How can I get a different job after being laid off?

May 16, 2007 · Filed Under For the love of HR 

I received an e-mail from someone who is interested in a company’s return policy after layoff.

Dear HR Guy,

I was laid off from a company back in November, they laid off 20
employees. I was a team manager and I had one staff member that went also. Now the company is doing better and I’ve noticed ads in the paper for different positions. One of the last is an HR recruiting position. Are there any guidelines that companies follow in regards to calling back employees in a different position. Any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Laid off and waiting for the call

Dear Laid off,

Sorry to hear about that. Getting laid off is no fun.

On to your question, do companies have guidelines they follow to call back on employees in other positions that they’ve previously laid off? I have found that only in rare cases do companies have any strategy for rehiring after taking an economic dive (unless they do it often). Even more so, considering other people for different positions.

The real question is whether working for a company that is just recently recovering is a good idea for you personally. Or whether or not being an HR recruiter for a company regaining momentum is a risk you’re ready to take. If this company has the risk of hitting the ropes again, an HR recruiter can be the first person to go. Even though HR is seen as a relatively secure area in the corporate field, recruiters are sometimes seen as expendable during economic downturns.

If you feel comfortable with all of that though, I encourage you to contact the hiring manager by phone to show interest in the position. Bypassing the standard application method is probably appropriate at this point.

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