How to Answer Why You Were Laid off?

Losing a job is never easy. It will be especially difficult if you got laid off for no reason at all. Even though layoffs happen frequently, you could think that you are the only one suffering through this.

If you find yourself in this situation, keep in mind that you are not alone and not succumb to the urge to brush it below the rug. Being honest about your interests might show to recruiters that you are a strong candidate who can make sense of challenging circumstances.

According to the Economic Times, this pandemic has resulted in the loss of around 4.1 million young Indian jobs.

Although it will be difficult to get back on track, put all of your energy into getting solid employment. When you have been laid off, you can do these few things.

When recruiters observe an employment gap, they will inquire as to why you were laid off. These are known as behavioral interview questions. As a result, it is necessary to be well-prepared and explain why you were laid off. So let us begin at the beginning.

The distinction between being laid off and being fired

To start, it is important to realize the difference between being laid off and being fired.

A company may also terminate a worker for different motives, which include misconduct, incapacity to perform, and so on.

On the other hand, a layoff is the outcome of a company downsizing attributable to economic difficulties or organization reorganization, no longer due to your overall performance.

How to explain why you were laid off

With the ideas stated, below are a few considerations to consider before responding to this behavioral interview question.

• Honesty is the best policy

Be truthful Because industry news seldom stays concealed, lying about a layoff situation is not the best option.

Instead, be honest with your recruiter and explain that your employment gap results from downsizing at your previous company.

Also, do not try to hide the fact but explain why you were laid off. Your recruiter will eventually discover the truth, and the results will not be in your favor.

So, whatever the reason for your work gap, it is always prudent to respond honestly to your recruiter.

• Respond in a positive manner

It’s natural to be upset about getting laid off, however you can’t allow it to get in the way of your quality of work. As a result, while answering the behavioral interview query, use a pleasant tone as opposed to criticizing your previous agency or showing a terrible mind-set.

You can respond in the following way.

Sample response:

“COVID-19 had an impact on several businesses, including ABC Company.

The company suffered a large loss to conserve money and had to lay off 30% of its staff, including me.

Although difficult, I accept and understand their decision, and I am excited about the opportunity to work for your great institution.”

• Deal with the elephant in the room

There are two sides to this: one would anticipate asking the recruiter about your job gap, while the other would choose to resolve the issue beforehand and set the record straight.

Although most candidates will favor the first option, you can address it first if you wish. It is reasonable for any candidate who has experienced job loss to feel anxious or nervous. So, the greatest method to ace your interview is to confront the issue. While introducing yourself, you might briefly explain the situation.

In this manner, you can relax and allow the rest of the interview to go easily.

• Keep your response simple and clear

As much as you may need to complain, this is not always the place. Keep in mind that this is a job interview.

Additionally, you must emphasize being a trustworthy candidate, so be honest with your recruiter and give an effective answer.

Do not delve into the subject further unless your recruiter specifically requests it.

• Explain how you will be beneficial

The basic goal of successfully completing an interview is to sell yourself better than your competitors.

Highlight your finest skills and explain how you will contribute to the new organization.

This is how you should respond to this behavioral interview question.

Sample response:

“I appreciate your concern about the layoff, but I guarantee you that with my strong people skills and media experience, I will be able to offer significant value to your team and perform better by a factor of ten.”

How to spend your layoff time

When you are suddenly laid off, it is natural to feel depressed and hopeless. Instead, you can transform the bad into a positive for your job by working on yourself.

Here are some tips to help you maximize your break-

Use the time to improve your skills

You can improve your skill set and increase your chances of getting hired with a new process by following any of the many online guides that are accessible.

On Udemy, Unacademy, Coursera, and many more platforms, you can find courses related to your field of work.

Make the most of your connections

We all want to achieve our job goals, but it is only until we hit rock bottom that we recognize we are stuck and begin to work on them.

You may always chat with your peers, coworkers, and seniors in the same sector to better understand emerging trends and what you can do to keep on top of them.

Furthermore, if you have trustworthy contacts, they may be able to send you to recruiters in their organization for job applications.

Highlight your best work during your career

Make the most of your time and thoroughly review your work. Ask yourself why you believe that work needs to be mentioned on your resume and how it might help you make a positive impression on your recruiter.

Only after you have received adequate and convincing responses to these questions should you emphasize the job. Even the toughest individual might be thrown off track and clueless if they lose their job unexpectedly.

Though circumstances are rough, these pointers and strategies can help you answer the behavioral interview question regarding why you were let off.

Best of luck!