GoKawiilIf one or two employees are holding your organization together, you have a problem. Cheryl had already lost two of the 12 people on her team in the company’s first reduction in force. Then her product marketing lead resigned to join a competitor. A few weeks later, she was asked to cut two more roles.
Your biggest risk? The employees you rely on the most
Why This Matters
The piece flags a hidden operational risk in lean, post-layoff organizations: when a handful of high performers become load-bearing, a single resignation can destabilize a team. As tech companies continue rounds of cuts, the concentration of critical knowledge in a few people becomes a business continuity issue, not just an HR one.
Key Takeaways
- Over-reliance on one or two key employees is an organizational vulnerability, not a sign of strength.
- Successive layoffs compound risk: Cheryl's team lost two people in an RIF, then a product marketing lead to a competitor, then faced two more cuts.
- Leaders should spread critical knowledge and responsibilities before departures force the issue.
Worth a Look
Multipliers by Liz Wiseman (book) — When a team is running on one or two indispensable people, the fix is building capability across everyone — exactly what Liz Wiseman's Multipliers digs into. It's a practical read for managers facing shrinking headcount and rising key-person risk, with frameworks for spreading knowledge and ownership instead of concentrating it.
See Multipliers by Liz Wiseman (book) on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.
Explore topics:
reduction in force
product marketing
employee retention
key person risk
team management
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