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Comment by onlyrealcuzzo | Hacker News Reader

> If your goal is to ensure that you're getting rid of your top talent, it's a fine strategy.

Usually, you're not going to fire your top talent over corporate policy for the plebs. You're going to bend the rules.

If the company isn't bending for you, you might not be top talent - and more like just slightly above average talent - in which case, yeah, the company doesn't really care about you.

And if you really are top talent, you're not concerned if your company doesn't bend. You can go anywhere. Who cares?

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"Top talent" is probably the wrong way to look at this, because it's only a relevant label in the context of (broad) role and level of seniority. Almost noone in any given company is truly indispensable, and employers may not feel the need to retain even top talent at some levels and in some roles because those roles just aren't that important or they don't view them as needing "top talent" to perform.

I think the term "key person" is probably more helpful - you can be a key person (and thus your employer might go out of their way to retain you) without necessarily being "top talent" by virtue of eg being uniquely qualified, in a position where it would be disruptive/expensive to replace you, etc.

> Who cares?

...anyone who isn't an ice-cold sociopath? Your job is often a big part of your identity, particularly in the games biz which is so passion driven.

Leaving behind a project you grew, kickass tech you had a hand in, and friends you made is a major life trauma, even if you're doing it voluntarily to chase something new.

> ...anyone who isn't an ice-cold sociopath? Your job is often a big part of your identity, particularly in the games biz which is so passion driven.

I'd argue this is unhealthy and a recipe for disaster. But different things work for different folks.

> Leaving behind a project you grew, kickass tech you had a hand in, and friends you made is a major life trauma, even if you're doing it voluntarily to chase something new.

There's kickass people at most good companies. The idea you can't make work friends & work on cool stuff unless at your current job in your current role seems limiting.

> The idea you can't make work friends & work on cool stuff unless at your current job in your current role seems limiting.

I never said that. If you work on cool stuff with great people it is healthy to reflect on the pain and loss of that chapter ending. Yes, "there are more fish in the sea." Heartbreak is still heartbreak.

If changing job is a major trauma I would advice seeing a therapist. This is not a standard for most people.

I suspect you've never really been passionate about your work or loved the crew you've worked with.

I recommend it. Love hurts, but sometimes it's a good hurt.

Your employer will get rid of you in a blink if needed, as current layoffs show, getting too attached to your work is not healthy - no matter how passionate you are about it.

Your husband or wife can also wake up and decide to "get rid of you in a blink".

How attached to them should you get?

It's a much less chance and not comparable at all. Treating job as a family member is also not healthy.

I wish people would stop abusing the word trauma. If you actually see moving jobs as a "major life trauma" you are much too fragile and would likely benefit from building some resilience

What would you rank as a bigger loss? My list is pretty short. Wife, kids.

Losing a job means you lose your friends, your work, your brand, your routine, maybe the commute you chose your house for. Maybe you'll have to move your family. Your kids lose their friends. Your wife loses hers. Maybe you lose them in the somewhat likely divorce. Maybe you're upside down on the house you bought in that town and now you lose all your savings to move. Maybe it was a layoff, maybe you can't even afford child support. Maybe you're deported.

If we're stooping to personal insults, are you a child with zero real life experience?

Iirc, 1 in 4000 men take their lives in a layoff. In a year like this, shut your fucking mouth about how "fragile" other people are, you absolute twit.

The conversation thread was about people leaving the job voluntarily, I agree with you on the impact of layoffs it can ruin lives

I love my work, I have to be reminded to eat because I'm so into what I'm doing, consistently, every day. I don't understand people who say things like "thank gods it's Friday" (why are you spending most of your life doing something you want to get away from?!).

However, it is still just work! It's not my company, it's not my identity, and it gives me no value as a human being. You are not your success. My colleagues are not my friends, though we can hang out and have fun. My accomplishments at work are not my value as a person, though they give me satisfaction.

Work is work, don't buy what they're selling, and put down the cool-aid.

You can't remove top talent. Just replace them.

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