Heres One Way to Disclose a Layoff to a Hiring Manager

Heres One Way to Disclose a Layoff to a Hiring ManagerHeres One Way to Disclose a Layoff to a Hiring Manager2I recently received a LinkedIn message from a professional named Susan who had been studying the Lynda.com course, Recovering from a Layoff. She welches in a tricky professional situation and needed some guidance on how to disclose a layoff to a hiring manager whod just offered herbei a position with a new company.What follows is her question and my response, printed with her permission. If you find yourself in a similar situation, perhaps this method of disclosing your layoff to potential employers will work for you, tooThe Dilemma How to Disclose a LayoffBrie,I started watching your videos regarding being laid off and I need some guidance on how to handle a potentially sticky situation. I was given notice that I would be laid off in April of this year. Id already started searching for a new job due to huge changes happening to the company such as my hiring manager moving out of the country, our team leader leaving the company, the company president retiring, and the company laying off people throughout the year. I had only been with the company for a year and a half.I met with a hiring manager at a different company and we hit it off instantly. He asked me why I wanted to leave my current company. Instead of saying, Im going to be laid off in 30 days, I said my decision was because of all the management changes. Now Ive been offered the job and accepted.My question is this How do I share this information? There is a 30-day gap between my final day of work at the last company, and my start date for the new company. They will be doing a background check so I feel it might be prudent to mention it to the hiring manager prior to HR discovering the gap. This is the best offer and opportunity Ive had in a while. HelpBest Regards,SusanOne Way to Open Up About Being Laid OffFor a bit of background on the advice below, heres some great insight from career exper t Alison Doyle, whowrote about what employers can say about former employees for The BalanceBecause of defamation laws (defamation is slander or libel), companies are usually careful about what information they provide to hiring managers confirming employment or checking references. What they say has to be the truth or the company can be subject to a lawsuit from the former employee. Concern about lawsuits is why many employers will only confirm dates of employment, your position, and salary.Hi Susan,Congratulations on the job It sounds like youve done all the right things in your search so far, and I think you handled the initial question about your decision to leave your old company wonderfully. Ultimately, it was because of massive changes happening within the company and was 100% outside of your control or your professional abilities.The human resources department at the company you were laid off from may choose not to tell your new company why you left. Typically, they are inst ructed to only give employment dates and to verify that you did, indeed, worked for the company.If you still feel like you need to tell your new manager, you might say something like, After I made my decision to find a new job, I found out that the company was going to start laying off workers so I was glad Id already decided it was time to go. Its not untrue, and I think it covers your bases.Let me know how it goesBrieA Successful Conclusion for SusanSeveral weeks after we initially interacted, Susan wrote to let me know how the situation was resolved, and why the details of a job search truly matter.Hi Brie,Things worked out well when I decided to not disclose to my prospective employer that I was being laid off. Only when I wanted to move my start date up, did I share with my new boss that I opted to take a package and thus the reason for the start date change. Thank you for your response and guidance.It was your article initially that gave me insight and confidence that I had ma de the right decision Thank you for all that you do, because finding a job at times can be extremely challenging and every word and decision matters.Regards,Susan