NEWS + ANALYSIS: Homie and Purple Innovation Experience Layoffs … What Happens Now?
PUBLISHER’S NOTE:
In light of additional information uncovered by us in the past 36 hours, the following story has been updated and slightly modified by us. However, the core essence of the story remains the same.
Dave Politis, 17 February 2022
The news was fairly straightforward: Two high-profile Lehi, Utah-based firms had layoffs this past Friday:
To the credit of its management, Homie disclosed its Reduction In Force via a public post on its LinkedIn profile, as shown below.
Additionally, after multiple people contacted me and Silicon Slopes about a concurrent layoff at Purple, I reached out to them and received the following:
Clearly, very different approaches to sharing negative news with the public.
What I found quite interesting, however, was that when I dug through the 80+ Comments affixed to Homie’s above-mentioned LinkedIn post, the cockles of my heart were warmed to see the overwhelming industry support, sympathy and empathy, both for those who had lost their jobs and for those still part of Team Homie.
And when I write overwhelming, I mean it.
Not only that, but over 60 companies from Utah and across the country took advantage of the features of LinkedIn to share within the Comment field that they were looking for new employees right now, in some instances, dozens of new employees.
To me this is plain smart business, on multiple fronts, not the least of which is that the most recent data shows Utah’s unemployment rate at 1.9%, while the rate for the country as a whole is at 3.9%. {And for the record, both figures are below the historical averages for what is considered “Full Employment.”}
Outlined below are 64 specific companies that shared Comments on the Homie LinkedIn post, each purporting to have job openings right now, with each company name hotlinked to
Additionally, Silicon Slopes currently has more than 2,100 jobs listed on the beta version of the Silicon Slopes Jobs Board as I write this article.
Plus, anyone out of work or looking for a new employment opportunity can upload their resume onto the Silicon Slopes Jobs Board for free.
Since we shared this article on LinkedIn yesterday, Krystal Arnett (Homie’s Sr. Director, Human Resources), has compiled and shared a Job Placement Support Form containing information from over 45 former Homie employees who are willing to be contacted by prospective employers.
This form includes contact information, links to LinkedIn profiles, and in many cases, the ability to download the individual’s resume (on request).
I feel the Comment Arnett shared on LinkedIn gives a sense of Homie’s approach to its layoff, and for this reason, we share it below:
Additionally, two new companies
both “threw their respective hats into the ring” to let individuals who have found themselves recently looking for new employment that they too (like the 64 companies noted above) are hiring right now.
And to provide a sense of the community is responding to Homie’s approach to handling a difficult business reality, we thought you might appreciate us sharing the following LinkedIn comments:
Layoff Sucky-ness Juxtaposed by the Insanity of Today’s Current Unemployment Reality
As someone who has been laid-off multiple times (beginning with my first employer as a post-college professional), I get it.
Being told (in essence),
… is totally and completely SUCKY! {Yes, in all caps.}
And having been one who had to decide which employees to let go because my business was struggling … let’s just say I would rather pull off my fingernails than go through that totally awful, no-good, horrible experience again.
Additionally, of all the weird things that have happened to me in my life, one I did not anticipate was being asked by a regional ecclesiastical leader after the DotCom Meltdown of 2001, and then by his counterpart at the neighborhood level, to become a volunteer Employment Specialist.
The purpose of these “Callings” for an indeterminate length of time was simple:
Yeah, no pressure, whatsoever!
And yet, in total, the combined length of said Callings stretched out to a full 36 months.
So … with these points as contextual background, I share the following personal observation:
That does not mean it will be easy or fun.
But if you are now looking for a new job, I promise that there is AT LEAST one job that is right for you waiting for you to to simply find it.
So … hang in there Homie-ites and Purple People.
It will all work out.
Some Final Personal Thoughts and Counsel
In business as in life, there is generally a yin and a yang, an ebb and flow, a push and pull as we each go through our various cycles.
In that regard, if we at Silicon Slopes can be of any assistance to you (personally or professionally), please reach out and let us know.
Additionally, as someone with over 35 years of marketing and communications experience, including significant Crisis Communications expertise, I have learned that efforts to hide negative news never succeed. Ever!
The more negative the news, the worse the blowback becomes when others discover (and they will discover it) that executives and corporate boards attempt to paint a rosy picture that just isn’t so.
And this is true for both privately and publicly held companies.
Better to be transparent, tell the truth up front, address the perceived “Bad News” and the conditions that that led to that point, and then move forward.
We as Americans are remarkably forgiving and understanding, especially when others fess up, apologize when needed, and then change.
In that regard, Homie gets a round of applause from yours truly. Straight up, no ifs, ands or buts.
And for those who lost their jobs, again … Hang in there.
It IS gonna be okay.
FINAL PUBLISHER’S NOTE:
For the record, if your organization would like to share news with our editorial team in advance of its planned release/publication date, we will honor your request to embargo that information prior to publication if you ask us to do so.
And we have done so numerous times already in the six months since I have been a part of Team Silicon Slopes. And that includes negative news.
All you have to do is ask.