Tiziana LaFata Green’s Post

It’s taken me a few days to collect my thoughts having been personally impacted by the recent #schwab layoff. I won’t lie and say that I'm happy to be looking forward to my next adventure... when in actuality I genuinely hoped to make Schwab my last job. That’s not fair to the people on my team, my partners across the firm and the organization I left behind. One of the things that I’ve reflected on, and I hope this helps those struggling with similar thoughts, is how un-productive it can be to solve the question ‘why me, what should I have done differently’. What I’d like to share instead are the results of my reflection on my own departure. For those of you who don’t know what I did at Schwab, I led the #advisorservices online trading and money movement technology, that’s the workhorse of SAC.com.  In that role I obsessed over organization structure, hiring the best talent and empowering our teams - especially our most junior associates. We were always early adopters, early to PCF, early to Micro Frontend, early to performing our own DevOps/Deployments, early to bespoke business intelligence. So, it became pretty clear 'why me'… our teams were fully autonomous, self-sufficient and well organized under their senior management.  There were only two things could happen 1) I would take on additional scope (of which there was none) or 2) I would have my Senior Managers and Managers split up across other Senior Directors. That makes sense, I would have made the same decision. I’d like to end this post by calling out some of my favorite parts of working at Schwab - Growing our teams from 2 employees to an organization of over 100 - I have loved helping people discover their engineering potential  - Mentoring new managers, teaching how to lead by example and without clout - how often can you say you can genuinely influence the culture of an organization? - Being deeply involved with the NERD program for new college hires - I have met some astronomically talented engineers who fit no mold except their passion to learn - Landing the plane with our TD Ameritrade acquisition - the pace and precision of work that was required these past three years was incredible, 8 teams running full out on gap-closure and integration is perhaps a once in a career achievement I’m certain I will find another company who would benefit from engineering leadership in Charlotte or Raleigh, our family has been wanting to make that move for a while now. If you know of anyone in finance, technology or the intersection of both please reach out as I'm #opentowork. Until next time - I’ll miss my Schwabies, my AS business partners, my DAS POs, all the engineers, architects, scrum masters, UX designers, the rest of the senior leadership in AST. There is so much left to do and I'm stoked that you get to build it!

2023 has brought more layoffs as companies like Charles Schwab trim their workforce. It's essential to stay informed about the evolving job market. If you or someone you know is affected, remember that career coaching can be a valuable resource in finding the next chapter of your career journey. Let's face the challenge together. #Layoffs2023 #CareerCoaching #NewBeginnings 🌟💼

It has been a while since I have shared a meaningful message. I thought it would be a good time as it is just a little over a year since being laid off from USAA and moving to work at Ticketmaster. I have alluded to my experience and lessons I have learned, but I thought I would take time to be more specific about some of the experiences and where I am at right now. First and foremost, I know there have been multiple USAA layoffs since my experience and I want to continue to encourage those who have been impacted to keep reaching out. It doesn’t seem like there is an end to the turnover so if you are still working there, please take care of yourself and don’t fall into the trap of thinking you will be exempt from future events. Whether you are getting stellar performance reviews or mediocre ones, you can’t be complacent. I personally was notified I would be let go just a few months after getting an exceeding expectations review. I have talked to others in the group I was in and after who were in the same position. Prepare yourself so you can make a transition at any time as you never know when it might come. One of blessing I experienced during the process was having a leader who was looking out for my best interest. During an event like this it can be difficult to know who you can actually trust. The best leaders make sure to give you the option to make your own choices as opposed to painting you into a corner. This is what enabled me to avoid getting placed in a dead-end situations where I would have no advocacy and no meaningful future. Instead, I was able to work on my terms and land in a new place where I am significantly happier and see real growth opportunities. If you are a leader who knows layoffs and going to come to your area, have the courage to be upfront and honest with your employees so they can feel like they have some level of choice. A final word of advice, if you have only worked in the financial services sector and think you won’t be qualified to do anything different, think again. There is a whole big world outside of financial services and it is exciting and relieving to make a change. Moving past the never ending government regulations and focusing more on real technology challenges has been personally rewarding for me. The move has helped me reset what it means to enjoy life outside of work and how to get back to spending the right amount of time on work. Don’t let the fear of the unknown stop you from taking the leap. As always, if you would like to chat or learn more about my experience, I would be glad to talk. If you are looking to move or want to experience the a career shift like I did, I would be glad to connect you with folks.

Saw another firm announcing layoffs in the news today. For example, Morgan Stanley announced layoff of hundreds today. One among many. So I thought I would take a look at it. To see where we are in this layoff cycle that the Fed is inducing with its rate hikes. Layoffs started to mitigate in 2021. However, in March of 2022, we started to get a recovery in the number of layoffs from employers. By December of 2022, layoffs started to accelerate into a positive growth phase. As of December of 2023, layoffs had entered a slowing growth phase. However, they are still growing. To give you some idea of where we are at in this current layoff cycle, December's rate of change was higher than 88% of the months during the period of this study since 2002. We are way above the average for this period, but growth in layoffs is slowing. If you notice, the regression trendline is trending downward. So I would expect continued declining growth in layoffs. This picture should improve To have a conversation with me about this, simply IM me via LinkedIn. By Amos B Robinson

In light of the recent PNC layoffs, I wanted to extend my support to any of my LinkedIn contacts who may be feeling uncertain. If you're looking for job opportunities, please feel free to reach out to me directly or check out our job board. #insightglobal #bethelight

Want to be bulletproof from layoffs? 3,000 people just laid off from Morgan Stanley. Small company laid off my brother 3 days ago. My best friend's division is gone in 30 days. Want to NOT be one of them? 10-15 years ago, this things made you bulletproof...  DON'T focus on these. Be indispensable. First in the office, last out. Produce more than anyone else. Drink beers with your boss.  And their boss too. Remind your boss of your accomplishments in 1/1s. Be a team player and get along with everyone in your org. Here's a list of things that will work, so DO focus on these things. Know your purpose. Know your why. Know you. Here's the challenge. Bulletproof jobs no longer exist. Accept the facts. Before you get laid off, get centered. Before your job ends, establish your purpose. 3 questions to help you get started. • What do you believe? • We need to change [?] in this world... • What impact do you (want to) have on those you care about? That's the start of knowing your purpose. STOP. HOLD ON. TAKE A MOMENT. The only thing that can be bulletproof is YOU!

Once you take the walk with the box, you are never quite the same. Layoffs and displacements are a normal part of working in a major corporation. It seems when a company presents their desire to become more “efficient” – someone will be losing their job and sent packing. It can be a cold, hard walk through the revolving door with personal items in hand! Unfortunately, once the employee navigates being released from their job, a bit of loyalty and desire is also released. They discover they were more of a number and less of a person, and approach their next job a bit broken, compromised, and cautious. That’s not always the best way to get off on the right foot. Of course, it is not actually “efficient”, but “efficiency ratio” that the corporation is likely pursuing for the sake of optics to the stockholders and stock price. With that in mind, corporations could consider taking time to first understand who may welcome a displacement and then better position for a better “efficiency ratio”. There are employees that would welcome such an opportunity to get paid to transition to the next step in their career. Many may not like their current situation, others can spend time with young children or aging parents, some may be ready to retire. The compensation package that comes with a displacement can then become a gift! Plus, the rest of the staff can be less distracted with pending layoffs and more focused on their job.  It is all in the approach.  

I have been asked recently about the ongoing layoffs at GEICO, and while I can’t speak for anything going on at GEICO, I can share what powers my internal “spider sense” with respect to staying and leaving a company. Loyalty is a two-way street at all times. I hold myself to the highest standard possible, and expect the same from the company. Is leadership present, visible, and giving real updates on the state of the business and market? I’m not talking feel-good talk, or “we’re in uncertain times”, “we’ll get through this together,” but brutally honest talks about customer focus, innovation, profitability, and how we are differentiating our product/service/offering to remain competitive. If I see layoffs, are they part of a known plan or just a knee-jerk hack and slash? Well before layoffs happen, I am always thinking ahead to my next move, is it here or elsewhere? What did I learn and how will it prepare me for my next chapter of success? I don’t expect any amount of tenure to amount to anything. Am I working with smart people? I mean genuine innovators who share the “Yes and” 10X approach, not the “No, but here’s why…” types. If I don’t see forward thinkers all the way up and down the organization, do I really want to be here? Probably not. It’s never a job, it is my craft. I always lookout for my best interests. Period. If my internal gut alarm goes off, I have plans, A, B, C, and D and execute them immediately. Waiting, or even worse “hoping” I’m not going to be affected is too late. I am always worth the best, no matter how big or stable the brand.

📢 2023 Layoffs: A Snapshot of Job Market Challenges 1️⃣ Liberty Mutual announced the layoff of 850 employees, making up 2% of its U.S. workforce. This decision was part of a "multi-year transformation" aimed at enhancing efficiency and effectiveness. 2️⃣ At the end of December, Amgen's layoffs will affect 350 employees, primarily those who were part of Horizon Therapeutics, comprising less than 20% of Horizon's workforce. This change is aimed at streamlining overlapping roles. 3️⃣ Over the course of two rounds, Ford laid off a total of 431 employees, citing "multiple constraints." These layoffs came during the UAW strike, affecting individuals in Michigan and Ohio. 4️⃣ The parent company of Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge had to let go of 100 employees in Toledo, Ohio, and another 570 in Michigan due to changing circumstances. 5️⃣ Nokia is undergoing significant workforce reduction, targeting as many as 14,000 job cuts globally. In North America, around 10,500 jobs are at stake, representing just over 12% of its total workforce. 🤝 Together We Can Make a Difference: While the statistics are daunting, we can be part of the solution. Let's support those affected by sharing job leads, networking, and providing resources. #2023Layoffs #SupportEachOther #JobMarketChallenges #TheJobHelpers

I haven’t shared much in a while. I figured while I’m healing from this rib injury, I have a little time on my hands. I have truly been humbled in not only the workforce, but in life. Following the November 2022 layoff from AWS, I experienced a year of deaths starting with my step brother on new years 2023. This was followed by my 9 year old therapy dog, Captain in April of last year. Four months later my mom would pass due to the cancer spreading uncontrollably. I took a job that I could just work and not have to think much about. I’ve been in the service industry since the layoffs, and at 33 years old, I’ve been humbled over and over. I’ve lost a lot in a short amount of time. Not just a job. I also have a repo on my credit since I chose to use the money I saved, to pay for funerals instead of paying off my truck. I don’t regret doing it. Sometimes following principles and morality, you will have to make sacrifices. I am currently healing from broken ribs, from an altercation I had to de-escalate due to a drunk bar-goer harassing women. He was much bigger than me, but God is always with me so I chose to act accordingly in a respectful manner. It was clear that being a kind man wasn’t going to work that night. Sometimes you have to just be a good man. I’m writing all of this because I am exhausted. Not just in a literal since. I’m exhausted of this low point and I’m tired of fighting drunk people and being in a negative area. The French Quarter in Charlotte has chewed me up but I’m still there and continue pushing. I don’t know why I received such a short end of the stick after the layoffs, but I’m doing my best to not question and to look for silver linings. Just because I’m low right now doesn’t mean I won’t be on a high trend in the future. Plus, this experience will make the feeling of overcoming even greater than if I never fell. I would very much love to use the skills that I have learned in life. I feel quite valuable. How many people at 33 have lost most of their family, been a medic, an engineer and mechanic, a successful tech recruiter, and had to go back to work in a much more fast-paced and brutal, environment than any white collar job out there? I know what I am worth. I’m just looking for a chance; an opportunity to prove my wit and my heart in a more meaningful position. I worked my butt off in college when I started at 25. I didn’t have help. I worked from the day I turned 18 until I could afford to go to college. I will not let my legacy in life and professional world, end with another service industry job. I am worth so much more! This is my cry for help, I suppose. Im hungrier than ever and have the work ethic of an ox. Anyone that is looking for a person like me, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Remote or on-site, I can do both. I am reliable and honest to a fault. Thanks for reading this. Sincerely, A diamond that fell back into the rough.