I recently offered free (or donate-what-you-can) job search coaching to those displaced in the #HRTech and #worktech sectors. I promised four slots but ended up doubling that. The demand was just that intense. If cloning myself were an option, I’d be all over it—to help the hundreds who reached out.

Let’s clarify something: career coaching isn’t executive coaching. While executive coaching is about enhancing leadership at high levels, career coaching is more about practical strategies for navigating job transitions and employment hurdles.

Coaching isn’t therapy, either. While therapy delves into emotional and psychological health, coaching focuses on setting and achieving professional goals and making clear-headed decisions.

My goal with these sessions? To craft a smarter route back into the workforce. Here’s what I’m hearing from my new pro bono clients:

  • 100% have felt burnout—not just fatigue but a profound emotional and motivational depletion from continuous workplace stress.
  • 100% have had negative experiences with past employers—from questioning leadership’s decision-making and facing evident biases to feeling the disconnect between what companies preach and practice regarding culture and investment.
  • 100% feel betrayed by the lip service given to employee and technology investments. The money didn’t trickle down.

For what it’s worth, I have one rule for industries like #HRTech and #worktech: If you can’t genuinely embody the ideals you sell, you shouldn’t be selling them. It’s too bad nobody has asked me to implement that rule!

It’s easy to dismiss these as isolated gripes from underperforming employees. But when the feedback is this consistent, it’s more than just noise—it’s a pattern.

Thankfully, some of my clients are finding their way forward, making professional and emotional strides. Others remain tangled in their past grievances, still healing from their bruises. Quite a few are stuck and cynical.

For those of you still working full-time in #HRTech or #worktech, remember: your product only takes you so far. The real work is internal.

What do you need to do to stay out of my inbox?

  • Embrace self-leadership. Fix your professional environment first—be accountable for your interactions, ethics, and output. Know when to walk away from a losing situation. Don’t wait for that ominous Friday afternoon call with an HR business partner.
  • Look after your well-being. Use your physical and mental health benefits. Eat, sleep, get a hobby, volunteer, live an interesting life, and bring that good stuff back to your colleagues at the office.
  • Commit to your growth. Employees who are learning are less likely to quit, steal lunches, or even embezzle from an organization. That’s science. Despite what many HR Tech companies claim, few genuinely foster development. Take the initiative. Educate yourself and then leverage that knowledge elsewhere.
  • Embrace smarter risk-taking. Understand when to speak up and when to hold back. Strategies like the premortem—anticipating potential failures and planning for success—can help you navigate uncertain times and make informed decisions.

Foster individual accountability, prioritize your health, invest in continuous learning, and manage risks wisely. These strategies aren’t just about surviving—they’re about thriving and avoiding the need for emergency career coaching down the line.

And if the worst happens and you’re laid off, you’ll be in a stronger position to rebound quickly, ready to tackle more significant problems and collaborate with people who elevate rather than deflate.

We all deserve that kind of work environment.

 

Category: Work