It's Getting Ugly Out There - You Can Guide the Laid-Off Back to Work By Being a "Weak Tie"

Is it looking somewhat like 2008 - 2009? Let's hope not. 

THE LAYOFFS ARE HAPPENING

But something ugly is developing in the labor market. Insider reports:

"Layoffs are sweeping across American businesses in the first few months of 2022 ... The reason, broadly, is twofold: Business growth is slowing, while labor costs are increasing. The combination is causing American companies across a variety of industries to slash headcount."

SUCH PAIN

The pain is palpable. On LinkedIn Updates, Stephanie Washington shared the horror. She was supposed to begin a recruiting position at Meta Monday. Not long after she signed her lease Meta contacted her. She was laid off. Yes, before she had even started the job. Severance? Six weeks. 

Meanwhile, as Insider notes, the layoff at Better totaled 4,000. At Noom 495. And so on. Next week, given the cratering of financial markets, both traditional and crypto, there will likely be more high-profile job cuts.

PARACHUTE IN AND BE A "WEAK TIE"

But you who still have work can do more than just feel the pain.  You can serve what has proven out to be an effective way to get folks back to work. Yes, stimulating well-paying work. That's by serving as what is called a "weak tie."

In the early 1970s, sociologist Mark Granovetter discovered in his research that those outside of our usual professional networks are most useful in a job search. Here is the paper he published on that concept in 1973.

The power of weak ties comes from three sources:

  • The security guard in that Manhattan trophy building, the real estate agent, and the firefighter know of movements in the job market that public relations representatives, lawyers, and others might not. That's because they travel in different circles. Most good jobs aren't advertised. They have to be ferreted out. Weak ties can be primary source of information about them. And what they are really looking for.
  • Those weak ties are not in competition with the job searcher like traditional ties. Therefore, they are more likely to share that information. A colleague might actually intentionally conceal a possible job lead. 
  • Weak ties do not "pigeonhole" the job searcher to only certain types of work. Colleagues do that all the time. Therefore, weak ties will tell the marketing communications professional about an opening in op-ed ghostwriting. Likely colleagues will never think about considering the marcom expert for a different type of communications opportunity. 

So, yes, pick up what you can about potential work for the laid-off. And make it your mission to share it.

WEAK TIES AND MY WORK HISTORY

My first full-time job in communications came through a weak tie. That represented a career change from academia. The weak tie had been an acquaintance from college whom I only had caught up with through a mutual friend. The University of Pittsburgh was searching for a writer in media relations. During the previous seven months I had built up through freelancing a solid portfolio of writing samples. 

More recently it was a weak tie in a law firm who guided me to a well-paying communications assignment. No, it wasn't the traditional tie of an account executive in a public relations agency who knew of lawyers who needed writing assistance. 

Connect with Editor-in-Chief Jane Genova at janegenova374@gmail.com.

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