Article Updated Title: Thousands of people have just been laid off by Salesforce, Amazon, and Compass. Recruiters say it won't be held against them in the job market.
Editors' note: This story was edited to make clearer all Salesforce layoffs aren't of workers deemed to have low performance. The story now reflects that some Salesforce managers were asked to identify low-performing employees and that it appears at least some of Salesforce's layoffs were of workers deemed to have low performance.
Losing a job is never a boost to one's self-esteem. But it stings even more if your employer characterized the layoffs as a way to cut low performers.
Late last year, Amazon pressured managers to identify low-performing workers and has since embarked on its largest-ever round of corporate layoffs, which are set to claim roughly 18,000 jobs.
The publicity around cuts of so-called subpar staff begs the question: How are these ex-employees viewed now that they're unceremoniously back on the job market? Are they seen as problematic or lazy? Are they marked with a "scarlet F" for essentially being fired for low performance?