We've heard about the lay-offs affecting the big companies like AOL, Cisco and Nortel but how is it affecting the smaller firms? Have you felt the effects in your company and/or projects? Saving Changes...
At the moment, I don't have a job, although this is a result of a reorganization rather than the economy. But as I'm looking for a new job, I'm hearing the same things from recruiters: Employers have positions approved, but because of hiring "slow-downs" can't fill them. Or, they're waiting for the perfect person to fill them, the one that matches 100% of the requirements for the position. I've had a couple interviews that I walked away from thinking that I'd nailed the job, only to find out that the employer had decided to keep interviewing.
One recruiter tells me that the forecast (at least in the Philadelphia area) is that things will pick up again by the end of the second quarter. I sure hope so! Saving Changes...
Anonymous
It would be great to have a job to be layed-off from. I have been looking for work for eight months. I have over twenty years experance in the IT Field, but can't find work. Didn't get layed-off was doing consulting work and it just dried up. Saving Changes...
Anonymous
A lot of small companies are adopting a survival mentality, early on. My company, which has about 100 people, made a round of layoffs last week and is expecting another next week.
At the end of the day, I would guess that 30% will be cut. Albeit, many of these people have not been performing for some time and management is probably use the downturn to cut dead weight.
Still, the reverberations throughout the ones not on the hit list is significant. How do others deal with this? I feel myself getting depressed even though I am not on the list? Saving Changes...
Anonymous
It certainly is a weird situation. I work in government and have had the one and only real technology project cut ($3M) because spending money on technology rather than the core business needs seemed evil in this economy. The bottom line was that no one wanted to have to explain it the citizens though a logical arguement could easily have been made. But that's the irony of this whole situation. There hasn't been any logic in the markets for quite some time. Now the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction. The scary thing is that the people who got us into this mess rode the wave into early retirement or are now responsible for making the cuts and for leading us out of this mess. Just tell me where I need to spend some money on technology to help get us out of this mess and into an opportunity to better handle the situation the next time around. I'll do my part because I know it will be better for the entire economy and, in the end, better off for my family. If we do not figure this out now, we will be misdirecting our kids into the sciences and technology sector that we so adore but now know will cut you at a whim if your anywhere near retirement or in order to save costs quick. Saving Changes...
Anonymous
I'm developing a stress-control workshop for a large corporation, in part due to layoffs. Care to share how you as an individual or you as a manager cope with the personal stress levels? Saving Changes...
We are past 25,000 on our way to 30,000....Nortel. I have made it so far but talk about a demoralizing experience! This process of "optimization" has lasted almost 9 months now with no real end to it. I suspect that the loayoffs will continue. My only quesiton...how does someone wake up one morning and suddenly realize that they are heavy by over 30%???? Funny thing is....the management that made the decisions to put Nortel in the position are still with the company....they are the ones who need to be "optimized". okay, okay....I'm whining. Saving Changes...
Anonymous
IT lay-offs is certainly affecting even small sized companies, but in different ways ..for example there are no salary hikes, always threatened by the employer about the market condition’s , job security .. though the client billing rates remain the same in few areas..
A good deal of companies are not calling their actions layoffs, but re-orgs. Same Difference. I got hit and I am out here looking for a pm position. Those of you who still have jobs, hold on for as long as you can, contribute as much as you can. Saving Changes...
