Commentary: 'We’ll get back to you next year.' If retrenchments are bad, year-end layoffs are the worst
Retrenchments can happen at any time, but it is most unpleasant when it happens at the end of the year. Strategic communications lecturer Ian YH Tan shares how he made the most of his jobless state and transitioned from an IT career to teaching.
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SINGAPORE: Singapore is grappling with a challenging economic landscape, marked by subdued GDP growth and an unsettling surge in retrenchments. In the third quarter of the year, 4,110 people were laid off from their jobs, a jump of more than 28 per cent from the 3,200 retrenchments in the second quarter.
The retrenchment numbers for the fourth quarter have yet to be released, but Tiger Beer maker Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore confirmed late last month it has retrenched 33 workers in its latest restructuring exercise.
Just last week, Taiwanese display maker AUO said it would shut down its production lines in Singapore by the end of this month, affecting up to 500 employees. Toy maker Hasbro is cutting another 1,100 jobs globally, while music streaming giant Spotify is laying off about 1,500 people.
Retrenchments can happen at any time, but it is most unpleasant when it happens at the end of the year. My heart goes out to the retrenched staff whose New Year will be ruined.
I speak from experience - I was laid off from my IT regional sales director job in December last year.
As I fretted about looking for a new job, a friend who works as a recruiter advised me, “Ian, don’t bother looking for a job during this time, everyone is going on vacation. You should just take a break.”
She was right. I called a few recruiters, and they all said the same thing, “We’ll get back to you next year.”
KEEP YOUR WORK ROUTINE INTACT
The government's recent announcement of plans to introduce a scheme providing temporary financial aid for laid-off workers is a welcome development.
While the specifics are still in the works, here are some practical tips to navigate through these challenging times.
As a workaholic who never took many holidays, I knew that if I allowed myself to mope at home after I was retrenched, I would go into a tailspin of depression.
I had been consistently employed since I started work as a journalist intern in 1998, and the shock of suddenly finding myself without work or income after being retrenched was profound.
Maintaining a sense of normalcy became my coping strategy. I continued waking up at 6am and adhered to my routine of jogging 6km three times a week.
At 9am, when I would usually answer a barrage of emails at work, I redirected my focus to journalling and researching the job market on LinkedIn. Lunches, once spent with colleagues, gave me an opportunity to share a meal with my wife.
Each part of the day mirrored my pre-retrenchment routine, a deliberate effort to preserve the habits embedded in my work routine. Retaining those habits was more than a comfort; it was a strategy to keep the mind sharp for any professional opportunity that may arise.
ASK YOURSELF WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO DO
I frown when I come across stories of people who apply for hundreds of jobs after they get retrenched. It's crucial to utilise time efficiently and not seek jobs where demand far outstrips supply.
After being retrenched, we should reflect and ask three things:
- What kind of work do we really want to do?
- What are the chances of getting that job?
- What can I do in the meantime until I get that job?
Personally, I made a conscious decision when my IT career ended that I would transition into the education sector. Of course, it is easier said than done to pivot into another industry.
With 22 years in the media and tech industry, venturing into teaching presented challenges, including scepticism from some friends.
Rather than dwelling on unconstructive advice, I engaged in extensive conversations with friends and mentors in the education sector. I focused my job search on teaching roles, and I was glad when I secured a polytechnic adjunct lecturer for a semester.
The polytechnic stint convinced me that education was my calling. Subsequently, I was offered a full-time lecturer position at Nanyang Technological University, where I currently teach strategic communications.
DO ODD JOBS TO PASS THE TIME
Contrary to the appearance of a seamless transition from tech to education, I assure you it was anything but.
All job applications take time. But instead of sitting around, I channelled my energy during the eight months I did not have a full-time job into various pursuits that leveraged my creative and communication skills. This included teaching art to disadvantaged children, giving English tuition to a friend’s son, doing public relations work for a friend’s agency, and serving as a concept artist for an entrepreneur.
I even spent a day as a grocery picker at a supermarket fulfilling online orders. I wanted to try more of this but there were too many people jostling for the assignments.
The experiences proved beneficial on multiple fronts - there was some money coming in to pay the household bills and time passed quickly while I waited for the outcome of my job applications.
REFRAME YOUR MINDSET ABOUT RETRENCHMENTS
I had always feared retrenchment, due to social stigma and the misconception that being fired implied personal fault.
Very often though, as with Spotify and my own experience, job cuts are the result of strategic decisions by companies to trim expenses. They are decisions rooted in business, not individual shortcomings.
Fortunately, the perception of retrenchment has also evolved, shedding its stigma. In the past two years, I've witnessed 10 friends navigate similar paths, most of whom simply shrugged it off as a temporary career blip. With our careers spanning 40 to 50 years in an era of increased longevity, job or industry disruptions are inevitable.
Like anyone facing a sudden job loss, I felt unsettled after being retrenched. However, by leveraging my time wisely, I had the opportunity to do things I never had time for before and discovered new pathways in life.
Being retrenched turned out to be the best thing that had happened to me in a long time. For those in a similar situation, my advice is not to succumb to despair but rather view it as an opportunity to explore new possibilities.
Ian YH Tan is a strategic communications lecturer at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University. He has more than two decades of experience working in the media and technology industries.
