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Amazon to Lay Off over 17,000 Workers, More Than First Planned

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Re: Amazon to Lay Off over 17,000 Workers, More Than First Planned

#321

Post by andirk »

zxcvbn4038 wrote: post #309
GenerocUsername wrote: post #271

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There would be a lot fewer recruiters, and more experienced engineers. Also a less monolithic tech culture. Right now every employee is more or less compatible across every company because we all seek to be transferable

You would think so but too many people get really comfortable and never expand their skills beyond the minimum required to do their current job. Last year I had an SRE position open I had to interview over three dozen people before I found one guy who could explain anything he had done in any detail. Everybody else was probably in the room when someone else did something, but could not give details of what was done,…

I always wonder how people who are only in the room when things happen have any pride in their work and aren't embarrassed at their lack of production. A couple jobs ago was people who put most of their effort in to making sure their group of shitty engineers wasn't found out. It was a lot of work! Since they were all about quantity of people over any quality, they had to keep hiring more people, so there was a lot of time and effort in to interviewing to make sure they only hired other shitty engineers of their same ilk. I was hired outside of their scheme so we weren't best of friends lets say.

Re: Amazon to Lay Off over 17,000 Workers, More Than First Planned

#323

Post by andirk »

PragmaticPulp wrote: post #58
VincentEvans wrote: post #36

Here’s a thought that has been percolating in my mind for a bit since these “market adjustments” began a month or two back. Somehow at some point, in what perhaps could be blamed on the ever-hated mass produced MBAs - companies got really comfortable with the “it’s not personal, it’s just good business” of letting go of their employees for a slightest reason, or sometimes for no reason at all - just to make it look t…

> We are seeing a bit of a market downturn - but it hasn’t hit Amazon pocketbook now, has it? Are they in danger of running out of money? What happened to “people are our most important resource”? Companies plan for where the market is going, not last quarter’s results. It’s fully clear to everyone that the economy has shifted dramatically. They are adjusting as appropriate. Also, these people will be laid off with s…

I don't understand why Netflix is part of FAANG. We should take it out of the acronym.

Re: Amazon to Lay Off over 17,000 Workers, More Than First Planned

#324

Post by weatherlite »

thisarticle wrote: post #245
midoridensha wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Japan makes it very hard to lay off employees too, but unemployment is very low.

Japan also has a stagnant or declining labor pool size.

So does the U.S...

Re: Amazon to Lay Off over 17,000 Workers, More Than First Planned

#325

Post by SoftTalker »

i_have_an_idea wrote: post #96
VincentEvans wrote: post #36

Here’s a thought that has been percolating in my mind for a bit since these “market adjustments” began a month or two back. Somehow at some point, in what perhaps could be blamed on the ever-hated mass produced MBAs - companies got really comfortable with the “it’s not personal, it’s just good business” of letting go of their employees for a slightest reason, or sometimes for no reason at all - just to make it look t…

I have no opinion on the MBA bit, but I think you're spot on about people starting to treat companies the way the companies are treating them. ~10 years ago, when I got my first job, I was in the minority, pretty much the only person cynical about big companies' claims how "people are our most important resource", how important is the company "culture" and all of that corporate kumbaya. And, at that point, the vast m…

> People are tired of job hopping to get market pay, dealing with bulls*t, and being thrown under the bus at the slightest hint of an economic downturn.

So it's cool for employees to quit and job hop to get better pay, leaving their former employers with the effort and expense of replacing them, but not cool for companies to lay off employees to save money when markets contract?

Re: Amazon to Lay Off over 17,000 Workers, More Than First Planned

#326

Post by whatever1 »

JackFr wrote: post #307
mint2 wrote: post #273

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> “the raison d'etre for publicly traded companies existing is not to simply exist, but rather make profit and ideally continually expanding profit for share holders” Should be noted the ideology that the purpose of a corporation is to maximize the profits for shareholder above all else is a modern obsession, and always takes a short term view. Starving a company just for a few good years of share prices is is dumb b…

The goal is to maximize shareholder value, which is not the same as maximizing short term profits. Amazon famously did not turn a profit for years as its stock price rose. It was able to do so because the market largely trusted the management. The reason why the stock market demands profit from most companies is that many, many managers and directors are bad at their job. Demanding profits is a way to keep management…

What people’s money? People put money when amazon ipo’ed decades ago. These people got their money back in multiples.

Now there are just speculators exchanging pieces of papers themselves. These have not connection whatsoever with the company’s cash flow.

Re: Amazon to Lay Off over 17,000 Workers, More Than First Planned

#327

Post by johnohara »

Back in 2008, a woman I was dating worked for a subsidiary of PepsiCo and was laid off by Indra Nooyi's decision to create "financial breathing room" in response to the economic storm clouds that were gathering.

The Financial Times described it as "just 1.7% of the group's global workforce."

Meh. 1.7%

Because of the economic collapse of 2008-2009, she didn't find another position for well over a year and a half, damn near lost her home, and had to draw very deep from the well.

Nooyi's characterization has stayed with me ever since as a metaphor for just how cold the wind blows in those meetings.

Re: Amazon to Lay Off over 17,000 Workers, More Than First Planned

#328

Post by [deleted] »

gwright wrote: post #188
metadat wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

First encounter with this initialism. TANSTAAFL / TINSTAAFL "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch." https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/tanstaafl.asp Also, if I may add: I wish there were more substance in your comment. This non-sequitur was disappointing.

Yeah, there could have been a lot more substance but to be honest a disappointingly large number participants here don't seem to understand that very basic principle when they engage in discussions here. To be clear, the parent to my comment seemed to completely understand TANSTAAFL. My comment was very obliquely directed at other participants in the larger conversation who seem to think that there is no legitimate r…

[deleted]

Re: Amazon to Lay Off over 17,000 Workers, More Than First Planned

#330

Post by alexandre_m »

SoftTalker wrote: post #325
i_have_an_idea wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have no opinion on the MBA bit, but I think you're spot on about people starting to treat companies the way the companies are treating them. ~10 years ago, when I got my first job, I was in the minority, pretty much the only person cynical about big companies' claims how "people are our most important resource", how important is the company "culture" and all of that corporate kumbaya. And, at that point, the vast m…

> People are tired of job hopping to get market pay, dealing with bulls*t, and being thrown under the bus at the slightest hint of an economic downturn. So it's cool for employees to quit and job hop to get better pay, leaving their former employers with the effort and expense of replacing them, but not cool for companies to lay off employees to save money when markets contract?

The main motivation for job hopping is that it's usually easier to get a raise or promotion than staying around for too long at your company.

A lot of employers have the unfortunate tendency to see their most loyal employees as furniture.

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