Reading the room: What to do when you see leaders, from C-Suite to director level, leaving every month, is this an indicator that something more is going on?

Anonymous

July 5,2023 at 8:18PM UTC

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Reading the room: What to do when you see leaders, from C-Suite to director level, leaving every month, is this an indicator that something more is going on? I'd like to get some insight and advice from folks in senior leadership to see how I should proceed with this organization. I understand people leave orgs all the time for different reasons but its been a consistent theme this year.

So far, I've been semi impacted by at least 3 reorgs but its still not clear what's going on. A lot of strategic conversations were on the table at this time and the key people who were supposed to make those decisions are now gone. There also wasn't a successor for any of these roles; instead, it's been a game of musical chairs to see how folks fill in the vacant roles or absorbing teams/responsibilities elsewhere.

For now, I'm also open to employment opportunities and I've been educating myself about the company's current financial performance which is "meh" (overall). I mean, they're able to pay the bills and all but other performance areas are kinda struggling.

Anyhoo, any insight or advice you can provide on what's going on here and how I should think about my future at this org would be great!

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Gretchen SkalkaJuly 5,2023 at 8:50PM UTC
It's difficult to assess with that level of info, but if you're worried about people leaving before a planned cull, you could do a WARN check for your state to see if your company has registered anything.
Just Google your state and WARN and it will give you the page that has the most recent pdf with companies planning a layoff.
A WARN layoff is a plant closure or mass layoff. Under state law, employers must notify the state when they plan to lay off workers. This law is known as the WARN Act (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act).
AnonymousJuly 5,2023 at 8:55PM UTC
Wow! I never knew this type of info existed. Thank you for this tip.
Gretchen SkalkaJuly 6,2023 at 12:30PM UTC
My pleasure!!
Eva Condron-WellsJuly 6,2023 at 12:22AM UTC
Awesome feedback from Gretchen!!! If you find that the company is fairly stable and you like: a. what you do, b. where you work and c. who you work with, you could stick it out. Rough patches happen...and these rough patches can give us insight and opportunities to serve in new ways, fill in gaps...and show loyalty. This is not to say sacrifice your values, but consider what can go well and what is working. If you are respected, receiving good assignments and growing, then you may learn and grow from being part of helping the company/team through the rough patch. Hope this helps as you consider your next steps. Best wishes to you!
AnonymousJuly 6,2023 at 2:30PM UTC
Valid points all around! Thank you, Eva.
AnonymousJuly 6,2023 at 12:54AM UTC
This is definitely not a healthy sign.
With c-suite executives leaving, the financial aspects of your company are more than likely failing.
I would get my resume in shape, get my medical and dental exams taken care of and start networking.
AnonymousJuly 6,2023 at 2:27PM UTC
Thank you for your advice!
Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJuly 6,2023 at 7:37AM UTC
I'd say that no matter what way you slice it, a steady stream of leadership out the door can't be good.
It's not just what's happening in the company but how remaining leadership is handling what's happening. And it doesn't sound like they have any plan to right the ship.
I'd say your number one job is to fire that resume up and start looking for a new opportunity.
AnonymousJuly 6,2023 at 2:28PM UTC
Thank you for your insight!
AnonymousJuly 7,2023 at 1:19PM UTC
In this economy some industries are struggling. If the company overall is stable, this may be a right sizing of management to become more profitable if revenues are dropping. Right sizing actions for this reason typically affects management more aggressively as the intent is to remove what the company sees as excess overhead. It may also be an attempt to protect those that do the job by combining the work force under fewer employees that manage. If you like the job, have good benefits, and mostly like your co-workers I’d advise hanging in there. If your job is eliminated, depending on the size of the company, you may get a severance package that would allow you a break to find another position. In any career you should always be open to talking about other positions as this does reinforce your value in the marketplace as well as help you understand the pros and cons of your current company vs. another one.
KRISTIN MOOREJuly 7,2023 at 10:31PM UTC
Yes to this very realistic insight! It doesn’t hurt to polish off the resume and reach out to past colleagues. Rightsizing is common in today’s market.
CherylJuly 7,2023 at 2:32PM UTC
I’m going through this right now. Multiple executives have left and even myself, as a director will be moving on. The company is on its 3rd reorg in a year and financial health is so-so. I was recently asked to lay off 45% of my staff (crucial to the business) and that was the last straw. I think it is important to “read the room” or the “writing on the wall” and make a decision that’s best for you. Even if the company has the best intentions, there are often many other factors that can intentionally or unintentionally move people out the door- in my case the disruption to culture was significant. Best of luck.
AnonymousJuly 7,2023 at 5:37PM UTC
Wow!! Thank you for your perspective, Cheryl! I also wish you the best of luck with your new endeavor.
AnonymousJuly 7,2023 at 4:29PM UTC
Always trust your instincts. You see the changes, don't ignore them. Brush up that resume, start interviewing so you are ready to leap before the lay-offs hit you.
Sometimes, but rarely, do re-organizations improve the rank-and-file. Rarely does it open up opportunities for you. When you are ready to interview, and are asked why you are leaving, you can honestly say that you would like to join a company that has a clear and articulated vision of where it is going. If asked why are you leaving your current gig, don't say "because they don't" but that the company vision is blurry for the rank and file, and you want to invest in yourself-and get into a position where you can see a map for your future and how to meet your career goals with the new company.
AnonymousJuly 7,2023 at 5:47PM UTC
Thank you and I will!! This entire thread has been super helpful. I wanted to make sure I wasn't making a rash decision about leaving, but now I feel more confident about moving forward with my instincts.
AnonymousJuly 7,2023 at 4:29PM UTC
I would speak to someone in Sales and find out from someone in the trenches like an SDR or first line sales person what the targets are for selling the product. Ask how much they have inbound leads and then ask about churn. You will understand as well if the company is public using that and what the company is saying to the street whether there is going to be a downturn or perhaps problems with losing business, competitors or selling in general. Think about how heavily the company is weighted in terms of overhead- cost of goods, payroll, offices, perks and then add that to the mix. Think about how much turnover there is in other areas especially engineering where it is usually fairly static vs dynamic in terms of turnover. Put those all together and your formula should help to decide do I stay or do I go. Also how well you are valued. Are you a one off or one of many?
AnonymousJuly 11,2023 at 9:33AM UTC
This has all probably already been said, but without reading other comments: I would see if it's at all possible to talk to recent employees who have quit, and I would comb through that GlassDoor page if possible. I rarely - jk, I have never found that this has any amount of good background. Seen it from both sides, getting hired into and being some of the last stragglers in an intensely toxic environment.