Laid Off w/ Severance But Not Getting Interviews To Return

[Miky1574]

So up until this past January, I was a Supervisor at a casino. On my last day, I was called into my VP's office and was told that I was being "laid off" due to budgetary cutback in the department and since I was the last person hired, they had to end my position. And just to put it out there, they HAVE NOT hired anyone to replace me.

The conversation went as such:

"Hey so, I've got some bad news. You know we've been going through some issues with budget and all departments are having to make some cutbacks and because of that, we have to remove at least supervisor position and since you were the last one we hired, today will be your last day. We've already drawn up your severance package and you'll receive a months salary as compensation."​

I took it like a champ and I understood. I asked them if I could use them as a reference and they said of course and I also asked if I would be free to seek a position in another department. They said Yes.

The problem I am having now is that over the last 2 months, there have been 6 different positions I've had interest in posted on their career site and I've applied to each of them but yet I haven't been called in to at least interview for any of them. The positions range from supervisor level down to entry level office work. I love the company which is why I've applied so much.

I have been feeling a bit depressed about this and I even feel like its some kind of conspiracy going on to keep me from coming back. Crazy, I know lol. But I look at it like this: I left on "good terms". They even paid me severance. And you dont give severance to someone you fire which is why they said its a "lay off". I never had an attendance issue or a performance issue. Always got top marks on my reviews. So why the hell am I not getting any interviews to come back to the company?

Everyone their still remembers me. I was always nice and upbeat. Every time I reach out to find out whats going on with the positions, I get brushed off. I've been hit with lines like, "Thanks for you interest, we'll keep you resume on file", We'll reach out to you in the next couple days" and other lines...

The way I see it, if I left on good terms and never had any performance or attendance issues, then I should be able to apply for multiple positions, get interviews and be able to come back with no issue at all. It's not as if I dont know the people there because I know everyone.

Its stressing me out because I can't for the life of me figure out why I'm not getting, at least, calls for an interview. As a former supervisor there, it should be simple to rehire me since I know all the procedures, protocols, rules, regs and how everything there works. Why am I getting the brush off as if I'm a complete stranger with no qualifications and no connections? I keep asking myself if there is some kind of conspiracy which I feel like is the only real answer to whats going on.

Anyone have any insight?

 

[Nograts]

I think they're being nice by not directly saying "We don't want you anymore". I wouldn't try to seek employment there much longer, call it a total loss, and would start applying elsewhere.

 

[Ns1]

I think they're being nice by not directly saying "We don't want you anymore". I wouldn't try to seek employment there much longer, call it a total loss, and would start applying elsewhere.

+1

 

[Miky1574]

I think they're being nice by not directly saying "We don't want you anymore". I wouldn't try to seek employment there much longer, call it a total loss, and would start applying elsewhere.

If I had any type of disciplinary issues or had bad performance, then I could see that being the cause. But why wouldn't they want me anymore if I did nothing but good work?

To me it doesnt make sense to not interview and rehire someone who worked for you and received top performance reviews. I'm baffled. I even considered going to the company personally and talking to them face-to-face to see whats up. I wish I knew what the hell is the problem.

Should be the easiest and simplest decision to bring back a top performer...

 

[Nograts]

If I had any type of disciplinary issues or had bad performance, then I could see that being the cause. But why wouldn't they want me anymore if I did nothing but good work?

To me it doesnt make sense to not interview and rehire someone who worked for you and received top performance reviews. I'm baffled. I even considered going to the company personally and talking to them face-to-face to see whats up. I wish I knew what the hell is the problem.

Should be the easiest and simplest decision to bring back a top performer...

It could be a purely dollars and sense move. Remember that at the heart it's a business, theres no room for feelings. I highly doubt you did anything, but at the end of the day you just have to accept that you were laid off and move on. If they really wanted you they wouldn't be giving you the run around.

 

[chubbyfatazn]

I even considered going to the company personally and talking to them face-to-face to see whats up.

Meh. Even if you went back, asked them, and got an interview as a result, they've already made it abundantly clear that

they're being nice by not directly saying "We don't want you anymore"

which doesn't exactly bolster confidence in working for them again. At least that's how I see it.

+1 for what Elevenpog said directly above this post

 

[Ns1]

If I had any type of disciplinary issues or had bad performance, then I could see that being the cause. But why wouldn't they want me anymore if I did nothing but good work?

To me it doesnt make sense to not interview and rehire someone who worked for you and received top performance reviews. I'm baffled. I even considered going to the company personally and talking to them face-to-face to see whats up. I wish I knew what the hell is the problem.

Should be the easiest and simplest decision to bring back a top performer...

One possibility...you rubbed someone the wrong way. This is not reflected in performance reviews or disciplinary actions. They just don't like you.

 

[Insomniator]

If I had any type of disciplinary issues or had bad performance, then I could see that being the cause. But why wouldn't they want me anymore if I did nothing but good work?

Should be the easiest and simplest decision to bring back a top performer...

Maybe they just don't like you, top performer.

 

[mmntech]

Take my advice, call it a total loss. I had a smiliar situation and got burned twice by the company. They had actually extended me the olive branch after they shut our division down, said they loved my work, interviewed me for a similar job in a different department, then went and hired someone else instead. Was a huge slap in the face after all the hard work I had done for them basically keeping things afloat. Was likely a money decision, but it's wrong to lead people on. I told them to go to hell after that. Fortunately, I don't need them for references as I still have an excellent relationship with my former bosses.

 

[Nograts]

Take my advice, call it a total loss. I had a smiliar situation and got burned twice by the company. They had actually extended me the olive branch after they shut our division down, said they loved my work, interviewed me for a similar job in a different department, then went and hired someone else instead. Was a huge slap in the face after all the hard work I had done for them basically keeping things afloat. Was likely a money decision, but it's wrong to lead people on. I told them to go to hell after that. Fortunately, I don't need them for references as I still have an excellent relationship with my former bosses.

Was this a case of: it was cheaper to hire 2 new people rather than hire 1 of you since you had been with them for awhile?

 

[Mide]

It takes x number of $$ and time to onboard a new employee through HR and "the system". Considering that you were laid off out of the blue and was not given a good heads up about this, it means that they (as a company) don't want you. If they were cool they would've tried to move you over to other positions in the company that maybe had openings or didn't have any budgetary problems. Again, it's much easier for them to update some data in the employee mgmt system to get you a new title and salary than it is to totally hire a person from out outside from scratch. This may or may not be important to the company but it certainly would be a factor if they truly wanted to keep you round. As others have stated, see this as a total loss and walk.

 

[Miky1574]

It takes x number of $$ and time to onboard a new employee through HR and "the system". Considering that you were laid off out of the blue and was not given a good heads up about this, it means that they (as a company) don't want you. If they were cool they would've tried to move you over to other positions in the company that maybe had openings or didn't have any budgetary problems. Again, it's much easier for them to update some data in the employee mgmt system to get you a new title and salary than it is to totally hire a person from out outside from scratch. This may or may not be important to the company but it certainly would be a factor if they truly wanted to keep you round. As others have stated, see this as a total loss and walk.

I hear what yall sayin but it perplexes me to think that could be the case. If they didn't want me anymore, why not just fire me? They didnt have to give me severance but they did. Told me I could use them as a reference anytime and if I see a position I want then I could apply. Why wouldn't a company want to bring back an employee who has been nothing but stellar and not a negative note about them? Thats like saying even though a company has doubled its profits and is leaps above the competition, thanks to the leadership of the CEO, they'd rather go with someone who is unproven and new.

Like I said before, if I had been a problem at all, then I could understand them not wanting to rehire me. But when you lay off one of your best performers and profit growers, they apply for another position and they not even get a simple callback, it doesn't make sense.

 

[DigDog]

while i agree with everyone else that what they said might be a possibility, it simply *might be*. maybe it is, maybe it isn't.

maybe they genuinely do not have a position for you, maybe there's intricate office politics at work, maybe the company has a policy of not hiring people they have fired regardless of how good they were, all things which are possible and not far fetched.

i understand if you were happy at a company and you want to continue working for them, because it would make sense in a money+comfort kind of way. But do not get emotionally attached to a company/job because while people may be nice, it's all money underneath.

So move on; and maybe also apply for jobs with them as well, why not, but don't go scratching your head on "why are they not calling me back".

 

[MongGrel]

Seems pretty elaborate for a third post here.

 

[pcgeek11]

Maybe you are not the "snowflake" you thought you were.

 

[michal1980]

some places also have policies where they wont rehire people for x number of years, especially after taking a severance.

Your resume / application might just be on auto reject.

 

[1sikbITCH]

When I googled your username I found twitter, facebook, threads from XBOX gaming forums, etc. Maybe they've come across something you posted or a picture of you doing something that kills it for them. I didn't see anything terrible in the few links I gazed over.

 

[Mixolydian]

When I googled your username

stalker creepy as fuck

 

[sao123]

Casinos be rakin in record cash hand over foot... if they be telling you they had to cut your job because of budget, that's their nice way of telling you to take a hike and don't come back.

 

[Grooveriding]

They know you were fapping in the employee bathroom .

 

[manimal]

Maybe they just don't like you, top performer.

This probably. Someone may have been threatened by you and percieved you as a threat.


Pit Boss could be sleeping with your lady too.

 

[redgtxdi]

If you want to pursue it.....I say go above the ceiling you're hitting. Find somebody that might care about what's going on & explain to them that you can't think of anybody better for the company's interest and the rest of your dilemma and then (and this is important) *if* they seem interested in your plight, explain to them that you wish you'd been told what you'd done wrong to piss somebody off or if there's a bad apple in the bunch that fired you......excuse me.....laid you off.

Just an option to walking away.

Folks who says "It's just business. It's not personal" make me laugh.

 

[Ns1]

I can imagine the conversation ending with "security, get this top performing asshole out of my office"

 

[Printer Bandit]

stop being clingy and find work elsewhere.

 

[DAGTA]

Laid off with severance is a polite way to fire people. Be thankful for the severance package and move on. Best wishes on finding a place you like better!