How to help people who've been laid off

Last month was a hard month. This one might be worse. People I love and respect are being laid off with little notice. Good people. Great people. People who, if I had an open position at one of my ventures, I’d hire on the spot.

For me, the hardest part has been not knowing what to do to help them. I’ve tried checking in. I’ve tried making intros. I’ve tried giving space. Though, everything I’ve tried felt too small and meaningless. So I explored efforts with a bigger impact. For example, I looked into creating a non profit marketplace to help verify and match laid off workers to local firms who are hiring. After speaking with several people in the space, it was clear I lacked both the time and the resources to pull it off. [1]

Then, I stumbled upon this post by Megan Brewster who was recently laid off from a local startup. Megan wrote “this experience has helped me realize I don't always know how to help others in the same boat - or what to ask for now that I'm there.” This captures what’s so hard about helping people who’ve been laid off: we often aren’t sure what to do to help and they often aren’t sure what to ask for.

Megan’s post and the resulting comments go on to discuss ways to help people when they’re laid off. I’ll do my best to summarize. When someone you know and care about gets laid off, do the following and feel confident you’ve done enough.

Let them know you noticed and that you care about them. Acknowledge the harsh reality and validate what they have to offer. Be real. Don’t fake positivity. Empathize with the situation while pointing to their abilities as assets. Do it however you like. The medium doesn’t matter. Sincerity does.

When it makes sense, make personal introductions and recommendations. The qualification “when it makes sense” is key. Introductions work if they are mutually beneficial. And recommendations work if they are relevant. Poor intros and hollow recommendations can do more harm than good. Share information you have on new opportunities, but keep it relevant and thoughtful.

Invite them to participate in social groups and communities you’re involved with. These are great places for them to meet new people and discover new opportunities. 

Don’t take anything personal. If the person you’re trying to help doesn’t respond to or take you up on your offers, don’t take it the wrong way. It’s not about you. Be patient and consistent with showing your care for them. Don’t force anything. Some people need space to process the change. If you do these things for the people you care about, sleep well. Your efforts were meaningful. The next step is up to them.

Notes

[1] There are several others leading efforts in this space. Check out Layoffs.fyi’s layoff tracker, Meg Murphy’s work in Chicago, Robyn Cohen and friends’ work in Utah, and Silver Lining’s work nationally. Want to do more? Support these efforts and those like them.