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Comment by Simon_ORourke | Hacker News Reader

If you believe your company has your best interests at heart then you're just a mark waiting to be given some unpleasant news some day soon.

As a manager I've personally saved a few folks over the years from a very arbitrary sacking, and it often comes down to a few VPs scheming in some back room with little or no context on what they're planning, and pure luck that you can get to them before they make any announcements.

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> If you believe your company has your best interests at heart then you're just a mark

If employers believe you are not a mark - you are unemployable.

The same goes for all human relationships, you might as well include your parents or spouse. Or the government or your local grocery store that might close when you least expect it. I think it feels bad in a special way with the companies because you spend so much time with them which should trigger all kinds of tribal loyalties but the system simply isn't set up this way and there is no real tribe.

What metrics were these VPs optimizing by doing random layoffs?

Their optimizing for stock price growth which go up when random layoffs happen.

So they do insider trading then. Not surprised.

No, they're pandering to please their bosses aka the shareholders.

The only metric they worry about each day, looking good for their C-suite bosses. Genuinely, they'll go and say they've reduced costs and their orgs headcount by whatever, and absolutely NOBODY will ever ask the follow-up about what functions those folks managed or what institutional knowledge has just walked out the door never to return.

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