Bobby Powers helped lay off colleagues, then lost his own job

Powers, 39, now a leadership coach in Seattle, told Business Insider that the first round involved deep cuts intended to avoid another layoff. But as revenue projections fell, the target kept shifting. He and his boss worked with executives to decide where staff were most needed and who would be let go. Powers described the process as “soul-crushing”: people doing good work were reduced to entries in a spreadsheet.

He and his boss tried to make the process more humane. They planned the timing and participants for each call, when to send a companywide email and when to deactivate Slack and email accounts. They considered whether employees would have time to contact colleagues and how they could say goodbye. Most calls were by video, which Powers said offered a more human touch in a remote company. The logistics raised questions he had never considered, including what to do when someone could not be reached or declined a meeting.

The calls were among the hardest conversations he had ever had, especially when he knew someone had financial struggles or had recently bought a house. After the first layoff, work returned to normal; Powers was promoted and earned more than he had before. Around six weeks later, while attending a learning and development conference in Las Vegas, his boss called to say another round was coming and that both of them might be affected.

On the morning of the layoffs, Powers found he could no longer access his email. He said he felt unable to reach out and say goodbye. Having experienced layoffs from both sides, he no longer assumes that those dismissed were low performers, and says he approaches public reports of job cuts with greater empathy. Business Insider verified his previous employment and subsequent layoff.