, you can kind of figure out who it is.
Emily Bell: And I think anytime you, anytime. You put someone on social media without their consent and especially when you’re potentially painting them in a poor light, even if what they’re doing is incorrect without their consent. I think that’s unprofessional. There’s some ethics associated with it, but I think baseline it’s unprofessional and there could even be legal implication for you for doing that.
Emily Bell: It’s just not a smart move. I think just keep it from your perspective. Keep that perspective, as, to the point as possible. And like Lizzy said, I think, use it as an opportunity to let people know you’re on the market, and garner that traction that way. I think that you probably feel better by airing it, but long term the impact to you and the people that have not given you consent for that content to be displayed out there, could be so negative where it doesn’t outweigh, the short term, feeling of that you had justice, I think that there’s a better way to go about it.
Lizzy Castro: Also chime in on that too. Let’s say you did post the video and sometimes layoffs happen on mass video calls, and there’s a bunch of people on it. There are people out there who are very private about being laid off and they don’t want it posted anywhere. And let’s just say you did record it. And even if their camera’s not on, but you can see their first name and last initial, and I just happened to know that Emily B works at X company, I’m going to put two and two together.
Lizzy Castro: So I just think that’s a really bad idea. Cause you’re also, you’re invading those other people’s privacy who also were potentially affected by that layoff.
Krissy Manzano: Yeah, no, that’s a good point. I mean, look, at the end of the day, there’s a part of me that loves seeing companies that have been incredibly irresponsible at best and reckless and unethical, at worst get exposed a little bit because it’s been so rampant, right? Like, we want, we expect candidates and employees to be held to a high standard, but companies can.
Krissy Manzano: Oops, I overhired. I’m just going to fire everybody now, right? Like that just doesn’t sit well with me, but at the same time, so there’s a part of me like that likes it, but I think as a business center too, I’d be like, I would be hesitant to hire someone like that because. If it’s pointing out people’s wrongs, that can be more hurtful to you and then it is to them.
Krissy Manzano: So,
Emily Bell: Yeah.
Krissy Manzano: I totally agree, but that’s all the time that we have today. Thank you for joining us on the Blueprint Round table. Don’t forget to subscribe to our series on YouTube or on our website at blueprint expansion. com. We’ll see you in the next episode. Bye guys.
Episode Summary
Layoffs have been a constant presence over the last four years, especially in the tech industry. The ongoing cycle of hiring and reductions in force has not only caused a sense of whiplash but has also sparked a strong desire among many to voice what they perceive as the injustice of their layoffs.
This leads us to our question of the week: Is it professional to record layoffs and share them on social media?
Join us on this episode of the Blueprint Roundtable where we give our honest opinions without holding back. We’ll discuss the pros and cons and explore all the ways you can express your experiences truthfully without jeopardizing your future job prospects.
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Transcript
Krissy Manzano: Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Blueprint Roundtable. Today’s question, are you, candidate, prepping properly for an interview? Are you getting ready in the right way?
Chuck Brotman: In general, no. So if we’re speaking to sales and marketing and customer success job seekers going into 2024 based on my experiences in 2023, I would say there is room for improvement from the vast majority of job seekers. And the main thing that I have been seeing is not enough time being spent on learning.
Chuck Brotman: A company’s value proposition. And by that, I mean, what does the company you’re interviewing with do. does it matter? And what are the outcomes they claim to be delivering to their customers? If you have a point of view on those three things, a you’re going to be better prepared. You’re gonna be able to have a stronger conversation.
Chuck Brotman: You’re gonna have a foundation for then doing more preparation and being ready to speak about the organization, the people, the culture, all of that. And then yeah. And third, you’re also going to be better prepared to potentially leapfrog candidates that have, more industry experience than you, but don’t have a point of view on the value prop of why it matters.
Chuck Brotman: So I know this has been my hobby horse for some time, but this is an area I consistently see job seekers. Falling short and if you’re listening and saying this is, the Chuck Brotman hobby horse, what I can tell you is that I have seen without question that, our best clients, respond well to candidates who are preparing that front.
Chuck Brotman: And I am seeing firsthand those candidates, particularly when they’re. My candidates, since I participate in the recruiting process, they do better and they’re, more likely to get offers. So if you want to prepare better for jobs, in my opinion, 2024, learn the value prop, learn what the business does, use tools to help you do that.
Chuck Brotman: But you should have that ready to go before your first interview.
Matt Lewers: I agree. I think in, we’re, the pendulum has shifted from a couple years ago where the great resignation, where candidates had the majority of power, I think that’s shifted more strongly back towards the, employer, over potential employees. So I think they’re, expecting more across the board at all levels of the interview, whether it’s the first screen with a hiring manager or it’s the final call with the CEO if it’s a smaller organization, I, do think there needs to be more diligence and prep from a candidate’s perspective than there was previously. And I think there are tools out there, Chuck. I think, any AI tool that can help you run a quick synopsis on what an organization does, what their industry entails, where their value brought within that industry lies can save you a lot of, heartache and work. And a lot of these companies will, have their own either YouTube channel or case studies or there’s, a lot of other resources that you can find. It just takes an extra five or ten minutes of digging. And then you can, learn specific elements or facts or stats that you can bring into the interview process that again will make you stand out over other candidates.
Matt Lewers: The other area I think is an under leveraged opportunity for a lot of individuals is to just lean on the recruiter, whether it’s third party or if it’s an internal individual, even if it’s just somebody who’s scheduling the interviews, if you don’t know what the skills or the assessments you’re being assessed for, you don’t know what the outcomes are looking for from that step of the interview process, you need to ask those questions early and often don’t just pray that you’re going to get the last 10 minutes of an interview to ask a bunch of questions. And even if you do, you shouldn’t be asking, what are the next steps from here? You should know all of them going into the interview process, but a lot of times it just. Thanks for asking some additional questions. You’re never going to be overbearing, especially if you come across from genuine curiosity, right?
Matt Lewers: Like, Hey, I’m meeting with Krissy. I’m meeting with Chuck tomorrow. Really appreciate you setting that up. Out of curiosity, “What are the skills or assessments that Chuck is, evaluating for? I want to make sure it’s a good use of both of our times, right?” Like, both people have skin in the game. I mean, that, that’s an expensive one hour meeting for a hiring manager who has a team of 10 at end of quarter, end of year.
Matt Lewers: They could be helping close deals or move pipeline forward, right? So I think just being proactive and, getting as many of those questions answered ahead of each call that you can. I don’t see a lot of candidates doing that. And again, if it can put you in favor of 1 percent over the next candidate in today’s world, if you do that across five steps, there’s five points that you have that somebody else doesn’t, right?
Chuck Brotman: Yep. No, I think, Matt, that’s a great addition. And I would add that to my list too that in 2024, do a better job of preparing for the persona you’re speaking to. And that often means the recruiter when you’re preparing for the recruiter, think about how you can gain insights into the process. You still have to come prepared to obviously.
Chuck Brotman: Win them over to be supportive of your candidates, move things forward. You still have to know the value prop and, and if anything, this should, be sort of grounds to take that process more seriously. But good recruiters can give you a lot of insights so that you can further that if this opportunity is a good fit for you and then do better in the process.
Chuck Brotman: I think that’s a great addition. Krissy, before we go back to you, can I ask Matt a question about what he shared?
Krissy Manzano: Yeah.
Chuck Brotman: I was curious that you talked about the pendulum switching. I totally agree. I would argue that when the pendulum swings back to being a candidates market that we will still see companies indexing more for folks who have better levels of preparation on the business.
Chuck Brotman: And that if anything, this will open up the doors even more widely for those with potential over category experience. So I think this guidance applies in any market. Do you agree?
Matt Lewers: Yeah, I do. I think it’s something that if we said 10 years ago would still apply, right? Except maybe there weren’t AI tools to use. i do think this is tried and true guidance. I do think it, it’ll help no matter what. But specifically in today’s market where, there’s probably a higher, I don’t, it’d be great to have the stats on the industry as a whole, but I would be willing to bet there’s a much higher rejection rate for candidates and probably almost every stage of an interview process than there were from post pandemic up until recently.
Matt Lewers: So I think it’s more important now than ever, but it will continue to be something that is relevant for anybody. And I, I don’t see a world in which that ever goes away.
Krissy Manzano: One, one final question or thought here, does it, I know we talk about like companies wanting that, right? And what candidates can do to try to prep themselves. Why do companies care now as so much versus before where you could, if you have someone with an incredible track record, it’s proven you can talk to them and kind of hear those skills and behaviors really confirming that, that background that they can’t, they didn’t prep in this way that we’re talking about to really understand the org.
Krissy Manzano: Like, does it, why does it matter now? Like, is it, are people thinking it’s going to actually give them like better performers? Just curious y’all’s thoughts
Matt Lewers: Yeah, I can hop in. Firstly, at the highest level, and I know we’ve talked about this before, there’s a greater, a greater push to find people that have industry or at a minimum, like adjacent industry and persona experience now, because organizations, for the most part, maybe peel back some of their hiring goals.
Matt Lewers: And so they can’t afford to take a chance. And so one of the ways they mitigate risk from an employer side is finding somebody who has experience either in the direct space or selling to similar personas, selling an adjacent technology or services. And I, my perception, at least, and Chuck will got check me if I’m wrong, but my perception is when candidates if they don’t have that specific industry experience or relevant experience, right? In this case, if a candidate can come and say, here’s what I understand about your, vertical, your industry, here’s what I understand about your value prop. And here’s where I understand you either have gaps against your competitors or where I’ve researched and seen you guys stand, head and shoulders above all of those things will show hiring manager. A, you’re a quick learner. You’re curious because you went ahead and learned. You’re a, you’re more well prepared than candidates that don’t take this advice and that’s not something that you should ever, you should never hope to glean that from an interview process.
Matt Lewers: You should hope to have your assumptions reaffirmed throughout the interview process. But if you don’t go bother to kind of do some of that research on the front end, then you’re not going to prove to that hiring manager that you have what it takes to make it selling to their personas in their, space.
Chuck Brotman: I think that was perfectly said. Yeah. I mean, it’s look, there’s, more information than ever before about companies. You’ve mentioned AI. it is not unreasonable to expect that candidates should do their research and come prepared to have an intelligent conversation on your business and what you’re doing.
Chuck Brotman: And that should form the basis for their questions, their engagement, how they share a narrative of why they want to pursue the opportunity if they don’t have a perspective there, that’s, thoughtful and informed by research. That’s a yellow flag and often is a red flag. And I, I’ve often argued on our prior episodes and elsewhere that it’s stupid to have, like a litmus test to land an interview.
Chuck Brotman: Like, I don’t believe people should be asked to like, pitch a hiring manager and, and flatter people to win the right to have an interview. Yeah. interviewing is a two way street and your company should do their best to find people that have, the skills and behaviors and, resource given in that initial at that.
Chuck Brotman: But boy, once you have that interview, that’s when things to me change considerably. And if you don’t come prepared in this sense, like, you shouldn’t expect you’re gonna advance not with the best companies. The best. We’ve seen this in our client base, right? Our best clients are the ones who are pretty rigorous about this because those are best clients also have a ton of information and coverage out there.
Chuck Brotman: So they know it’s out there. And so they have a high standard here. And they’re also, I think, really good about not conflating this with flattery. That’s where I think my last thing I’ll say, and this is a lot of candidates get things wrong when they think it’s about like talking about a company being a rocket ship or, seeing on rep view, they have a lot of reps that like that.
Chuck Brotman: Just when I hear that, it’s like, it’s just table stakes. Like, like, who really cares? Like, that’s not telling me about, what you really find exciting. And it certainly doesn’t persuade me if you’re just excited by, Attainment numbers that you’re going to be there if the market gets more challenging next year, right?
Chuck Brotman: So it’s about a lot more than simply knowing how many reps hit quota last year, right? It’s really being able to show you understand the business, dynamics, how they’re delighting their customers, why they’re delighting their customers, where competitive threats might come from, all of that,
Matt Lewers: Yep.
Krissy Manzano: Yeah.
Krissy Manzano: no, I agree. Great discussion. Hopefully this is helpful for some people. I think it’s literally where we are and where we’re going to be going for the foreseeable future, definitely next year. So definitely look to prep a little bit different and understand that value prop, and honestly, it might change why you’re excited about that company.
Krissy Manzano: And it should, if you really understand what they’re doing. So until next time, we’ll see you later.
Matt Lewers: See you
Chuck Brotman: Bye everyone.
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We go deep on your business and into talent markets to foster connections that other recruiting firms tend to miss. And we work with our hiring clients to ensure excellence in their hiring process. Please reach out to us for more information!
Is SaaS experience important when hiring?
Hmm, what does this mean anyhow?! We recommend defining the skills and behaviors sought before running a search rather than using buzzwords or phrases from other people’s job descriptions. We help employees go beyond acronyms to ensure they develop robust job descriptions that tie to specific candidate profiles for targeting in the market. Need help? Let us know!