Managing New Job Anxiety Post Layoff: Strategies to Adapt & Thrive

By: Priyanka Vyas, Content Writer

A new offer letter might signal the end of yourstressful layoff period, but it is often the start of yet another chapter in one’s career built onadapting and performing to a new environment.

Starting a new job after been laid off may seem like a new lease on life; however, the act of starting over never comes easy. While there is enthusiasm about getting back at work, a working professional could also have concerns. One can deal with anxiety related to performance issues, expectations, adjusting in new work environment and the need to prove oneself all at once.

For any professional, the process of acclimatization to a new work environment would require learning and unlearning of many aspects together. Therefore, it is important to take advantage of this phase to develop self-confidence and proper working habits drawing balance between work and personal life.

Quite often, women find themselves under pressure to prove themselves and their competency from the very start. As a result, they tend to give priority to speed over quality and end up doing more work than necessary or putting in extra hours of work.

However, the key to a stable career is concentrating on prioritization, right execution, and measureable outcomes built on sustainable performance. Here’s an expert-backed check-list of factors to be mindful of in order to successful navigate a new job anxiety post a layoff.

1. Managing New Job Information Overload after a Layoff

The first few weeks at the new job should be looked at as a learning period rather than a period of trying to make an impact with achieving workload beyond impossible. Professionals should take notice of the new working systems and environments, ways of communication, and people around. Remembering all at once may affect your focus and efficiency. It is advisable that you develop a system that will help you remember, categorize, and organize the information as you gain more understanding about the job.

Ira Kukrety, CHRO, Forest Essentials shares her expert insights over workable strategies helping professionals to manage information overload at the new job. “Navigating an unexpected job loss can makes us rethink our self worth and confuse our confidence. Post such an experience we may join the new organization with a sense of insecurity and an urgency to prove our value, which can lead to over commitment, that can cause us to absorb a whole lot of new information quickly.  To be able to adjust and perform well in a new environment begin with acknowledging what you are feeling and separate the need to perform from the need to prove yourself.”

To create a good beginning in your new role, Ira adds, “To perform well in the new job, spend the first couple of weeks understanding what are the business priorities, these will lead you to the critical business processes, further understanding what is expected of your role and how it links to these priorities and processes.”

“Every organization has a system of relationships. Developing trusted relationships early on, helps you to understand how teams collaborate, work best and navigate the relationship system of the organization. This brings organizational context, which will allow you to identify risks early on, not be blindsided.Make the first 90 day plan, what you need to know, what you need to do, what you need to learn. Focus on impact and make sure you speak to your reporting manager periodically about the priorities, the plan, the problems and the solutions,” she advices to build trusted relationships and identify areas of impact.

Note: It is important and beneficial not to make any comparisons with your previous organizations.

Key Actions:

• Build an unbiased perspective regarding office environment and co-workers
• Clear any doubts and seek clarity regarding processes and priorities
• Build meaningful relations with team members to gain knowledge and trust
• Know your priorities, obligations, and deadlines ahead of time
• Concentrate on producing quality work rather than demonstrating yourself fast.