The People Who Would Vouch for Your Work Quality

When layoffs happen, leadership asks around about who should stay. They talk to managers, check with other departments, and gather opinions about who adds value beyond their job description. The people who would vouch for your work quality matter before anyone asks them for a reference.

This isn't about building a formal reference list for job applications. This is about identifying who in your current workplace would speak positively about your work if leadership asked them directly.

The question isn't "who likes me?" The question is "who has seen my work and would say it's good?"

These are different things. Plenty of people are friendly with colleagues whose work they wouldn't actually recommend. What matters during restructuring decisions is who has direct knowledge of your contributions and would defend your value if asked.

Make a list of people who meet three criteria:

They've worked directly with you on projects or tasks where they saw your actual work product, not just heard about it secondhand.

They have standing in the organization that makes their opinion matter to leadership. This doesn't necessarily mean senior title, but they need to be respected in their role.

They would speak honestly and positively about the quality of your work based on what they've seen.

Common categories of people who meet these criteria:

Direct managers or supervisors who review your work regularly. They see what you produce and how you handle responsibilities. Their assessment carries weight because evaluating performance is literally their job.

Colleagues from other departments you've collaborated with successfully. These people see you from a different angle than your immediate team. When someone outside your department says you're valuable, it suggests broader organizational contribution.

Internal clients or stakeholders who depend on your work. If people in other parts of the company rely on what you deliver and would notice if you weren't there, they're invested in your continued presence.

People you've trained or mentored who can speak to your expertise. If you've helped others succeed, they remember that and can attest to your knowledge and willingness to share it.

Project leads you've worked under who aren't your direct manager. These people chose to work with you or approved your participation. Their opinion reflects whether you deliver on commitments outside your core responsibilities.

After identifying these people, ask yourself a harder question: would they actually vouch for you if asked?

Just because someone could speak to your work doesn't mean they would speak positively. Maybe the project didn't go well. Maybe there was conflict. Maybe they're still annoyed about something you said six months ago.

For each person on your list, consider:

Is your most recent interaction with them positive or negative?

Did the last project you worked on together end well?

Have you maintained a professional relationship, or did you stop communicating after the project ended?

Do they know your current work, or is their knowledge based on something you did years ago?

This assessment isn't about paranoia. It's about accuracy. You need to know who would genuinely support you and who might give a lukewarm response if leadership asked about your contributions.

If you identify people who used to vouch for your work but might not anymore, that's valuable information. It tells you where relationships need repair or where recent work needs to demonstrate improvement.

The list should include at least five people, ideally from different parts of the organization or different levels. Relying on one manager's opinion is risky. Having multiple people across the company who know your work is solid makes you harder to eliminate.

If you struggle to name five people who would vouch for your work quality, that's a problem worth addressing while you're still employed. It means your contributions aren't visible enough or your relationships aren't strong enough.

The solution isn't sucking up to people or doing favors for everyone. The solution is making sure your work is visible to people whose opinions matter and maintaining professional relationships with collaborators.

This week's action isn't just making the list. It's honestly assessing whether these people would actually vouch for you if asked today, based on their most recent experience of your work.

If your list is strong—five or more people across different areas who know your work well and would speak positively about it—you've built protection that matters during restructuring.

If your list is weak—fewer than three people, or people who might give mixed feedback—you've identified a vulnerability that needs attention before layoff decisions happen.

The people who would vouch for your work quality matter long before anyone asks them for a formal reference. They matter during the informal conversations that happen when leadership decides who stays and who goes.