Jenn Longbine’s Post

Workers are increasingly concerned about their job security 😬 And who can blame them when headlines about layoffs dominate the news? This instability coupled with a lack of career satisfaction is leaving employees unfulfilled and uneasy — even as they still expect competitive and transparent pay. Read more on the state of the job market. 

To a lot of companies, I'm a walking red flag. The reason: Job hopping 🚩 I’m always surprised when I hear a hiring manager judge someone by the length of time they stayed in a role. I had a number of interviewers ask about my short time spans at companies while living in Las Vegas and it's very discouraging. You might see a 3-month role on someone’s resume and assume they’re a risky hire. But here’s what you won’t see on my resume: • Being sexually harassed at my work place and HR not caring. • A toxic, or poorly managed, work environment. • The moment when I realized that the job and wages were misrepresented. • Two weeks after I started, my manager telling me that they (the manager) didn't want to hire any one into the role, much less me and the hostile work environment that ensued. • Gender wage discrimination. If the past 4 years have shown us anything, it's that we shouldn't hold resume gaps, job hopping, or layoffs against folks. Incredibly talented people have been on the market for months, others impacted by multiple layoffs or circumstances beyond their control. And apart from that, there’s a larger incentive to move every 2-3 years, rather than staying put and accepting a 1% salary raise. I don’t blame someone for leaving an environment they aren’t happy in, going on sabbatical, or taking time off to reset after a layoff. We’re not defined by the few months we spent at a company or the year we spent away from the workforce. We’re defined by our character and our work ethic. And short stints on a resume don’t automatically make someone a risky hire.

"Reflecting on the Challenges of Job Seeking: From mass layoffs to prolonged hiring processes and frustrating ghosting experiences, it's clear there are systemic issues. Let's work together to build a future where both employers and job seekers thrive. #JobSeekers #HiringChallenges #Transparency #Empathy #CareerAdvice"

Workers are increasingly concerned about their job security 😬 And who can blame them when headlines about layoffs dominate the news? This instability coupled with a lack of career satisfaction is leaving employees unfulfilled and uneasy — even as they still expect competitive and transparent pay. Read more on the state of the job market. 

Hello, HR Professionals, I'm curious about process for employee dismissals. From my perspective, small organizations often excel in showing empathy, support, and providing resources, ensuring that employees leave feeling respected, valued, and prepared for their next career move. In contrast, large organizations frequently conduct mass layoffs with impersonal emails or calls, offering little humanity and even less support for those affected. We must do better as humans. I've experienced job loss three times through no fault of my own. Each time, I had to rely on my own resources to heal, find support, and rebuild. While I was fortunate to be naturally resilient and resourceful, not everyone shares these traits. For some, job loss can be devastating, taking years to recover—if they ever do. It doesn't have to be this way. My experiences inspired me to write "Rise and Release: A Guide to Surviving and Thriving After Job Loss (Letting Go of Being Let Go)," aimed at motivating readers with proven strategies for healing, letting go, and embarking on their next career journey. If you face the difficult task of letting employees go, I encourage you to reach out to discuss the affordable and impactful support my job loss workbook and guided journal can provide. This resource will help departing employees feel empowered and valued, while also protecting your organization's brand. Let's talk.

Couldn't sleep last night but I came up with this series idea instead so let's see what comes of it! (Either way, I intend on getting more sleep tonight) 😴 ➖➖➖ Dear HR, Do you like getting introductory DMs from us after applying for an open role? Sincerely, The Rest of Us (Please comment below!) ➖➖➖ To my HR friends and colleagues: Please comment, tag, and repost so we can hear from more HR professionals! 💬#️⃣🔄 To The Rest of Us: Please React and Repost so we can get more data and opinions! 👍❤️🫴💡😂🔄 Over the years, I've witnessed countless layoffs, restructures, furloughs, etc. and done my best to help friends and strangers alike with referrals and recommendations to get their names, profiles, and posts out there to a wider audience hoping it helps them land on their feet. And I know it's only a matter of time until any of us has to join the hunt for our next role and employer. So: I'm starting this "Dear HR," series to hopefully gain the latest and greatest insights into the minds of the most coveted arbiters of employment: the HR recruiter. Whether it's helpful tips and tricks, dispelling myths, or best practices that "they" wish we knew. Let's share these posts far and wide to get as much information as possible and hopefully help make all of our job searches shorter. #dearhr #dearhrseries #hrmyths #hrquestions #hr #recruiting #recruiter #jobseeking #jobseeker

You weren't made "redundant." You were laid off. And chances are someone still working there is now redundant. Words matter. And I’m here to pick a bone with HR departments who use the term “redundancy” when it belies what’s really going on inside the halls of the company. When a company lets go of an employee due to circumstances unrelated to job performance or behavior, it's called redundancy. And the word “redundancy” itself (separate from HR) is “the state of being not or no longer needed or useful.” Here’s where the language breakdown happens. While an employee may have been earmarked for layoffs because their job role “is no longer needed or useful,” the individual herself is often not considered in the equation. What if she’s the only one who brings a particular skill, background, cultural lens, or point of view to the department? What if eliminating her position leaves the department with a higher ratio of sameness? What if choosing her, as a mere game piece on a board, overlooks how her presence changes the board itself? Homogeneity is the enemy of creativity. And until we handle layoffs by thinking not just about who will be leaving — but who will be left behind — we hurt our powers of innovation.

The current tech lay off scenario and pretty much every other industry. I sometimes wonder how daunting it can be for HR to execute the layoffs. Every HR manager stares at their screen late at night, shuffling names around, knowing each click could end someone's career. The pressure must crush them from both sides. Finance wants deeper cuts, while team leads fight to keep their best people. It's a brutal puzzle where every piece is someone's livelihood. How do you measure the quiet engineer who never brags but solves the toughest problems? Or the mid-level manager who keeps their team running smoothly but doesn't have flashy metrics to show? Numbers tell you the cost of each salary, but they can't tell you the cost of losing institutional knowledge that took years to build. Why am I writing about this HR challenge you ask? I happened to catchup with my friend Nilanjan Maiti this morning. It was so assuring to hear that his startup Culture OS helps HR truly optimize this based on real-time insights to do this empathically and not just by sorting the spreadsheet from the highest cost to lowest. Keep up the good work Nilanjan, more power to you guys!

A lot of folks feel stuck in their unsatisfactory roles- especially when they have been in their current role long enough they have high expertise. That being said, once you are an expert, it takes something more and different to light you up. Without change, you risk feeling things are tedious, boring or just annoying. If you have a nagging feeling you are capable of more, or wish you were more engaged on the job, this is a signal that something should change. It’s better to be proactive and deliberate as you design your next chapter of work and life. There are a few key components to consider to maximize feeling fulfilled in work and life. I love guiding my clients through this process of discernment BEFORE they are forced to a job search and feel so much more pressure.

As an HR Professional, I strongly identify with this sentiment. It is likely the most difficult aspect of the work and the potential risk and impact on a life, after learning that they are no longer employed, weighs heavily on the conscience. We are party to some of the decision making and it’s really important to advocate for potential scapegoats that may be selected ahead of ineffective and unproductive employees who have the benefit of privilege or knowing the right person and ultimately being spared. We deal with people’s lives every day. No insite into what they may truly be struggling with. It’s a significant responsibility that should be prioritized in every stage of the employment experience.