“Rightsizing” Is A Myth
Stop using an euphemism for layoffs.
Few terms are as insidiously misleading as “rightsizing.” At its core, this term is nothing but a euphemism for layoffs, a sugar-coated phrase that conceals the harsh realities of corporate restructuring and job loss. I have been through several layoffs as a leader responsible for informing my team they are no longer needed, and laid off myself a couple of decades ago. This essay seeks to dismantle the myth of rightsizing and urges other leaders to confront the truth with honesty and integrity.
The concept of “rightsizing” originated in the corporate world as a gentler substitute for the harsher term “layoffs.” It theoretically describes a strategic realignment of resources, suggesting that the organization is simply resizing its workforce to achieve maximum efficiency. This clever manipulation of language does not do much to lessen the effects on those who are affected by it. The fact remains that there are job losses, disruptions in livelihoods, and remaining employees often struggle with heavier workloads and job insecurity.
Consider the real-world case of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, which, at the start of 2023, cut 12,000 jobs, amounting to about 6% of its global workforce. This move was part of a broader trend in the tech industry, where over 260,000 employees were laid off in 2023. Alphabet and other…
