To be honest, I despise all that hire and fire culture. It's heartless, and wrong on every level as you said. I was recently impacted as well, and I totally agree with you that it was really the good performers who were asked to go, not the mediocre ones. But it was shocking and sad to just receive a good bonus and increment, and great words of encouragement from your boss, together with some guides on how to get a promotion, and then shortly after, asked to go. Anyway, after reading your article, I feel much better now, and hopefully I can find a good place very soon. I have never doubted my skills, capability or experience, just that the market is not very good now, with companies tightening their belts in preparation for a possible recession, and a surge in supply in the market due to all those mass layoffs and those star performers suddenly available en-mass as you rightly mentioned.