Present Perfect

The number one question I've gotten in the past week has been "how can I support people affected by the layoff?"

First, some general advice:

• For everyone, remember to "comfort in, dump out" - vent your frustrations to people less affected, support those who are more affected than you.
• To support Xooglers, don't ask "how can I help?" as that places more burden on them. Offer specific ways you can help them - "Can I write you a Linkedin recommendation? Can I connect you with this person I know at this company who's hiring?". People are affected disproportionally, and if you want to prioritize your help, consider starting with the people on a visa who are now on a tight deadline to find a new sponsor or face leaving the country.
• To support your colleagues still here, remember we're not all having the same experience. In particular, people outside of the US will be in limbo for weeks or months to come. People can be anywhere on a spectrum of "long time Googler, first mass layoff" to "I've had to go through worse". Don't assume, lead with curiosity, and listen.

Some resources people shared you might find helpful:

• For Xooglers:
  • Non confidential resources for folks who were let go
  • xoogler.co: a group of Google Alumni and current googlers

Taken from The Playlist - a curated perspective on the intersection of form and content (subscribe, discuss)

The number one question I've gotten in the past week has been "how can I support people affected by the layoff?" First, some general advice: For everyone, remember to "comfort...